The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published new pensions dashboards guidance, confirming that larger pension schemes will be expected to have completed connection by the end of April 2025.

In a written statement shared alongside the guidance, Pensions Minister, Paul Maynard, confirmed that, subject to satisfactory testing, the Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) plans to begin the process of connecting the organisations building a direct connection, including DWP state pension, from August 2024.

Connection testing will then continue to ensure readiness to support wider industry connection from early 2025.

Maynard said that whilst the timetable is not mandatory, it is a legal requirement that trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes and providers of personal and stakeholder pensions have regard to this guidance.

The guidance itself also echoed this, stating that “DWP would encourage trustees or managers and pension scheme providers to follow the dates in this guidance unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent them from doing so”.

According to Maynard, the new staging guidance is expected to help “smooth” the process of connecting the approximately 3,000 pension schemes and providers in scope by the connection deadline of 31 October 2026.

The guidance also prioritises the connection of the largest pension schemes and providers, which the minister explained is intended to ensure that “crucial user testing can quickly take place at scale”.

“The government is absolutely committed to delivering pensions dashboards safely and securely to the public at the earliest opportunity,” he stated.

“The publication of the connection timetable marks a significant milestone towards launching pensions dashboards, and takes us closer to introducing a service that has the potential to transform how individuals plan for retirement.”

In particular, the guidance confirmed that master trust schemes that provide money purchase benefits only, and have 20,000 or more members, will be expected to connect by 30 April 2025, alongside Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)-regulated operators of a personal pension scheme or stakeholder pension scheme with 5,000 members or more.

Medium schemes and providers, however, including occupational pension schemes with less than 1,000 members, will be given until 2026 to connect, with the latest date for connection, for occupational pension schemes with between 100-124 members, set for 30 September 2026.

Guidance from the PDP is expected to provide further detail on the process of connecting to the pensions dashboards ecosystem including when to contact the PDP and the onboarding process.

Commenting on the guidance, PDP principal, Chris Curry, stated: “Pensions dashboards will be a crucial tool to support retirement planning. By showing people’s pensions together in one, online and secure place, they will boost pensions engagement, benefiting individuals and industry.

“Delivering dashboards is complex, and I’m continually grateful for the spirit of co-operation across government, regulators and industry. The timetable for connection is an important step on the journey to making dashboards a reality.

“The Pensions Dashboards Programme continues to work closely with industry as we prepare for the first pension providers and schemes to begin connecting, providing as much information and answering as many questions as possible.”

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