How pensions dashboards will create new opportunities for engagement

People will be able to see all their pensions information in one secure place online using the pensions dashboards to be launched by the Money and Pensions Service.

Millions of people in the UK find it hard to keep track of their pensions, making it difficult to plan for retirement. Many don’t know what pensions they have, and what income they can expect in retirement.

This means that one of the most valuable benefits employers are providing, pensions, could be invisible to their employees.

The UK Government’s Money and Pensions Service is helping by creating pensions dashboards – a new way for people to see their pensions information in one secure place online, including the State Pension and any that they may have lost touch with.

Dashboards will show people the estimated value of their pensions today and at retirement, so they can get a clearer view of their future finances and make informed decisions.

Pension engagement in the UK

Pensions engagement remains low in the UK. MaPS' research in 2022 found that 55% of UK adults had not taken any pension engagement actions in the previous year, while research from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) showed many people find pensions complex and difficult to understand.

Meanwhile, an estimated 3.3 million pots worth over £31.1 billion are currently unclaimed or unmatched to their owner.

MaPS’ MoneyView 2025 research highlighted different pensions engagement segments whose profiles you'll likely recognise in your employees. For three of these groups in particular, representing an estimated 26 million people, pensions dashboards could make a real difference:

People who are interested in their pension but are intimidated by them
People who are distracted by other priorities, typically younger people
People who feel their retirement planning is in a good place but may have gaps in their plans and don’t regularly check they’re on track

What this means for employers

If people can’t see their pensions, they won’t understand how their employers, past and present, contribute to their financial future. Without a consolidated view of estimated retirement income, they can't make a realistic assessment of whether they're on track.

Employers may be the first port of call for people thinking about their pensions. But without a complete picture, people find it hard to have informed discussions or may disengage entirely.

How dashboards can change things

Pension dashboards will help close this gap by providing people with a straightforward way to engage with their retirement planning, showing the income they’re likely to receive, when they’ll get it and where it’s come from.

For HR and reward professionals, this matters because better-informed employees are more likely to make active decisions, which could include increasing their contributions. With dashboards, people will be able to bring a more complete picture to those conversations with their employer.

Beyond a summary of their pensions, dashboards will signpost the free and impartial guidance and support provide through MoneyHelper – backed by the UK Government. This will support people to understand their options and take informed action at a pace that suits them.

What you can do as an employer

Once publicly available, anyone will be able to use dashboards to find information about their UK pensions. After proving their identity, they’ll find information on pensions they have not accessed, alongside their State Pension (if they’re below State Pension age).

As an employer, prompting staff to check their pensions outlook using a dashboard is a good starting point to improve engagement and get people thinking about how much they’ll need for retirement.

However, we know that checking is not the end of the story. Alongside signposting to guidance on MoneyHelper, employers can support their staff by:

Informing staff over 50 with a defined contribution pension that they are entitled to a free Pension Wise appointment – an opportunity to explore all your pensions options
Providing a copy of MaPS' step-by-step printed guide on how to take your pension.

Where are dashboards now?

On current plans, the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard are expected to be available to the public in financial year 2027/28, with the launch date to be decided by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Until then, we’re working to make sure dashboards work for as many as possible by testing the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard with real people, bringing invaluable insights that inform future versions.

How reward professionals can get involved right now

You can invite people in your organisation to take part in testing using ready-made images and messages we’re providing.

By trying this new service before it’s available to everyone, you can help make sure dashboards work for people like your employees. You could get early sight on how your employees respond to seeing their pensions information together, and how this influences their next steps.

MaPS will continue to share findings which can be followed on LinkedIn.