The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) is committed to continuous engagement with the pensions industry. Throughout the year, we host and attend speaking engagements, webinars, groups and forums. We receive many common questions about pensions dashboards. In this blog post, I wanted to cover some of the recent queries we’ve received.
When do you expect to publish dashboards standards?
PDP is empowered by law to set standards providing the rules and controls facilitating ongoing connection to the dashboards ecosystem. This includes data standards explaining how pensions data returned on a dashboard must be formatted by pension providers and schemes.
In 2022 and 2023, we held consultations on dashboard standards, and draft versions of the documents were published in late 2022. Further engagement on refining standards will take place over winter 2023/24, ahead of final publication and approval by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. It’s intended that data standards will be made available ahead of other standards, timed to coincide with publication of connection guidance.
What are the different types of testing?
Compliance testing is the activity that integrated service providers (ISPs)/administrators, or those building a route to connection, will need to carry out in order to connect to the live environment. These are referenced in the Code of Connection, and this activity takes place in a pre-production environment before entering into a live environment.
Consumer (user) testing, on the other hand, is when we will start testing with real data. This will begin with small numbers when the guidance begins, gradually increasing over time. This testing will allow providers and schemes to test data matching, as well as begin to understand user behaviour.
You can find more information on testing in our previous FAQs newsletter on testing.
When will the dashboards available point be?
A specific date for dashboards available point (DAP) will be when the Secretary of State is satisfied that the dashboards ecosystem is ready to support widespread use by the general public. This will be following consultation with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), The Pensions Regulator (TPR) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The Secretary of State will provide notice at least 6 months ahead of DAP. Their decision will be based on sufficient levels of coverage, assurance of the safety, security and reliability of the service, and testing of the user experience. If pension providers and schemes connect in line with the staging profile set out in guidance, then DAP could come before the connection deadline on 31 October 2026.