What is the pensions dashboard?

Keep track of your pension savings with the Government’s nifty new tool, (hopefully) coming soon to a screen near you.

It's been plagued by a string of delays, but with a deadline now set, the pensions dashboard is finally edging closer.

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head, trying to remember all the different pensions you've accumulated over the years? Or maybe you’ve switched jobs a few times, and now you’re left wondering where all your hard-earned retirement savings are stashed? The pensions dashboard could be the tool we’ve all been waiting for.

Let’s dive into what it is, when it’s predicted to launch, and how it could make your life a whole lot easier.

What on Earth is the pensions dashboard?

Imagine having a magical portal where you can see all your pension pots in one place. Sounds dreamy, right? That’s what the pensions dashboard is apparently going to be like.

Based on the information we have to date, it’s set to be a free, digital tool designed to help you keep track of your pension savings – no matter how many different places or pots it’s in.

Whether you’ve got a workplace pension from that job you had years ago, a private pension you set up yourself, or even the State Pension, the dashboard will bring all this information together in one easy-to-access spot.

What will it do?

The pensions dashboard could be like your personal financial assistant for retirement savings. 

Here’s what it plans to do, based on what we know about it so far:

1. Consolidate information: It aims to gather all your pension information from various providers and display it in one place. No more digging through old paperwork or trying to remember which provider you signed up with years ago – yay!
2. Track contributions: You’ll hopefully be able to see how much you’ve contributed to each pension pot over the years. This could be particularly useful if you’ve had multiple jobs and pensions with different providers and want to consolidate any ‘lost’ pension pots.
3. Plan for the future: By having all your pension details in one place, you could get a clearer picture of your total retirement savings. This could help you make better-informed decisions about your financial future, too.

When is it coming?

The initiative was first suggested in the Conservative Party’s 2016 Budget.[1]

Since then, the Government has been working closely with the Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority to get it right. Its rollout is expected to happen in stages, with the first dashboards becoming available in April 2025.[2]

While its connection deadline is October 31 2026, it’s estimated that it will take a few years for all pensions to be available to view on the dashboard itself.[2]

We know that this might seem like a long wait, but it’s important to get everything set up correctly to ensure the dashboard is accurate, secure and useful.

How will it help me?

The pensions dashboard looks to be a game-changer for anyone with pension savings in the UK – whether you’re thinking of retirement right now, or not.

It plans to bring everything together in one place, making it easier to manage your retirement savings and helping you to re-connect with any forgotten pennies. So, if you have pension pots with different providers, you’ll be able to see the lot – as well as your State Pension. 

Hopefully, we’ll be able to say goodbye to lost pension pots and keeping track with hordes of paper!

With it, you’ll be better equipped to plan for the future, too. This can help you set realistic retirement goals and paint a more accurate picture of your future after work.

It’s an exciting development that looks to make managing your retirement savings easier and more efficient. 

Sources:

[1] Pensions Dashboard prototype to be ready by spring 2017 - GOV.UK. Data source: Gov.uk. Accessed January 2025.

[1] Progress update report | UK Pensions Dashboards Programme. Data source: Pensions Dashboards Programme. December 2024.

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