Heywood
The Dashboards Availability Point (DAP) marks the moment pensions dashboards officially go live—when members can securely access and view all their pensions in one place. With connection dates fast approaching and the largest schemes leading the way, could this long-anticipated milestone arrive sooner than expected?
What is the Dashboards Availability Point (DAP)?
Unlike individual scheme connection deadlines, the DAP signals the broader readiness of the entire dashboards ecosystem for public use. It represents a green light for the industry, meaning pensions dashboards are live and it will give members unprecedented visibility and control over their retirement savings.
For the pensions industry, the lead-up to DAP will bring both excitement and challenges. Schemes must prepare for a wave of activity, as dashboards are expected to draw significant member interest. When the Netherlands launched its dashboards in 2011, 25% of the eligible population accessed their pension information in the first year. In the UK, a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) impact assessment estimates that 12.7 to 19.4 million users will log in after DAP.
With such high stakes, media attention is inevitable. Scrutiny—both from members and the press—will likely follow, and schemes must be prepared to meet expectations. Ensuring readiness ahead of DAP is critical to avoiding reputational and regulatory risks.
When is the Dashboards Accessibility Point?
We don’t know, yet. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has the authority to announce the DAP. We do know that the notice period for the DAP is six months, though.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has outlined key criteria for the DAP: it will be set once a “majority” of members can be connected to pensions dashboards. Though, as the biggest schemes are due to connect to dashboards first – reminder, from 30 April this year – we will pass the “majority” test around November this year. It’s possible the DAP may arrive sooner than many imagine.
Are You DAP-Ready?
Preparation is key, and schemes should start by asking two critical questions:
- Have we done all we can to ensure our Find and Value Data is accurate?
- What mechanism do we have in place for handling possible matches?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, the Pension Regulator may take a dim view of your scheme, with potential penalties to follow, should there be problems for your members accessing their pension information.
Being prepared for Dashboards Availability Point
Schemes must meet several technical and operational requirements to be DAP-ready:
- Find Data - Accurate member matching is essential to connect individuals with their pension records.
- Value Data - Schemes need to ensure that members can view reliable pension values and income projections.
- ISP Connections - Seamless integration into the dashboards ecosystem is critical to enable data exchange.
- Regulatory Compliance - Schemes must adhere to standards set by The Pensions Regulator and the DWP, ensuring secure and compliant operations.
Read more: Is your Value Data dashboards-ready?
Waiting until the DAP is announced could leave schemes with insufficient time to address critical readiness tasks.
Key risks of insufficient preparation include data inaccuracies leading to members' inability to find pension information and potential compliance issues – the Pension Regulator has already stated it will take a firm stance with those who fail to prepare sufficiently.
Delivering data cleansing and enrichment projects post-launch is likely to lead to delays and bottlenecks. A surge in member activity could overwhelm unprepared administration teams, resulting in reputational damage.
How schemes can prepare for the Dashboards Availability Point now
Proactive preparation will help schemes avoid fines, administrative strain, and member dissatisfaction, ensuring a smooth transition when dashboards go live.
To ensure a successful DAP, schemes must focus on preparation. This includes:
- Auditing and cleansing Find Data—the personal identifiers used to match members to their pensions
- Ensuring the accuracy of Value Data, which provides essential information like current pension values and projected retirement income
- Securing integration through a reliable ISP (Integrated Service Provider)
The DAP could arrive much sooner than anticipated, making early preparation essential for compliance, operational efficiency, and a positive member experience.
Explore our pensions dashboards hub for guidance and support to ensure your scheme is DAP-ready when the time comes.
