The government has officially revamped its plans for the pension dashboard. The main aim is straightforward: to give individuals a secure way to see their pension information online. This dashboard will help people track their state pensions and locate any lost pension pots.
However, the cost of the Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) has shot up by 23%, rising from £235 million in 2020 to £289 million in 2023. At the same time, the projected benefits have decreased, dropping from £437 million in 2022 to £413 million in 2023. With this reset, the PDP, part of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), now has a fresh delivery plan.
In May, the National Audit Office (NAO) pointed out that MaPS’s contract with Capgemini faced issues that hindered effective oversight of the project’s design and delivery. Their report highlighted that while the architecture was meant to be developed iteratively, the criteria for acceptance weren’t strict enough to ensure quality.
The NAO also noted gaps in the digital architecture’s compliance with government data protection standards. Despite some improvements, the governance structure wasn’t strong enough to support effective decision-making.
As part of the new plan, the PDP has started testing connections with a limited number of external organizations to pave the way for broader industry connections. They’ve released an updated draft Code of Connection and technical standards to help the pension industry prepare for this.
Thanks to these advancements, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority feels more confident in the PDP’s ability to meet the updated plan. Emma Reynolds, the pensions minister, stated that while it’s early to pinpoint a public launch date, the focus is on helping people access the pensions dashboard as soon as possible. She’s instructed the PDP to prioritize the connection and launch of the MoneyHelper dashboard service before moving on to commercial dashboard services.
Reynolds reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the existing timeline for connecting pension schemes and providers to the dashboard system. They expect this to kick off in April 2025, with a final connection deadline set for October 31, 2026. She urged the pensions industry to keep preparing for the connection of pension schemes.