PDP launches consultation on dashboards standards

The standards aim to ensure the security, stability, and effective operation of dashboards - setting out the technical and operational detail underpinning the primary and secondary legislation and outlining the requirements for all pension providers and dashboards connecting to the ecosystem.

At the same time as the consultation, PDP will also run a call for input on the design standards, which will set out requirements for presentation of the pensions data on dashboards and design of the dashboards, including; messaging, signposting, onward customer journeys.

It said further consultation will take place on the design standards in the autumn.

PDP principal Chris Curry said: "In order for dashboards to fulfil their true potential and deliver this transformation to pensions engagement, the consumer experience needs to be protected and uniform. To achieve this, the foundations must be solid and pension providers and potential dashboard providers will need to prepare for the work ahead and connecting to the dashboards ecosystem."

"This consultation is an important step to support industry to prepare for dashboards and the standards aim to provide the solid foundation for this challenge. Our aim is that the standards and supporting guidance included in this consultation will enable both pension providers and potential dashboard providers to prepare for the connection and meet their dashboards duties. In this consultation we ask a range of questions to support refinement of the standards ahead of final publication."

Curry added: "All pension providers and qualifying pensions dashboard services must adhere to these standards, so it is essential that they provide the right levels of clarity and detail. Delivering dashboards to provide the maximum benefit to consumers requires a dedicated effort across industry, government, the Money and Pensions Service (Maps) and the regulators. The standards, and adherence to them, ultimately set the end consumer experience and we are inviting inputs to help shape this work."

The Pension Schemes Act 2021 delegated authority to Maps to set standards for the dashboards.

The PDP will publish its consultation response and final standards documents in the winter.

It added it would host three webinars during the consultation timeframe to support respondents - an introduction to standards and the consultation on Thursday 21 July; a webinar on connecting to the pensions dashboards ecosystem on Monday 25 July; and a webinar on operating within the pensions dashboards ecosystem on Tuesday 26 July.

DWP consultations

The PDP consultation comes just days after The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed it would extend the pensions dashboards' first staging window from three to five months in response to its consultation on the draft pensions dashboard regulations.

At the end of June, the DWP launched a further consultation on draft pensions dashboards regulations. The consultation, launched on 28 June, related to two specific matters - the dashboards available point and the disclosure of information between Maps and The Pensions Regulator. This consultation closed today (19 July).