Aptia Group has connected 200 pension schemes to the pensions dashboards ecosystem, as the industry continues preparations for the legal connection deadline.

The pensions administration firm said the milestone demonstrated progress in helping schemes improve data quality, increase operational efficiency and prepare their administration systems for dashboards availability.

Aptia argued that effective connection could also improve member outcomes by giving savers a clearer view of their retirement provision and helping them locate pension pots they may have lost track of.

Recent research from WTW found that dashboards are expected to be used primarily during major life events such as retirement, redundancy and job changes, although schemes could face a surge in member enquiries following launch.

Aptia Group head of pensions technical, John Wilson, commented: “Connecting 200 pension schemes to the pensions dashboard is a significant milestone and an important step towards improving how people engage with their retirement savings.

“By helping schemes connect efficiently and effectively, we’re supporting improvements in data quality, driving operational efficiencies, and ultimately enhancing outcomes for pension members.”

Research previously conducted by Aptia found that almost one in seven people in the UK approaching retirement were unsure how much monthly income their pension would provide.

Wilson stated that pensions dashboards had the potential to address this uncertainty by bringing information about an individual’s savings together in one place.

Aptia said its focus would now extend beyond connection to ensuring schemes were operationally ready for dashboards to be made public.

This would include preparing for potential increases in member enquiries, maintaining data quality, and ensuring that administrative processes could respond effectively once savers began using dashboards.

The Money and Pensions Service's (Maps) most recent progress update report revealed that dashboards were ‘on track’ to meet the statutory connection deadline, with 85 per cent of workplace and personal pension records now connected to the dashboards ecosystem.

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