Pensions Regulator publishes dashboards readiness survey and connected blog

The Regulator has published a report which summarises the results from its Dashboards Readiness Tracker looking at schemes’ preparations for dashboard connection. A related blog urges schemes not to miss their dashboard connection date over a “data debt”.

The report covers the schemes in the first nine cohorts of the staged connection timetable which are due to connect between April 2025 and February 2026.

The survey found that almost all schemes were aware of their key duties regarding dashboards and 72 per cent had completed key preparatory actions or had plans in place to achieve them. Almost 80 per cent of schemes expected to connect to dashboards by their allotted date.

In the accompanying blog, the Regulator says that the success of dashboards also depends on the quality of pensions data and there is still work to do on that front. One in four schemes hold some view data in non-digital format and only half of schemes offering DB benefits had recent DB value data for all members. Trustees and scheme managers are encouraged to take the steps set out in the Regulator’s dashboards guidance and checklist.

Trustees and managers are also urged to work with their administrators and AVC providers to make sure their data is dashboards ready. The survey found that only 42 per cent of schemes that offered DC AVCs with a separate AVC provider had discussed preparations with their provider.

The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has issued useful new guidance entitled Securing Tomorrow: Essential Steps for Trustees and Pension Providers to Protect Member Data.

The guidance aims to equip schemes with the tools to assess, protect and respond to data security risks, and seeks to “embed a culture of awareness across all stakeholders.”