Pensions Dashboards Update – December 2025

User testing and using pensions dashboards

At the beginning of October the Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) began low volume (up to 300 users) testing of the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard using real pensions data.  Industry expert testing will continue alongside this new phase of consumer testing which is expected to last several months and aims to assess whether users can understand the service and run through the process independently. Initially State Pension, simple DB and DC pensions will be displayed.  High volume testing (involving thousands of users) will begin sometime next year and will be gradually scaled up.

In a recent blog PDP has set out who will be able to use pensions dashboards and how user experiences may differ.

Voluntary connection

Occupational pension schemes with fewer than 100 relevant members are not obliged but may choose to connect to the pensions dashboards ecosystem.

The deadline for providing feedback on the voluntary connection process has been extended to 31 December 2025. 

Connection progress update

Over 700 pension providers and schemes with over 60 million pension records are now connected, which represents approximately 75% of records in scope.  Medium sized schemes and providers will continue to connect during 2026 with the next connect by date being 31 January 2026 for relevant occupational pension schemes with 750 – 999 relevant members.

Data

Last month the Pensions Regulator (TPR) published a report on data quality, noting that pensions dashboards are the catalyst for many schemes to focus on their member data.  Key findings include:

• Good progress has been made in data cleansing but value data assessments remain inconsistent
• Improvement plans are frequently informal or fragmented
• Controls and trustee focus vary widely

TPR has also published revised scheme member data guidance which consolidates all data-related guidance, sets out steps that can be taken to meet the expectations in the General Code of Practice and provides best practice examples. The guidance explains how trustees:

• are ultimately accountable for data quality
• must ensure regular data assessments and submit accurate data scores in their scheme return
• should have a clear data management strategy, allocate resources for improvements and challenge service providers where standards are not met

TPR will expand its engagement in relation to data preparation in 2026 and trustees should be ready to demonstrate how they are maintaining member data in accordance with legal requirements and TPR expectations.

TPR’s press release is available here.

In a recent blog PDP recognises that data preparation will have benefits beyond dashboards compliance: “ pension providers and schemes who embrace this opportunity to improve their member data will find themselves better positioned to thrive in an increasingly digital and member-focused landscape.”

With under a year to go until the final connection deadline of 31 October 2026, many medium and smaller schemes (with fewer than 1000 relevant members) will now be working to connect in line with the staged timetable. 

If you would like any advice or assistance with dashboards compliance, we are very well placed to help. Please contact Andy Prater, Susannah Young or your usual Burges Salmon Pensions and Lifetime Savings team contact.