Pension trustees must take a more proactive approach to improving member experience as schemes approach their endgame, Hymans Robertson has warned, as its research revealed persistent gaps in engagement, understanding and support.

The report, Excellence in Endgames: The member perspective, found that while many defined benefit (DB) scheme members believed they understood their pensions, a significant proportion still lacked confidence and clarity when making decisions.

The research, based on a survey of more than 1,000 DB members, showed that 29 per cent felt very confident making pension decisions, while a further 46 per cent felt somewhat confident.

However, this left around one in four members lacking confidence - a gap the report warned “shouldn’t be overlooked”.

Meanwhile, engagement levels were mixed, with 59 per cent of members saying they always read communications from their scheme, 29 per cent reading them occasionally, and 6 per cent never engaging.

Notably, 5 per cent said they did not recall receiving any communications, and almost one in five did not know where to find information about their scheme.

The findings suggested that while baseline engagement existed, there were clear shortcomings in how information was delivered and understood.

The report also found growing demand for additional support, particularly at retirement.

Indeed, more than half (57 per cent) of members said they wanted easier access to financial advice, while 36 per cent wanted more guidance from their employer .

Despite this, Hymans Robertson noted that many trustees had yet to explore broader support options beyond signposting independent financial advice, such as financial coaching, member events and digital tools.

The report warned that knowledge gaps tended to emerge at key decision points, where complexity could expose members to risks they did not fully understand, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes.

In particular, 45 per cent of members said they wanted better communication from their scheme, indicating that current approaches were not meeting expectations.

Hymans Robertson argued that trustees had both the “responsibility and the opportunity” to address these shortcomings, particularly as they retained control over administration, communications and member support throughout the lifecycle of a scheme.

It emphasised that high-quality administration should form the foundation of a strong member experience, highlighting the importance of timely responses, accurate processing and minimising errors to maintain trust and reduce complaints.

The report also pointed to increasing regulatory scrutiny in this area, with The Pensions Regulator placing greater focus on administration standards in its recent guidance.

The consultancy also stressed the importance of robust data management, warning that poor-quality data can delay transactions, create pricing issues during buy-in or buyout processes, and result in incorrect benefits being secured.

With this in mind, it advised trustees to implement clear data improvement plans, prioritise material errors, maintain strong audit trails and communicate transparently with members, particularly where rectification exercises were required.

The report further highlighted the role of member options in shaping both individual outcomes and scheme liabilities.

While 71 per cent of members valued the option to take a tax-free cash lump sum, more complex options - such as pension increase exchange or transfers to defined contribution arrangements - were less well understood.

Indeed, one in seven respondents said they were unsure about all of the options presented to them, underlining the need for clearer education and support.

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