The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has advised pension schemes to concentrate on value data and learn lessons from user testing, with the connection deadline for pensions dashboards less than six months away.

The regulator made these recommendations in a new blog written by TPR dashboards lead, Lucy Stone, who reminded schemes to “keep up the momentum” as connection is “just the start of the dashboards journey”.

Three-quarters of all records are now connected to the central digital architecture built by the Money and Pensions Service (Maps), ahead of the 31 October 2026 connection deadline.

In August 2025, TPR assessed the data readiness of schemes covering 80 per cent of in‑scope occupational pension records and published the findings in a new report, which summarised the findings, highlighted best practice and shared lessons for the wider pensions sector.

“These schemes demonstrated a strong focus on data, and we identified many examples of good practice, though there remains some inconsistency in approach and progress,” said Stone.

The report said the preparation of pension value data lagged behind personal data, and while basic data controls were in place, schemes still needed to make data improvements and to make data checking part of normal day‑to‑day operations.

Stone said there had been good progress in preparing to match dashboard users with their pensions. “However, we urge all schemes in scope to think about value, not just matching.”

The other area of focus, according to Stone, was learning from user testing.

“This testing phase is important to make sure dashboards can fulfil their potential in helping people to plan and save for retirement,” wrote Stone.

“But for schemes, this phase is also an opportunity to test data and operations in a live environment with real users, but at lower volumes.

TPR also updated its pensions dashboards guidance to help schemes meet their duties and published two new checklists for use before and after connection.

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