Pension schemes must prepare for a significant rise in member engagement as the rollout of pensions dashboards approaches, Festina Finance has warned, adding that connection alone is not the end of the process.

With the 31 October 2026 connection deadline fast approaching, Festina Finance said the industry was entering a new phase in which operational readiness and member support would be critical to delivering positive outcomes.

Festina Finance UK country head, Dan McLaughlin, said there was “real danger” that schemes assumed the work ended once the connection was complete, despite dashboards representing “the biggest step change in pensions engagement for decades”.

He noted that around 60 million pension records and tens of millions of state pension records were now linked to the dashboard's infrastructure, covering roughly three-quarters of all relevant records.

However, McLaughlin warned that once dashboards go live, member engagement is expected to surge, placing pressure on schemes and administrators to handle increased volumes of queries and more complex interactions.

He argued schemes should now focus on scaling capacity, ensuring clear and consistent guidance, and preparing systems and processes to respond quickly to evolving member needs.

This includes reviewing member communication journeys, identifying common enquiries such as personal data queries, transfers and contribution reviews, and ensuring responses are aligned across teams.

McLaughlin added that estimated retirement income (ERI) figures were also likely to drive engagement, meaning schemes should stress-test service capacity and consider automation and self-service tools to maintain service standards.

He cautioned that without adequate preparation, increased transparency could lead to confusion rather than clarity, with members potentially turning to informal or unreliable sources for guidance.

Last month, the dashboard entered phase 2 of testing, with the Money and Pensions Service (Maps) conducting consumer testing to iterate and refine the service.

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