The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out a qualitative study to gain a greater understanding of dashboards users, their circumstances, behaviours and attitudes and their views of the pensions dashboards concept. PDP will use these research findings to inform its development of the supporting infrastructure and data ecosystem.
The initial phase of fieldwork consisted of 50 in-depth online and telephone interviews in early 2021. A further phase of fieldwork will take place in summer 2021. The sample covered the range of age groups comprising private pension owners and reflected the demographic, pension holding and pension engagement characteristics of potential pensions dashboards users.
Phase one fieldwork looked to:
- update the findings from various previous pensions dashboards research studies
- explore the appeal of the pensions dashboards concept itself
- examine views on potential dashboard display contents
- understand attitudes to particular elements of the envisaged customer journey
- investigate high-level needs and tolerances for an initially incomplete service
Broadly, speaking the pensions dashboards concept was received well and viewed as a big improvement on the current situation, as it has been in previous studies. The pandemic has changed some attitudes and behaviours, particularly bringing many more people into regular digital service usage. Pensions dashboards have the power to help increase pensions engagement.
This phase one summary research report presents the findings of this first phase of research. We will publish a further report, following the completion of the second phase of fieldwork in the autumn.
Carolyn Jones, Head of Money and Pensions Policy Guidance and Strategy, who is leading the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) pensions dashboard project, reflects on how this research links with the work of that part of the project in her blog.
Download research report