Ninety-six per cent of pension records are expected to be connected to the pensions dashboards ecosystem by the 31 October deadline, Money and Pensions Service (Maps) chief executive, Oliver Morley, has revealed.

Speaking at the Pensions UK Annual Conference 2026, Morley confirmed that around 90 per cent of pension records had already been connected, with this figure expected to rise significantly over the next 17 days.

"We are going to be up at 96 per cent, and that represents 90 million pension records that will be connected to the service," he said.

"It's a really, really significant milestone and a real achievement, I think, for the industry."

Morley added that the subsequent connection of schemes with approved deferrals would take coverage close to 100 per cent, with regulators continuing to focus on any outstanding connections.

He praised the industry's collaboration in reaching this milestone, describing the progress as the result of an "incredible effort" across pension schemes, providers, regulators and other stakeholders.

However, Morley stressed that connecting pension records was only the first stage of the project.

"The next challenge is making sure that people have a positive experience when they start using the MoneyHelper pensions dashboard, and that they can access the information they need," he said.

He warned that introducing dashboards could generate substantial additional demand for pension schemes and administrators.

Citing forthcoming Maps customer research, Morley revealed that 56 per cent of respondents had either taken action or planned to take action after using pensions dashboards.

This included 16 per cent considering accessing their pensions and 12 per cent considering updating their personal details.

Morley suggested that this could represent a significant change in member engagement, particularly among deferred members who may not have contacted their pension schemes for several years.

He added that demand would vary depending on factors such as membership demographics, scheme type, and data quality.

While Maps will continue working closely with the industry to communicate expectations and launch plans, Morley acknowledged that it would be difficult to predict exactly how savers would respond once the dashboard became publicly available.

He therefore urged schemes to consider their administrative capacity, staffing, training and funding arrangements to ensure they could respond effectively to increased member engagement.

Looking ahead, he reiterated that the MoneyHelper pensions dashboard was expected to become publicly available during the 2027/28 financial year.

He also reaffirmed the government's commitment to providing the industry with six months' notice before the public launch.

"The minister will give six months' notice. That is absolutely sacrosanct," he stated.

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