Smart Pension has launched a 12-month customer service plan aimed at enabling members to complete 95 per cent of everyday pension tasks through its app or online during 2027, up from 90 per cent currently.

The master trust said the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation would allow routine requests, including contribution changes and pension consolidation, to be processed more efficiently, freeing customer service specialists to spend more time supporting members through retirement, illness and bereavement. Smart Pension has also moved its email, chat, telephone, text and social media channels onto a single cloud platform, allowing conversations to continue across different channels without members having to repeat information. The company noted that specialists currently have an average response time of 10 seconds, while retirement guidance calls typically last around 25 minutes. Smart Pension chief operating officer, Sue Whittington, said automating routine transactions would provide members with convenient self-service while giving staff more time to focus on complex issues. “We are replacing administration with service in transitioning from a costly administrative approach to a value-creation model that prioritises member loyalty and differentiated service excellence,” she added.

Mantle has partnered with Mail Metrics to provide an integrated pension correspondence and fulfilment service intended to reduce manual processes, strengthen compliance and lower communication costs.

The partnership will connect the MantleComms suite with Mail Metrics’ communications platform, enabling pension administrators to create and manage outbound correspondence within Mantle while using Mail Metrics for delivery, tracking and analytics. Mantle claimed key clients had already reduced postage costs by up to 65 per cent through more efficient delivery methods, with the platform allowing costs and savings to be tracked across individual schemes, member groups and communication types. The integration will also provide audit trails and delivery tracking, remove the need for manual data exports and unsecured file transfers, and reduce reliance on post-room operations and key-person processes. Inbound correspondence capabilities are expected to be added in future. Mantle chief client success officer, Chris Tucker, said the partnership would give clients a more efficient way to manage critical communications, while reducing manual work and improving oversight. Mail Metrics executive director of client growth, Andrew O’Driscoll, added that embedding communications technology into administration workflows would help providers improve efficiency, governance and member experiences.

HS Trustees has unveiled a new brand identity and website after receiving two industry awards during 2026.

The professional trustee firm was named Workplace Savings and Benefits Initiative of the Year at a ceremony on 9 September, following its Thought Leadership Award at the Pensions Age Awards in February. HS Trustees said both awards recognised its stewardship work for smaller pension schemes and its work with Nestle. Alongside the rebrand, the firm has introduced a shield-shaped logo intended to reflect its role in helping schemes respond to challenges and has redesigned its website to provide clearer information about its services and professional trustee team. HS Trustees revealed its client portfolio had increased from two schemes to 13. Its three core services are Trustee Board+, an independent chair, and a corporate sole trustee, with Trustee Board+ positioned as an alternative to the corporate sole trustee model for small and medium-sized schemes.

Penfold has expanded its workplace pension guidance and support service after research found that 82 per cent of employees experienced at least one barrier to engaging with their retirement savings.

The survey of 2,000 UK employees also found that 42 per cent believed their pension provider either made no difference to their understanding of pensions or made them harder to understand. Penfold’s expanded service combines complimentary one-to-one guidance sessions and access to customer support with digital retirement forecasts and goal-setting tools, at no additional cost to employers or employees. Early pilot results showed that attendees rated the guidance sessions 4.75 out of five, while every participant reported feeling more confident about their pension afterwards and average confidence levels more than doubled. Employees who set a retirement goal using Penfold’s digital tools were also around twice as likely to increase their contributions as those who did not. Penfold chief executive officer and co-founder, Chris Eastwood, argued that pension balances alone provide limited information, with savers also wanting to know whether they are on track and where they can obtain help. “We have always believed that human support and digital tools work best together,” he added.

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