With the final connection deadline looming, connecting to the pensions dashboards is only the start of trustees’ responsibilities.
Published: 2 September 2026
Authors: Rhiannon Barnsley-Bloomfield
What are the pensions dashboards?
Pensions dashboards are digital services which an individual can use to search the records of all connected pension schemes to confirm whether they are a member. The aim is to allow individuals to see all their pension information in one place online, ideally reuniting members with forgotten or lost pensions so they can understand the value of their pension benefits to help with retirement planning.
All in-scope UK pension schemes must complete their connection to the pensions dashboards ecosystem by the final deadline of 31 October 2026 and be ready to respond to requests for pensions information. Pension schemes in-scope are those with 100 or more relevant (i.e. active and deferred) members at the scheme year end between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Most schemes have already connected as part of the staged timetable or will be in the final stages of doing so. However, connection is just the first step.
On 19 August 2026, the Pensions Dashboard Programme (the PDP) published a blog post setting out the ongoing responsibilities to maintain the connection to the pensions dashboards ecosystem.
What are the ongoing responsibilities?
The PDP’s blog post sets out the key ongoing responsibilities for pension schemes.
The PDP has published a code of connection setting out what schemes need to do to remain connected. The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has also published guidance for trustees, including a checklist of actions for before and after connection.
Using a third-party connection provider
The most common method of connecting is through a third-party connection provider such as a scheme administrator or an integrated service provider. Trustees who have connected through this method may have less ongoing responsibility because the day-to-day management will be handled by the third-party connection provider.
Connected directly
It is more complex if the trustees have connected directly to the pensions dashboard ecosystem as the trustees will be responsible for managing that connection. Post-connection, the trustees will be ultimately responsible for:
- managing scheme data by ensuring it is kept accurate and up to date in the connection portal. Trustees should consider regularly data quality checks as part of this and have regard to TPR’s guidance on scheme member data quality
- managing account and organisation data and keeping user accounts in the connection portal up to date
- making technical changes to the connection if required and updating systems if the Money and Pensions Service make any updates or changes to its standards
- reflecting any transfers in the connection portal
- maintaining a secure connection, including submitting a new IT Health Check or penetration test annually to demonstrate that the technical infrastructure remains secure. Schemes should be targeting 99.5% availability, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- keeping scheme information on the Money and Pensions Service’s Governance Register up to date
- notifying the Money and Pensions Service of any planned downtime at least five working days in advance
- reporting any unplanned downtime incidents as soon as possible. A record will need to be kept of any service unavailability.
If trustees have connected through a third-party provider, it may take responsibility for the above actions.
Trustees should keep pensions dashboards as a regular item on their agendas, record key decisions and stay up to date with any changes.
Record keeping
Trustees need to keep a record of:
- the number of connections the scheme has used to connect to the digital architecture (for example if the scheme has multiple sections with different providers)
- how the trustees have carried out steps set out in guidance on connection, or other steps taken to achieve connection
- how the trustees have carried out steps to remediate any issues that may occur, and how the trustees are monitoring the progress of your plan for these
- matching criteria
- queries received about the pensions information provided
- queries received about pensions not found following a search; and
- complaints from members.
The information must be kept for at least six years from the end of the scheme year to which it relates.
What happens if a scheme doesn’t meet these ongoing requirements?
If a scheme fails to meet the Money and Pensions Service standards and requests, the scheme could be automatically disconnected from the pensions dashboard ecosystem. TPR has also updated its compliance and enforcement policy to include dashboards.
Possible actions taken by TPR for non-compliance include:
- issuing a compliance notice to the trustees of a pension scheme which is a legal notice requiring the trustees to take, or refrain from taking, specific steps in the notice. There is a similar power available to TPR to issue a compliance notice to a third-party where TPR believes they have caused a trustee to breach the legislation
- issuing a penalty notice to trustees for breaching the regulations or failing to comply with a compliance notice. TPR also has the power to issue penalties to third parties that fail to comply with a compliance notice
- issuing an information notice requiring information and/or documents to be provided
- suspending, prohibiting or appointing a trustee.
The penalty will be in line with TPR’s monetary penalties policy. Each penalty can be up to £5,000 for an individual and up to £50,000 in other cases (for example a corporate trustee).
The existing duty to make breach of law reports applies to pensions dashboards. TPR has expanded its guidance to include specific dashboard examples.
Next steps
The MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard is expected to be publicly available in the 2027/28 financial year. The industry will receive six months’ notice of the launch date once determined.
The Pensions Administration Standards Association published new guidance on 1 September 2026 to help trustees understand how member behaviour may change once pensions dashboards become available. This follows the Compliance Monitoring Guidance, which focuses on the monitoring required under regulations and how trustees can demonstrate they’re meeting their regulatory duties.