Press release: Green light for dashboards in 2019 puts pension savers in the driving seat

Pensions dashboards which will revolutionise retirement planning have been given the green light by the Work and Pensions Secretary today – with initial industry models expected this year.




Press release: Green light for dashboards in 2019 puts pension savers in the driving seat

Amber Rudd unveiled proposals today (4 April) to support industry to deliver free, user-friendly services showing people their pensions information online.

Savers will be in the driving seat with all the facts and figures about their pensions and potential retirement income at their fingertips in one place for the first time – on smartphones, tablets and computers.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said:

With record numbers saving for retirement as a result of our revolutionary reforms, it’s more important than ever that people understand their pensions and prepare for financial security in later life.

Dashboards have the potential to transform the way we all think about and plan for retirement, providing clear and simple information regarding pension savings in one place online. I’m looking forward to seeing the first industry dashboards later this year.

Key details of the government’s plans, published today in its response to a consultation on dashboards, include:

  • a commitment to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to compel all pension providers to make consumers’ data available to them through a dashboard

  • an expectation that the majority of schemes will be ready to ‘go live’ with their data within a 3 to 4 year window

  • confirmation that State Pension information will be included as soon as possible

  • dashboards will help to reconnect people with ‘lost’ pension pots, benefitting savers and providers

Ministers support the development of multiple industry-led dashboards displaying the same basic information. Industry have told government that initial models will be developed and tested from this year. A non-commercial dashboard will be delivered and overseen by the new Single Financial Guidance Body (SFGB).

An industry delivery group will be brought together by the SFGB which will set out a clear timetable and roadmap to drive progress towards fully operational dashboards, setting standards and ensuring security to protect users and their information.

John Govett, SFGB Chief Executive, said:

We are delighted to be working with the Department for Work and Pensions and the whole pensions industry throughout 2019 to take forward the pensions dashboards.

Our vision is everyone making the most of their money and pensions. A big part of this is equipping and empowering people to engage with their pensions, often the biggest financial investment they will make. The new pensions dashboards will play a crucial role in this, helping people make decisions about their money and pensions with confidence, so they can enjoy greater financial wellbeing throughout their lifetimes.

Yvonne Braun, Director of Long-term Savings and Protection Policy at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), said:

“The digital retirement revolution is here at last. All the pieces are being put in place to deliver the easy access to retirement information everybody needs and that the pensions industry is so keen to deliver.

“The ABI, leading a cross-industry group of pension providers and schemes, has already put years of work into making dashboards happen and we can’t wait to see these vital services in action. We’re delighted to see the government committing to the necessary legislation and will continue to play our part in making dashboards a reality.

Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy and Research, Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, said:

Pensions dashboards will be a significant step forward in helping savers plan their retirement income. We fully support the government’s recommendation that the initial phase should involve a non-commercial dashboard hosted by the SFGB and that the State Pension should be included as soon as possible.

Preparing the sector for connection to pensions dashboards will be a major undertaking and one that we stand ready to support. The government is right to acknowledge that connecting the majority of schemes may take 3 or 4 years. But the government is also right to urge the pensions industry to act quickly, in 2019, to enhance the quality of their data, and to support the SFGB in developing appropriate data standards. We look forward to working with the SFGB, the pensions industry and consumer groups to deliver this important project.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money, Which?, said:

It is encouraging to see the important recognition that all schemes must be included in dashboards, allowing consumers to finally see all of their pots in one place – so the government must introduce legislation to ensure this is achieved.

We welcome the crucial commitment to including the state pension. Dashboards won’t be complete without this vital component so it must be included at the earliest opportunity. Every dashboard must display all the important information consumers need in a clear and accessible way, allowing them to easily understand their pension savings and the costs involved. The delivery group has been tasked with some massive decisions that will determine the dashboards’ success – so we must see a clear commitment to delivering consumer-friendly tools within a swift timeframe.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 3267 5120

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News story: NHSX: digital experts will be part of cancer and mental health teams

Digital and data specialists from NHSX will team up with NHS England’s cancer and mental health national policy teams to help clinicians and policymakers improve patient experience through technology.

The digital experts will support teams in:

  • making it easier for patients to access services through smartphones
  • giving clinicians access to the relevant diagnostic information about a patient
  • making it easier to collect and use health data which can benefit research and patients

If this is successful it will be rolled out more widely across the NHS.

NHSX is the new joint organisation for digital, data and technology. Its mission statement is to make sure patients and staff have the digital technology they need.

From July, NHSX will mandate the use of internationally recognised technology and data standards across the NHS to ensure all systems can talk to each other.

NHSX wants to assemble a world-class team of technical experts, including a Chief Technology Officer, to help solve some of the biggest challenges in health and care. It will begin recruiting in the summer.

Matthew Gould has been named CEO of NHSX and will join the organisation in the summer.

Matthew is currently the Director General for Digital and Media at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He was previously Director for Cyber Security at the Cabinet Office and a former ambassador to Israel.

Matthew will have strategic responsibility for setting the national direction on technology across health and social care organisations. He will be accountable to the Health and Social Care Secretary and Chief Executive of NHS England.

Current reporting lines will remain in place until NHSX becomes operational in July. It will be led in the interim by a senior team from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

I love the NHS – it has been there for all of us for more than 70 years and we owe the incredible doctors, nurses and care workers an enormous amount of gratitude for their dedication.

NHSX will be led by the brilliant Matthew Gould, and will harness the full potential of technology to improve patient experience and make our NHS the very best it can be. Matthew has a wealth of experience in managing large digital projects and I am delighted to have him on board.

I want to invite the very best talent to join NHSX. If you’re an innovator and you want to serve our society, I want to welcome you to join the growing band of HealthTech pioneers at NHSX who are going to be on a mission to harness technology to save lives. We want to invite brilliant people from government, NHS and industry will work closely with clinicians to cut through bureaucracy – meaning patients get access to the best innovations more quickly.

NHSX is one of the most exciting things happening in the UK. It’s cutting edge, it’s mission driven and it’s about harnessing the best. This is just the beginning of the tech revolution, building on our NHS Long Term Plan to create leading health and care service – for us all.

Dr Simon Eccles, Chief Clinical Information Officer for Health and Care, said:

The NHS Long Term Plan builds on significant recent progress to a more digital NHS, from providing free WiFi, to helping the most advanced hospitals push the latest advances, to an Apps Library showcasing a range of digital tools that can help the public take charge of their own health.

To ensure the benefits of new digital technology can reach patients right across the country, experts from the NHS and government will be working closer together as part of NHSX to help the NHS go further, faster.

NHSX CEO, Matthew Gould, said:

Our single goal will be to improve the care that everyone in the country gets by making sure that both staff and patients have the technology they need.

I will know I have succeeded if in 2 years we have reduced the crazy amount of time that clinicians spend inputting and accessing patient information, if we have given patients the tools so they can access information and services directly from their phones, and if we have started to build a system in which patient information can be securely accessed from wherever it is needed, ensuring safer and better care as patients move around the system, and saving patients from having to tell every doctor and nurse their story over and over again.




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