When is the Dashboards Availability Point (DAP)?

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?

As of January 2026, we still don't know. 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. However, not all searches will result in exact matches - schemes must also plan for handling possible matches when members' details partially align with scheme records.

• Value Data - Schemes need to ensure that members can view reliable pension values and income projections. Is your Value Data dashboards-ready? While much attention has focused on Find Data accuracy, incomplete or incorrect Value Data could trigger regulatory pressure and damage member trust.

• 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.

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 their pension information, an influx of possible matches requiring manual resolution, and potential compliance issues – the Pensions 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.

Take action now, not when DAP is announced

The DAP could arrive with little notice, leaving unprepared schemes scrambling to meet requirements. Schemes that begin preparation now will avoid regulatory penalties, operational bottlenecks, and the reputational damage that comes with poor member experiences.

Waiting for the announcement puts your scheme at risk. Start auditing your data quality, testing your ISP connections, and planning for operational readiness today.

Explore our pensions dashboards solutions to ensure your scheme is prepared for whatever timeline the DAP brings.