Pensions Dashboards: Planning for possible matches

Updated January 2026 to reflect pensions dashboards progress and operational readiness.

Pensions dashboards are moving from concept to reality. After years of planning, testing and industry collaboration, members will soon be actively searching for their pension information online. At scale. That shift changes the operational reality for schemes.

Usage is expected to be high. Estimates suggest more than 16 million people could use pensions dashboards, close to a quarter of the UK population. That level of engagement brings opportunity, but it also exposes pressure points that schemes need to be ready for from day one. One of the most underestimated is the volume of possible matches.

The benefits dashboards will bring are well understood. A secure, consolidated view of pension information helps members reconnect with lost pots, plan more effectively for retirement and make better informed decisions. International experience shows dashboards can genuinely improve member outcomes.

But dashboards also introduce new operational challenges. As the industry edges closer to live usage, attention needs to shift from connection dates to what happens next.

Getting to the start line successfully hinges on accurate data

If member data is complete and accurate, the dashboards journey should be straightforward. A member submits their details, receives a match and views their pension information. That is the ideal outcome.

At the other end of the spectrum, where the information submitted does not align with scheme records, the dashboard returns a no match. That can be frustrating for members, particularly if they believe they do have a pension with the scheme, but it is at least a definitive outcome.

Between those two sits the most challenging scenario. The possible match.

A possible match occurs when some of the information suggests a match, but not enough to confirm it. The scheme might hold a pension for this individual, but certainty cannot be reached without further validation. This is where complexity begins.

Why possible matches matter more than many expect

Possible matches are not edge cases. In Pension Pulse, Heywood’s analysis of millions of member records suggested that nearly 1 in 5 dashboards requests could result in a possible match. At scale, that is not a marginal issue. It is an operational one.

From a member’s perspective, a possible match creates uncertainty. They know a pension should exist, but they cannot see it. The natural next step is to contact the scheme or administrator for clarification.

Individually, those queries may seem manageable. Collectively, they represent a significant administrative burden. Manual identity checks, record reviews and follow-up communication all take time. Estimates suggest each case could take up to 30 minutes to resolve. Multiply that across thousands of interactions and the impact on service levels becomes clear.

There is also a regulatory dimension. The Pensions Regulator requires schemes to monitor and report on possible match rates and will investigate where levels appear unusually high. Having no plan for managing them is not a viable option.

Why data quality alone will not solve the problem

Accurate data remains essential. Cleansing and enrichment work reduces the likelihood of possible matches and improves overall matching performance. This message has been consistently reinforced by industry bodies and regulators.

But data quality is not a silver bullet. Even well maintained datasets will still produce possible matches. Members change names, addresses and circumstances. Historical records are not always complete. Dashboards bring these issues to the surface in real time.

Schemes therefore need to plan not just to reduce possible matches, but to resolve them efficiently when they occur.

The dashboards twist schemes did not plan for

Dashboards will change how and when members engage. When we spoke to Independent Pensions Professional, Richard Smith, last year, he talked about the ripple effect of pensions dashboards. They are not filling in a form and waiting days for a response. They are online, in the moment, and expecting a clear answer. Simply being able to see all their pensions in one place, together with a total estimate of monthly retirement income, will be a huge win for millions of savers.

The default member behaviour in a possible match scenario is likely to direct the member to contact the scheme. That approach pushes resolution offline and places administrators directly in the middle of the process.

As dashboards activity increases, that model does not scale well.

Resolving possible matches in the journey

A more effective approach is to resolve possible matches while the member is still online. This means giving members a secure way to provide additional information, validate their identity and reach a definitive outcome, either a confirmed match or a confirmed no match.

This capability sits with the pensions dashboards ISP. It requires clearly defined matching rules, robust testing and confidence in the underlying data. When done properly, it removes friction for members and avoids unnecessary manual intervention.

This is the thinking behind Heywood’s Possible Match Resolver.

Developed for schemes using Heywood’s ISP, it allows pensions dashboards users to validate their identity and supply missing data through a secure, scheme-owned journey. The process stays digital, controlled and transparent.

For schemes and providers, outcomes feed automatically through the ISP, with updated member data passed back into core administration systems where appropriate.

A good ISP will help you configure matching rules and provide tools to manage possible matches efficiently. Learn more about what ISPs do.

How Possible Match Resolver helps in practice

Possible Match Resolver will help protect service levels by removing manual intervention. Identity checks and missing data requests are handled digitally, keeping workloads stable even as dashboards usage increases.

It builds member trust and reduces fraud concerns. The journey makes it clear that validation belongs to the scheme, not a third party, reducing confusion and the risk of fraudulent contact.

It improves data accuracy over time. Confirmed matches result in enriched member records, reducing repeat queries and supporting smoother dashboard interactions in future.

Once connected, it is always on

Connection to pensions dashboards is not a one-off event. Once connected, schemes remain connected. Data decay does not stop, and neither do member queries.

That makes possible match resolution an ongoing operational requirement, not a temporary spike. Regular data maintenance remains vital, but so does having the right digital processes in place to handle exceptions efficiently.

Pensions dashboards represent a major step forward for member engagement. Success will be measured not just by connection dates met, but by the experience delivered when members arrive.

Possible matches have the potential to be messy. With the right preparation and the right tools, resolving them does not have to be.