Now that we’re into September, I find myself back out attending events across industry, taking the opportunity to speak about pensions dashboards. I was delighted to be able to join a panel discussion at the recent Pensions Age Autumn Conference in London all about dashboards.

Along with The Pension Regulator (TPR) pensions dashboards business lead, Lucy Stone, I was able to answer questions from our host and the audience. Here are just a few of the topics we covered...

Notice ahead of connection

In June, the Minister for Pensions announced that the legal deadline to connect to the pensions dashboards ecosystem is 31 October 2026. However, the dates for when pension providers and schemes will be connecting in groups based on size and type will be set out in guidance.

At the conference, I was asked how much notice industry will receive of the date that guidance will be published. While there is not a current set date, the Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP), the government and regulators are committed to providing as much notice as possible, with an aim of 12 months ahead of connection windows in guidance opening.

We’re working together on shaping the guidance timetable, which will include proper collaboration with industry.

Understanding the guidance

Unlike the connection deadline of 31 October 2026, the guidance with connection dates will not be set out in law. Lucy and I were asked how PDP, the government and regulators would ensure that pension providers and schemes adhere to the guidance.

The government has clearly set out that providers and schemes must have regard to the guidance when preparing to connect to the dashboards ecosystem.

TPR will expect providers and schemes to demonstrate they have taken the guidance into account when making decisions, and provide a record of this. Lucy explained that the regulator may take action against any pension provider or scheme that is failing to have regard.

A benefit of providers and schemes connecting in line with the dates in guidance is that it will make it possible for dashboards to be publicly available earlier.

It will enable thorough testing to take place sooner and ensure users’ experience is positive and safe. PDP will be working with the government and regulators to spread this message across industry, and as well as supporting management of capacity.

Protecting dashboards’ users

One of the audience questions gave me the opportunity to talk about the important issue of how we protect people as they use dashboards. PDP is currently looking at the service for verifying users’ identity.

It is critical that we strike a balance between security and accessibility – safeguarding people’s information while making it as easy as possible to access a dashboard. It’s worth reinforcing that the ID verification solution will probably provider higher level checks than those currently used by providers and schemes.

A second crucial aspect of protecting dashboard users is about ensuring they are not misled into making poor decisions. Being able to see all your pensions together in one place will be a useful tool for retirement planning. Without the necessary context, however, this information will be difficult to interpret for a large number of people who are poorly engaged with their pensions.

That’s why the accompanying words are so important. The Financial Conduct Authority’s regulatory framework for dashboard providers and PDP design standards will set out how dashboards must display the information to maximise consumer protection and users’ understanding of the information they see on their dashboard.

Done right, they will help users make informed choices and point towards helpful guidance from the Money and

Pensions Service’s MoneyHelper service, for example. At the same time, we need to ensure that people are not overwhelmed by masses of text. Clarity matters as much as being comprehensive.

Finding out more

PDP regularly produces articles and videos with useful tips on preparing for dashboards and the latest updates on progress. I’m also attending events throughout the year where I can answer your questions. More information can also be found on the PDP website.

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