20 December 2024 – PDP guest comment
In his final PensionsAge Guest Comment article of 2024, PDP Principal Chris Curry reviews key progress during the year and looks forward to 2025.

17 December 2024 – MaPS belief and PDP blog
Speaking exclusively to PensionsAge, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Money & Pensions Service (MaPS) Oliver Morley says: “Although the government is unable to confirm a date when commercial dashboards will launch, I hope we showed [at the 2 Dec Town Hall event] we have a team of people who fundamentally believe in the promise of pensions dashboards, myself included”.
Meanwhile, in a PDP blog, Principal Chris Curry reflects on the Town Hall event and looks forward to 2025.


12 December 2024 – MoneyHelper dashboard update and FCA consultation & discussion papers
PDP publishes a brief progress update blog on the MoneyHelper pensions dashboard.

Meanwhile, the FCA publishes two consultations:
- Consultation Paper CP24/27 on specific targeted support proposals (supported by new consumer research) and how this could make use of dashboards data, and
- Discussion Paper DP24/3 on how FCA’s requirements in respect of pensions could be adapted in a post-dashboards environment.

11 December 2024 – Registration code instructions
For pension schemes and providers connecting their data to the ecosystem, PDP publishes instructions on how to get a registration code from either TPR or FCA.

4 December 2024 – IPA reset guidance
The Cabinet Office / HM Treasury Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) publishes new guidance on resetting major programmes, using PDP as a case of how to do it.

3 December 2024 – Progress Update Report
A PDP news article announces the publication of the 10th six-monthly Progress Update Report.

2 December 2024 – PDP Town Hall event
A PDP news article reports on the Town Hall event.

30 November 2024 – FCA PDCOB Rules
As highlighted the previous day, the online FCA Handbook is updated to include the Pensions Dashboards: Conduct of Business sourcebook (PDCOB) containing all the Rules with which operators of commercial dashboards must comply.
29 November 2024 – FCA Handbook notice
FCA publishes Handbook Notice 124 highlighting (amongst other things) the Pensions Dashboard Service Instrument 2024, listing all the FCA Handbook changes being made, and coming into force the next day, to accommodate commercial pensions dashboards.

26 November 2024 – TPR webinar
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) holds a webinar for schemes, and their suppliers, connecting their data to the dashboards ecosystem.

22 November 2024 – Corporate Adviser Conference
A Corporate Adviser article refers to my panel appearance at their Master Trust and Group Personal Pension Conference two days before. In particular that:
“We have to start thinking about income and not pots … [as] most consumers want to see what [their pensions] might mean per month in retirement. Then answer the question – how do I nudge up my contributions? We should start talking about how we deploy commercial dashboards within employer sites, so people can click through to payroll and nudge up their contributions. We all know 8 per cent isn’t enough. We’re about to wake up millions of people to the fact that [it] isn’t enough.”

21 November 2024 – PDP View Data Model
PDP publishes helpful View Data Model documentation to supplement the Data Standards.

20 November 2024 – PDP Standards update
PDP announces the publication of significantly updated Reporting Standards (v1.2), as well as minor updates to the Data Standards (v1.3) and the Code of Connection (v1.2) covering security, service and procedural requirements for dashboard and data providers.

15 November 2024 – FCA targeted support and ICO joint statement
In a news story, giving an update on the Advice Guidance Boundary Review (AGBR), the FCA highlights how, in December 2024, it will consult on how it envisages targeted support working for pension savers.
It also publishes a joint statement with ICO and TPR giving clarity for pension providers and schemes on the neutral regulatory communication messages they can give to consumers without breaching UK data protection laws.


14 November 2024 – DWP investment consultation, Nucleus confidence index and MaPS annual report
Three updates today (maybe connected in some way?):
- DWP consults on pensions investment (following the Chancellor’s Mansion House speech) without mentioning communications to consumers at all, whilst …
- Nucleus’ Retirement Confidence Index plummets, although commercial pensions dashboards could help, so it’s great news that …
- the Governance Statement in the MaPS Annual Report to 31 March 2024 confirms that PDP formally exited reset in May 2024.



13 November 2024 – People’s transfer research
A media release from The People’s Partnership reports on research dashboards could accelerate the amount by which people lose out from pension transfers.
The release also calls for information about defined contribution (DC) pension charges to be included on dashboards, which my subsequent LinkedIn post explained was not a new call.

9 November 2024 – TV and radio coverage
BBC ONE TV News and BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme feature the PPI’s latest Lost Pensions report and mention how pensions dashboards will help.

7 November 2024 – FCA QPDS COBS Rules
Two years (minus 24 days) after originally consulting on the rules for dashboard operators, FCA publishes Policy Statement PS24/15 including the settled Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS) Rules for firms wishing to apply for regulatory permission to operate a Qualifying Pensions Dashboard Service (QPDS). The FCA says it will open the gateway to actually receive applications for QPDS permissions in due course.

6 November 2024 – PDP 6-monthly update webinar
Lots of questions were asked at the PDP six-monthly update webinar, subsequently answered on the PDP website.
Very importantly for firms looking to operate commercial dashboards, this Q&A confirmed the publication of PDP Design Standards will be informed by “insights gained from the launch and operation of the MoneyHelper dashboard”.

24 October 2024 – PPI Lost Pensions Report 2024 and PLSA Schemes Readiness Survey
The Pensions Policy Institutes publishes Briefing Note 138 on lost workplace DC pensions, including the finding that industry has “broad optimism, once launched, dashboards will boost member engagement, with all respondents [to PPI’s survey] agreeing dashboards have at least a moderate impact on the lost pension problems among their members, with some respondents believing they will have a great impact”.

Luckily, according to a PLSA survey of 88 pension schemes, most are confident of being ready to connect their data to the dashboards ecosystem.

23 October 2024 – PDP blog reflections
In a PDP blog article, Principal Chris Curry reflects on the previous day’s written statement, including that:
“the government remains committed to commercial dashboards … PDP will work closely with potential dashboard providers, DWP, and the regulators on a pathway for development and implementation of dashboards … [holding] sessions with dashboard providers in November [on] next steps for this work”.

22 October 2024 – Ministerial statement and TPR data strategy
A written statement from Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds recommits the Government to enabling the delivery of multiple dashboards, with MoneyHelper launching first. PDP issues an accompanying media release with MaPS CEO Oliver Morley confirming “Dashboards are a truly collaborative effort between government, industry and regulators”.
The Evening Standard quotes The People’s Partnership saying “Focusing on the independence of a MoneyHelper dashboard ahead of commercial dashboards is an extremely sensible approach”.
Whilst the ABI response says “It is crucial the MoneyHelper and commercial dashboards are launched as soon as possible, and very closely together”.
And Corporate Adviser quotes AJ Bell and Scottish Widows respectively saying:
- “Restricting dashboards to a single one – the government’s – means not as many people will be aware of or use it … for dashboards to be a success it’s essential that commercial dashboards are launched as soon as possible” and
- “We know [the public] are much more likely to engage with their pension pots if they can access that information through channels which they already visit often. For example, in any one week, people view their pensions digitally over 7 million times across Scottish Widows and LBG apps”.

Meanwhile, TPR publishes its new Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) Strategy, including (in Mission 6) that TPR “will continue to actively collaborate with MaPS supporting dashboards as a key step to full transparency of financial health for savers”.

17 October 2024 – FCA VfM consultation responses
At least three public domain responses to the FCA CP24/16 consultation on its proposed Value for Money (VfM) Framework mention dashboards:
- Association of Professional Pension Trustees (APPT) response, saying “Consideration must be made as to how [investment performance] information will be published on dashboards – the natural place to put this information to make it easier for members to compare the arrangements they already have and are interested in using” and “The success of dashboards may be a good time to reflect on the efficacy of the proposed metrics”
- Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) response, saying “consistency of certain metrics remains unclear, for instance, dashboards use SMPI projection data, which uses a similar volatility-based methodology as the proposed ASD risk metrics within VfM, but these are inconsistent with methodologies used for FCA-regulated modellers: poor saver experience can result where differing pictures are given”
- The Investing and Saving Alliance (TISA) response, saying “With new initiatives in the pipeline such as dashboards, we expect these to overlap with VfM and for the framework to adapt to include these elements” and “For future phases, we see VfM being extended out to include future DC change including dashboards”.
15 October 2024 – Ministerial commitment and FCA RIG
A PensionsAge article reports on Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds’ speech at the PLSA Annual Conference including the new Government’s steadfast commitment to delivering dashboards.`

Meanwhile, the FCA publishes an interim (because of the election) update to its Regulatory Initiatives Grid, confirming its current aim to publish final FCA COBS Rules for nascent dashboard operators in Quarter 4.

14 October 2024 – MoneyHelper assessment and PASA Toolkit
The Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), publishes the 10 July 2024 report of its alpha Service Standard Assessment (SSA) of the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard.

Meanwhile, PASA publishes the first three pieces of content in its Dashboards Toolkit, focused on the supply of additional voluntary contribution (AVC) data:
- a trustee questionnaire to AVC providers
- a summary of AVC providers’ approaches, and
- an administrator AVC checklist.

9 October 2024 – How to Connect guidance
PDP publishes new How to connect guidance for data providers.

7 October 2024 – DWP research & Testing resources
DWP publishes Research Report 1071 on Lessons on Pensions Engagement, highlighting, yet again, the importance of dashboards.

Meanwhile, PDP publishes a testing page within its Connection hub, comprising its:
- Test harness administrator guide
- Test harness testing guide
- System test pack
- mutual Transport Security Layer (mTLS) guide

19 September 2024 – Standards update blog
A PDP blog update from Chris Curry about the updated PDP Technical Standards (see 4 Sept entry below) says “We have been busy testing and validating the reporting standards with our volunteer participants and will publish these soon … updated design standards will be published once they have also been tested”.

17 September 2024 – GOV.UK One Login confirmed
11 months after it was originally reported in a blog on UKAuthority.com, PDP finally confirms that the central Identity Service for all pensions dashboards will be GOV.UK One Login. PDP also publishes a new Identity Service page with details of which personal attributes will be verified by GOV.UK One Login service.

14 September 2024 – Inadequacy research
A Yorkshire Times article features a research finding from Doncaster-based adviser My Pension Expert that 16% of UK workers expect a comfortable retirement.
As Phoenix Insights said two days ago (below), we urgently need dashboards launched, to end the invisibility of inadequate total retirement incomes for millions of consumers.

12 September 2024 – Phoenix Insights roadmap
In a major roadmap report on pensions adequacy, bullet point 4 in Phoenix Insights Summary of policy recommendations is that we should “Launch Pensions Dashboards at the earliest opportunity”. Agreed!

11 September 2024 – FCA research
Some large scale consumer research by the FCA, written up in their Occasional Paper (OP) 65, finds that people don’t read emails about pensions.
The paper concludes: “Further research is needed to consider whether and how other channels aside from traditional methods of engagement such as emails would better support consumers approaching retirement in a more substantive way”.
It’s surprising the paper didn’t mention dashboards here, given their success in increasing engagement in continental Europe, and the fact FCA is about to publish rules for the regulation of commercial dashboards.

5 September 2024 – TPR policy published
Over 18 months since its consultation closed, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) publishes its Compliance and Enforcement Policy for pension schemes’ supply of data to dashboards. The publication of the policy is supported by a blog article from TPR Interim Executive Director Nina Blackett, as well as TPR’s response to industry’s 2023 consultation responses.

4 September 2024 – Updated Technical Standards
PDP publishes updated Technical Standards (v1.1).

2 September 2024 – Coalition continues to grow
Moneybox, NatWest Cushon and Smart Pension join the Dashboard Operators Coalition.

21 August 2024 – Updated Code of Connection
PDP publishes updated Security Standards, Service Standards and Operational Standards in its umbrella Code of connection (version 1.1).

8 August 2024 – FCA VfM consultation
In Chapter 12 (pages 76-77) of its Value for Money (VfM) Framework Consultation Paper (CP24/16), the FCA considers how VfM information could potentially be displayed on later iterations of dashboards – great idea, but we definitely need to get “Version 1” dashboards up and running and bedded in first.

2 August 2024 – LGPS guidance
On its LGPS Regulations and Guidance page, the Local Government Association publishes v1.0 of the LGPS Pensions Dashboards connection guide (originally published in draft in November 2023) as well as a new AVCs and Pensions Dashboards administrator guide.

1 August 2024 – Dashboards Nine-Nine Ep 1 of 9
PensionsExpert publishes the first of my series of nine countdown articles.

27 July 2024 – Money Box mention
At 12:30 of today’s edition of BBC Radio 4 Money Box, presenter Paul Lewis says: “We have to say dashboards [with an s], don’t we, because different firms can all run one” – yes, Paul!

23 July 2024 – Matching worries overtake View Data worries for schemes
In an article from pensions legal firm Sackers, on their recent webinar survey, schemes’ top dashboards worry is now matching (26%, up from 19% in 2022), overtaking being able to provide accurate DB pension data (25%, down from 40% in 2022).

19 July 2024 – PSIG comments on readiness
In a PensionsAge article, Chair of the Pension Scams Industry Group (PSIG) Margaret Snowdon says that data quality improvements across industry since 2019 mean data is now robust enough to support the delivery of pensions dashboards. She also says dashboards have a role in tackling pension scams, which “thrive in the shadows of confusion and misinformation”.

18 July 2024 – Aviva advocacy
In a LinkedIn post on the King’s Speech, Aviva Director of Workplace Savings and Retirement Emma Douglas reminds us dashboards still need to be delivered.

17 July 2024 – King’s Speech
The King’s Speech mentions a Pension Schemes Bill (see pp15-17 of the background briefing notes pdf) to include measures “preventing people from losing track of their pension pots through the consolidation of Defined Contribution individual deferred small
pension pots”. We all know dashboards need to be done prior to any small pots consolidation systems, so we best get on with dashboards!
P.S. Happy 10th birthday to this blog!

10 July 2024 – Double tweet / Double minister
Emma Reynolds MP tweets confirmation of her appointment as DWP Pensions Minister, then tweets again about being part of the HMT Ministerial team.


9 July 2024 – We must deliver
In a Citywire New Model Adviser article, ABI Director Yvonne Braun says:
“A new government offers a momentous opportunity to reset the pensions agenda [so] we must deliver pensions dashboards [as] the prize remains enormous [and] a culture change in pension engagement will be even more precious”.

8 July 2024 – Post-election priorities
In an interview with FT Adviser, dashboards are one of three priorities for the new government identified by Aviva Head of Savings and Retirement Alistair McQueen:
“they’re not a nice-to-have; they’re a must-have … they don’t have to be the perfect from day one … indeed, the old adage ‘perfection is the enemy of the good’ can apply to dashboards … there is no reason why they should not happen within this parliament”.

And in a Professional Pensions Opinion Piece, industry veteran John Moret puts forward a shortlist of five suggestions for the incoming government to consider, including (at No 2):
“Ensure dashboards have the resources and cross-industry support necessary to meet the timetables laid down … when implemented this project really will transform the pensions world with much higher levels of engagement across all age groups … the use of banking apps has grown enormously in a relatively short space of time and there is no reason why the same cannot be true of pensions API technology via commercial dashboards”.

5July 2024 – Labour must now deliver dashboards
Labour win the UK General Election, and commentators insist they must now get pensions dashboards done:
- AJ Bell director Tom Selby says in The Sun “it is crucial the new government presses ahead with the introduction of dashboards as planned”
- Nucleus director Andrew Tully says in FT Adviser “The new government need to make dashboards happen, make it soon and make it effective”, and
- People’s Partnership chief executive Patrick Heath-Lay says in The Independent “There are ‘day one’ challenges for new ministers … addressing key project documents requiring approval, and this must happen quickly”.

Meanwhile, a No 10 press release announces the appointment of new government ministers whose job it will be to ensure the delivery of dashboards.
27 June 2024 – Data connections focus
A Professional Paraplanner article quotes Origo CEO Anthony Rafferty saying that, since DWP published the staged timetable for data connections in March, “providers are keen to ensure they have a robust and secure connection to the pensions dashboards central digital architecture ahead of their onboarding schedule”.

24 June 2024 – TCS QPDS blog article
In a Finextra blog article, TCS Consultant Chandresh Pande explains how offering customers a commercial dashboard – legal name: Qualifying Pensions Dashboard Service (QPDS) – provides competitive advantage, enhances customer engagement, and supports new customer acquisition, concluding “the benefits that come with the QPDS badge far outshine & outweigh the evanescent drawbacks while pursuing it”.

18 June 2024 – ABI manifesto
Page 7 of the ABI Industry Manifesto says “together, we can boost the nation’s savings … delivered through [amongst other things] continued commitment to proactive and collaborative initiatives by industry and government such as delivering pensions dashboards”.

11 June 2024 – WTW survey
An article from WTW on the results of their survey of pensions administrators explains how 4 in 5 administrators believe increased used of digital technology including dashboards is the key change they expect to have the biggest impact on pensions administration in the next 3 years.

10 June 2024 – SMF vision paper
A Social Market Foundation policy paper setting out a holistic vision for the future of pensions in Britain says “implementation of dashboards remains years away … [so] considering Britain to be a leader in financial services looks increasingly delusional. This will only change once the industry puts its customers first”.

7 June 2024 – People’s future vision
An article from The People’s Partnership outlines what it thinks the nation’s future political leaders can do to make retirement saving fairer for savers. Included in the People’s four key points is a call for “transparent and standardised value for money metrics, focused on the outcomes savers are likely to receive from pension saving, and covering the whole market”.
People’s then calls for pensions dashboards to feature these metrics “front and centre”. Great ambition, but definitely a “Version 2” requirement: first, we all need to collaboratively focus on getting core Find & Value basic “Version 1” dashboards working.

5 June 2024 – End of term report: 6½ out of 10
Many thanks to Pensions Expert for publishing my assessment of the government’s dashboards progress against the 10 asks made by industry in October 2017. Roll on the next government!

3 June 2024 – The “Martin Lewis effect” and Partial data connection
In an interview with Citywire New Model Adviser, LCP Partner and former Pensions Minister Steve Webb is quoted with a great headline grabbing line. It will be part of the work of the PDP User Testing and Planning Group, working collaboratively with dashboard operators and data providers to ensure the risk of system outages is minimised.
Meanwhile, an excellent Pensions Expert comment piece from ABI long-term savings policy adviser Emily Mae Collins explains the simplified process whereby contract-based pension providers won’t have to make all of their pension records digitally searchable at once, but should target for at least 80% to be connected by their staged connection guidance date.


29 May 2024 – LCP finding lost pensions paper
LCP Partner Steve Webb publishes a consumer-facing guide to finding lost pensions. In the “future” section, Steve says “It is reasonable to believe dashboards will be available to the public in the next five years or so”. That’s May 2029! I really hope it’s a lot sooner than that.

28 May 2024 – Times coverage on the DOC
Financial Editor at The Times, Patrick Hosking, publishes an article about the now seven member firms of the (Pensions) Dashboard Operators Coalition (DOC).

22 May 2024 – WPC Oral Evidence
In what turned out to be this Parliament’s final session of the Work and Pensions Committee, during a discussion on the communication of State Pension Age increases to WASPI campaigners, DWP Permanent Secretary Peter Schofield is asked Q104: “What lessons has the DWP learned from this whole affair?”

You can watch (11:40:00 to 11:41:20) or read Peter’s response again – containing some very important for lessons for dashboards:
“It goes back to the conversation about how we engage with customers. How do we make it easier for our customers to understand? We have an ability to go online … and give people the confidence of how they understand the nature of what their income will be in retirement and what they need to do to support that.
“These are things we are doing to try to make it easier for millions of people to know where they stand with their income in retirement and to make provision for that when they can in their working age. We have not talked about the pensions dashboards programme, but I know you are taking evidence next month* on that.”
[* The session Peter was referring to, scheduled for 12 June, at which I was due to give evidence myself, will of course not now take place, as, later in the day on Wed 22 May, the Prime Minister announced the fourth General Election during the lifetime of this blog. Let’s see what the electorate decide on Thu 4 July 2024.]
21 May 2024 – SPP LPM report
The Society of Pensions Professionals (SPP) new report “Just one pension?” on the Lifetime Provider Model (LPM) of pensions provision says “One way to address the issue of multiple pots would be to build on the existing policy of pensions dashboards … We do not need costly new infrastructure for the LPM when dashboards can achieve these outcomes”.

20 May 2024 – New Coalition firms
A PensionsAge article reports the (Pensions) Dashboard Operators Coalition ((P)DOC) now has seven member firms: Aviva, Just Group, L&G, Mintago, Moneyhub, Scottish Widows (which is part of Lloyds Banking Group) and Standard Life (part of Phoenix Group).

12 May 2024 – Sunday Times coverage
Coverage in the general, as opposed to specialist, media of Friday’s NAO report (see 10 May below) continues in an article in The Sunday Times.

11 May 2024 – BBC Radio 4 Money Box
Nearly seven years since the prototype dashboard was covered on BBC Radio 4 Money Box in August 2017, today the show covers yesterday’s NAO report.

10 May 2024 – NAO Report
The National Audit Office (NAO) publishes the report on its investigation into the PDP Reset, receiving considerable overage in the general media, for example in The Times and MoneyWeek. Lack of digital skills and ineffective governance were to blame. The review only looked at the PDP Central Digital Architecture (CDA), ignoring dashboards and data. The report says DWP and MaPS expect to consider if PDP is ready to leave Reset during May.


8 May 2024 – FCA consultation closes
FCA’s further consultation CP24/4 on the proposed rules for Pensions Dashboard Service (PDS) firms closes, with various responses made available in the public domain:
- ABI response, asking the FCA to map out and test the end-to-end customer journey
- AJ Bell response, urging the FCA to return to the drawing board to redesign the rules
- Financial Services Consumer Panel response, strongly encouraging the FCA to review firms’ testing that their PDS adheres to Consumer Duty principles and / or to engage in its own testing
- Moneyhub response, emphasising the importance of post-launch changes
- Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) response, stressing the criticality of consumer testing
- Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) response, saying the proposed choices menu must be expanded at the outset or within a relatively short period of time
- The Investing and Saving Alliance (TISA) response, outlining the need for streamlined, intuitive, engaging dashboards journeys also extending seamlessly to off-dashboard services.
7 May 2024 – Size of QPDS market
Corporate Adviser publishes the 2024 edition of its annual Master Trust and GPP Report finding that all MT and GPP providers say they are planning to offer a commercial dashboard, except for Fidelity and WTW LifeSight (maybe not) and SEI (definitely not).

1 May 2024 – Updated Data Standards
In a blog article, PDP announces the publication of updated Data Standards, defining the data elements which pensions schemes and providers must supply and which dashboard operators must display.

30 April 2024 – New national ISP framework
The National LGPS Frameworks team publishes a new Framework for use by pension service pension schemes to let ISP and data services contracts.

25 April 2024 – 9th PDP Progress Report
PDP publishes its 9th six-monthly Progress Update Report.

24 April 2024 – FCA waiver and Equisoft dashboard
FCA publishes a waiver application process enabling firms to connect to the dashboards ecosystem from their staging date in guidance even where they are unable to connect all of their data from that date.

Meanwhile, in a client webinar, Nick Meredith at Integrated Service Provider (ISP) equisoft announces they will also provide a front-end dashboard for clients. Watch from 7:30-9:30.

19 April 2024 – Small pots policy paper
LCP publishes a policy paper recommending an improved version of ‘pot follows member’ utilising elements of the pensions dashboards ecosystem.

17 April 2024 – New SRO appointment
In a press release, PDP announces its new Senior Responsible Owner is Iain Patterson, with Chris Curry remaining as PDP’s lead on industry engagement. On the same day, PDP also hosts a webinar with DWP and TPR to help schemes prepare to connect their data.


12 April 2024 – Accrued income guidance
DWP publishes guidance for pension schemes and providers on how to calculate the estimated income which might be provided by a consumer’s defined contribution (DC) pension built up so far.

9 April 2024 – PDP blog on connection
In a blog article, PDP Principal Chris Curry provides an update on the Connection Guidance for schemes and providers published by the DWP on 25 March.

4 April 2024 – New Government ID Check app
The Government Digital Service (GDS) publishes a blog article about the accessibility of their new GOV.UK ID Check app, a key part of the GOV.UK One Login service. One Login will be the dashboards ecosystem’s central Identity Service (according to UKAuthority.com although there’s been no confirmation of this from MaPS PDP yet). See the 11 October 2023 entry on the 2023 page of this blog for more details about GOV.UK One Login.

27 March 2024 – Further FCA PDS rules consultation
Following its 1 Dec 2022 consultation on rules for how Pensions Dashboard Service (PDS) firms must behave, the FCA publishes a further consultation paper CP24/4:

25 March 2024 – Dashboard Operators Coalition and Staged Connection Guidance
Two really important announcements today:
- Dashboard Operators Coalition is launched, kicked off by Just Group, L&G, Moneyhub, and Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group
- Staged connection guidance for schemes published by DWP, announced in the nick of time in a Written Ministerial Statement the day before Parliament recess.
In a LinkedIn post, I summarised this as follows:
“In just 13 months (30 April 2025), 28 million pension entitlements* will be connected to the dashboards ecosystem: good job we’ll have many dashboards to test the consumer experience of using a dashboard”.
* According to the latest Master Trust League Table from Go Pensions (H1 2024)

21 March 2024 – New PDP Advisory Group members
In a press release, PDP announces the names of eight people joining their new advisory group, joining the existing 10 members of the previous steering group.

19 March 2024 – PDP answers to 3 questions
In a blog post, PDP Principal Chris Curry answers questions on consumer consent, timescales for View Data returns, and AVCs.

13 March 2024 – FCA support and risk mitigation
In a speech on the future of pensions, FCA Chief Exec Nikhil Rathi reiterates the FCA’s support for dashboards but also says the FCA is alert to dashboards potentially increasing the risks of scams so the FCA wants to work with the industry on measures to mitigate those risks.

1 March 2024 – Good Housekeeping magazine
This blog likes to keep abreast of pensions dashboards mentions in the wider media, i.e. not just the specialist pensions, financial services and technology media.
Following dashboards’ mention on BBC R4 Woman’s Hour at the start of 2023, this year they get a mention in the March 2024 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.
Maybe this reflects SEI’s research finding (see the 23 March 2023 entry on the 2023 page) that it’s Gen X women who most want to use pensions dashboards?

29 February 2024 – Ministerial urging
An FT adviser article reports how the Pensions Minister, in his speech to the PLSA Investment Conference in Edinburgh today, urges all pension schemes and providers to get their data ready ahead of connection to the pensions dashboards ecosystem, adding:
“Don’t wait for me to come knocking at your door. I may seem cuddly now but trust me if I have to come to your door when it comes to dashboards, you will not enjoy the experience.”

19 February 2024 – New FCA Regulated Activity
UK consumers move a step closer to seeing all their pensions together on their favourite banking, pension or money management app on their phone as “Operating a pensions dashboard service” becomes a new FCA Regulated Activity, into force in two weeks (with an accompanying Explanatory Memorandum).

13 February 2024 – The lang cat industry research, PDP CDA blog, and HoL debate
The lang cat, together with The People’s Partnership, publishes an industry research report from 24 anonymised 1-to-1 interviews, carried out in the summer of 2023, with recognised pension policy and/or technical experts. On dashboards, “the general consensus is that dashboards should and will happen … [with] three clear messages:
- State Pension must be included
- a strong call not to try to deliver too much at the outset: industry would much prefer a live minimum viable product, followed by incremental improvements, rather than attempting to deliver fully armed & operational dashboards from day 1
- dashboards should be delivered ahead of any implementation work on small pots [solutions]”.

Meanwhile, a new blog article from PDP Principal Chris Curry explains the Central Digital Archictecture (CDA) of the pensions dashboards ecosystem.

And finally, there’s a fantastically well-informed House of Lords debate on the HM Treasury Statutory Instrument making “Operating a pensions dashboard service” a new FCA-regulated activity, between the Government Parliamentary Secretary Baroness Vere, Labour’s Lord Livermore and LibDem’s Lord Sharkey:
- watch on Parliament TV here (from 17:46:28)
- read the Hansard transcript here.

9 February 2024 – Five advantages of QPDSs
Corporate Adviser Editor John Greenwood kindly publishes my independent article explaining the numerous reasons why commercial dashboards (QPDSs) have strong cross-party support.

8 February 2024 – Ministerial delivery focus
A Professional Adviser article reports on Minister for Pensions Paul Maynard’s comments, at the lang cat’s Regenerate 2024 conference, that dashboards remain a key DWP priority.
Watch Tom McPhail’s interview with the Minister on the lang cat’s YouTube channel: comments on dashboards are 13:00-13:40, 19:00-21:00, and 34:00-37:00, including Paul’s observation “what is very clear is the interdependency of all these ideas that are in flight”.

2 February 2024 – DWP deferral guidance
DWP updates its guidance to schemes on applying to defer their connection to the PDP Central Digital Architecture (CDA). Applications must be submitted by 8 August 2024.

29 January 2024 – HMT Regulated Activity Debate
At the Delegated Legislation Committee debate on HMT’s legislative amendment making “Operating a pensions dashboard service” an FCA-regulated activity, Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury Tulip Siddiq MP is very supportive – watch/read again below.
It’s very helpful for industry to have certainty around QPDSs whatever the outcome of the upcoming General Election. Tulip’s statements included:
- Labour support any initiative that helps people manage their finances and save for later life.
- These changes [i.e. QPDSs] are long overdue.
- To reach their potential, dashboards must be incorporated into services people already use.
- When will the FCA publish its final [QPDS] rules?
- Does the Government expect commercial dashboards and the MoneyHelper dashboard to be available at the same time?
- Will dashboards rely on other Government plans, such as the new GOV.UK One Login service?
- Some commercial dashboards will present other financial data alongside pensions which is one of the main benefits to consumers: to see all their finances in one place.
Read again here: Draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Hansard – UK Parliament)
Watch again here: https://lnkd.in/efFVkFbv

25 January 2024 – PDP advisory group
PDP publishes an open invitation for individuals to apply to be part of its (new?) advisory group, giving them 12 working days to apply by 12 February.

17 January 2024 – PDP webinar
PDP hosts a webinar for data providers with speakers from DWP, PASA, the LGA and TPR:

16 January 2024 – New dashboard providers group
In a blog article, PDP announces that in 2024 it “plans to set up a connection working group for potential dashboard providers, once FCA rules have been finalised”. The blog also covers the other, previously announced, ways PDP is engaging with industry.

10 January 2024 – Important WPC update
At a routine (non-inquiry) oral evidence session of the Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) – about the DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23 – Committee member Nigel Mills MP asks about dashboards progress (see Questions 47-51 of 70 in the session transcript).
There were positive responses from the three very senior DWP officials on the session panel:
- Peter Schofield: Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Katie Farrington: DWP Director General for Disability, Health and Pensions
- Neil Couling: DWP Director General for Change and Resilience, also Senior Responsible Owner for Universal Credit and DWP lead on fraud and error.
Key points made by Peter, Katie and Neil:
Reason for reset: Peter said DWP agreed with the (former) MaPS Chair to put the programme into reset because they needed to take stock. The technology was right but the impact of the sheer scale of the connections that needed to be made was more than people really understood. They needed to go through a proper process of looking again at the programme.
Reset is progressing: Katie said the programme continues in reset, but is making quite good progress with the team having increasing confidence about delivery. One of DWP’s own programme directors is now leading this forward (this is Simon McKinnon, former DWP Director General for Digital – see 12 July 2023 entry on the 2023 page of this blog).
Reset confidence: Peter said Simon is giving him a huge amount of assurance that, technologically, the programme is absolutely doable, but “it is the scale of the connections that need to be done, with 3,000 pension providers, that is the thing. That is a question of time. It is a question of engagement with the industry, of course, but it is a question of time rather than a question of doability”. Neil added: “the programme is in a much better position than it was six months ago, which caused us to put it into reset, so [we are giving ourselves] the time, [to] test, go small, then go bigger later; that is the way to run major programmes, in my view”.
Guidance on staging dates for data connections: Katie confirmed this is expected “in the spring”.
Moving the programme out of reset: Together, Peter, Katie, MaPS Chair Sara Weller, and new MaPS CEO Oliver Morley (starts on 1 Feb) form the programme reset “executive” and they will make a decision about when to move the programme forward out of reset.
Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) rating: The previous IPA assessment of the programme as Red (see 20 July on the 2023 page) will be reassessed when the programme comes out of reset.
Interdependencies: In addition to the independency on the pensions industry to connect their data, Katie also mentioned the interdependency on Capgemini, which is providing the IT platform (but she didn’t mention the third critical dependency on the new GOV.UK One Login Service – see 11 October on the 2023 page). These interdependencies will continue to be monitored and the risks managed, “but the assessment that we have had is that it is deliverable”.
Dashboards Available Point (DAP): DWP will work with the industry and MaPS to determine when the DAP can be, but it “could well be quite a lot sooner than October 2026 [with] six months’ notice before that—so perhaps not so very far away”.
Watch the session here (the 6½ minutes in question is from 11:10:15 to 11:16:45).

9 January 2024 – NAO investigation
The National Audit Office (NAO) announces its investigation into PDP, scheduled to take place during “Spring 2024”.

1 January 2024 – Penalty act comes into force
The 10th year of this blog starts with a minor legislative change:
The Pensions Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Act 2023 which makes it a criminal offence for pension scheme trustees to use scheme assets to reimburse themselves for any penalties imposed under the dashboards regulations (see the 9 February 2023 entry on the 2023 page), comes into force from 1 January 2024.