Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) principal, Chris Curry, has urged pension scheme trustees to continue to take action to prepare for pensions dashboards, emphasising that there will not be a second dashboards reset in future.

Speaking at the Pensions Age Spring Conference 2023, Curry suggested that whilst the timing for the updated staging deadlines is yet unknown, work on the dashboards programme has not stopped, with progress still underway behind the scenes.

Curry also confirmed that whilst the regulations will need to be updated to reflect the new timing and staging deadlines, the overall framework for delivering pensions dashboards remains “fit for purpose”.

“We are going through a reset period, which has a very specific meaning in central government, major procurement programs," he said, explaining that the PDP is currently going through an assessment phase, which it is nearly at the end of, and a replanning phase.

This will be followed by a mobilisation phase, although Curry clarified that "we really need to get a long way through that process in order to be able to know what we are going to be doing and when we're going to be doing it".

Curry also emphasised the importance of limiting the pensions dashboards reset to a one off, arguing that "we can just about get away with having one reset", but a second could risk stretching credibility.

"We want to make sure that we get this right, not just for ourselves, but also for the industry," he continued, emphasising the need to deliver consistent update with the industry to provide greater certainty, without the risk of further changes in future.

"We're working on it as quickly as we can because we know the industry wants to know what's happening and when it's happening," he added. "As soon as we have that information, we will be telling you because it's not something we want to sit on."

In the meantime, Curry stressed that there are steps that scheme trustees and providers can be taking, highlighting the need to improve data quality in particular.

"Quality has to be a priority," he stated, arguing that pension matching will be a key point to the success of pensions dashboard.

In addition to this, Curry emphasised the need for trustees to consider how they are going to connect and whether they will be looking to use an intermediary or integrated service provider.

He stated: "Although the delay on pensions dashboards is incredibly frustrating, but equally, it's an opportunity. We know that for many actually meeting the timelines that we set out in the legislation was going to be challenging, it was ambitious, and now there's a chance to get ahead of the game.

"So start doing more work and more data preparation and get ready so you can actually be in a better position than you would otherwise have been when."

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