In conversation with my sister-in-law, a Head Teacher approaching retirement, it wasn’t long before the subject turned to pensions. An occupational curse. When I asked about her impending retirement, she declared that she would need to change her financial plans as her “final salary pension was rubbish”.

Given that Final Salary is the gold standard, I was rather taken aback. “In what way?” I asked. 

“It’s not my final salary,” she replied. 

After a moment, the penny dropped. She thought that she would be retiring on a pension that was equal to her salary in the year of her retirement, not a percentage of her final earnings. Where to start with this? If someone like her, who’s an experienced, highly educated professional, doesn’t understand her pension, the question is why, and what does that say about how effectively we’re communicating with members?

The problem wasn’t that my sister-in-law hadn’t received information about her pension. She almost certainly had. The problem was that after years of membership, she still didn’t understand what she was entitled to. That’s not an engagement issue. That’s a communication failure.

Information is not understanding

The pensions industry often talks about member engagement, but perhaps we’re focusing on the wrong problem. The real issue is whether they understand it.

For years, pension schemes have produced statements, newsletters, explanatory guides and regulatory communications. They’re often technically accurate, compliant, and comprehensive.

Yet many members still don’t understand the basics of how their pension works.

That’s because ‘information’ and ‘understanding’ are two very different things.

A communication shouldn’t be judged successful because it was sent. It should be judged successful because it was understood.

Poorly written communications

One of the biggest barriers to pension engagement is complexity.

According to the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, 1 in 6 adults have what are considered to be ‘very poor literacy skills’, equivalent to those who would achieve a GCSE grade D-G. 

The National Literacy Trust suggests that said adult would struggle to read a bus or train timetable, or understand their payslip. If they cannot understand their payslip, there is a good chance that they will also not understand their pension and how it works.

Yet pension communications frequently rely on technical terminology, industry jargon, and lengthy explanations.

The result is predictable. Members skim communications, put them aside for later, or simply disengage altogether.

Plain English isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about making important information accessible. These communications do not need to use fancy language or difficult concepts to get their message across. Instead, communication teams need to focus on keeping language easy and accessible for all, regardless of reading ability.

Members want to know:

• What do I have?
• What could it be worth?
• Am I on track?
• What should I do next?

The easier it is for them to answer those questions, the more likely they are to engage. to answer those questions, the more likely they are to engage.

Change the form

If pension information isn’t quick to access and easy to digest, it risks being ignored.

As a result, written content can be overlooked.

Nowadays, a wordy email or piece of paper through the door might not be the best option. People are instead checking information between meetings, watching short videos on their commute, and accessing services through apps throughout their day. 

Short-form engagement is key. A video or a quick message on an app can be more effective than more traditional methods of communication. Don’t just rely on text; visual communication can also help you out.

Don’t risk your important piece of communication being something else added to the junk drawer; change the form in which your message is delivered.

Getting people engaged online will, for some, resonate better and help them plan ahead.

Find the right platform

Communication gaps are often symptoms of a wider engagement challenge.

Members are more likely to engage when they feel confident navigating their pension and when information is available at the moment they need it.

Technology on its own isn’t the solution, but the right digital experience can remove many of the barriers that traditional communication creates.

An app like Mantle’s My Pocket Pension simplifies member engagement, not just for communications but in other aspects of pension management too. When members feel more confident in exploring and controlling their pension, they are more likely to engage with communications sent.

A challenge for our industry

My sister-in-law’s misunderstanding wasn’t uncommon.

In fact, that’s precisely the problem.

If a Head Teacher can spend an entire career misunderstanding how her pension works, we should stop asking why members aren’t engaging and start asking whether we’re communicating effectively.

Because if members don’t understand what they have, they can’t value it.

And if they don’t value it, they’ll never truly engage with it.

The pensions industry doesn’t have an information problem; it has an understanding problem.

And that’s something all of us should be working to fix.

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If you’d like to explore new ways to engage your members and make communications more meaningful, get in touch with the team at Mantle. Start a conversation with our experts today.

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Pensions software provider Mantle has reported strong member engagement with its award-winning My Pocket Pension app, following a recent phase-one pilot rollout by one of its clients.

The results arrive at a time when the pensions industry continues to grapple with one of its most persistent challenges: getting members to engage with their pension in the first place. For Defined Benefit (DB) scheme administrators, low engagement has long translated into higher volumes of routine queries, inaccurate member data, and increased pressure on already stretched teams. 

My Pocket Pension was designed to address this directly, and the pilot results suggest it is doing exactly that. The rollout, completed with around 300 members (full rollout will be to circa 28,000 members) found that 92% chose to use the mobile app over the web app, highlighting growing demand for simple, accessible digital pension tools. The finding is significant in itself: in an industry where even well-designed web portals struggle to attract regular member visits, the overwhelming preference for the mobile app points to something more fundamental than interface design. When members are genuinely inclined to engage, they will seek out the experience that works best for them, and, increasingly, that means mobile and apps.

Members have also responded positively to the app’s usability. 93% rated its overall usability as 4 or 5 out of 5, while 90% rated the registration process 4 or 5. A further 87% gave the same score for ease of checking benefits, with 75% rating ease of understanding benefits as 4 or 5. These figures are particularly notable given the accessibility and financial literacy barriers that have historically made pension communications and digital tools difficult for many members to navigate. 

The findings point to the potential of digital self-service to improve pension engagement while reducing pressure on administration teams. When asked how they planned to contact administrators in future, 53% of members said they would use the app, compared with 41% who said they would email. For administrators, this shift is meaningful; routine queries that would previously have required manual handling can instead be resolved independently by members through the app, freeing up time for more complex, value-added work. 

Mantle has also seen operational benefits where My Pocket Pension has been adopted more widely. In deployments where the app has achieved at least 30% member uptake, administration teams have seen a 30% reduction in workload – a significant efficiency gain for in-house schemes managing stretched capacity. 

The results come as Mantle prepares to roll out a major upgrade to My Pocket Pension, designed to make managing and understanding pensions simpler for both members and administrators.

The upgraded version, due to go live between May and early June, introduces a cleaner, more modern design, improved navigation, biometric login and enhanced mobile accessibility. The mobile app will meet AA accessibility standards, aligning it with the existing web app.

The platform has also been rebuilt behind the scenes to support future enhancements, creating a foundation for further improvements to the member and administrator experience.

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Graeme Riddoch, Chief Revenue Officer at Mantle said: “We built My Pocket Pension with one goal in mind, to make pensions feel less complicated for the people who matter most: the members. Seeing those satisfaction scores come back, and knowing that administrators are genuinely feeling the benefit too, is incredibly rewarding. The upgrade we’re rolling out moves us on again, and reflects everything we’ve learned from working closely with our clients and their members. This is just the beginning of what we have planned.”

Graeme Riddoch

Chief Revenue Officer

The transition to the upgraded app will be seamless for existing users. Members will continue to access My Pocket Pension in the same way, with no disruption and no need to re-register. Mobile app users will receive the update automatically where automatic updates are enabled, while web users can continue using their usual link.

Mantle’s My Pocket Pension app is designed to help pension scheme members access key information, check benefits, update personal details, and engage with their pension more easily through mobile and web applications.

Ends

Media Enquiries: For media enquiries and further information, please contact Susan O’Neill at Susan_Oneill@mantleservices.com or on 02895 210 225

About Mantle Services

Mantle is a cloud-hosted pensions platform that unifies administration, payroll, treasury, accounts, and actuarial services in one system. Mantle licences its software to in-house pension schemes, third party administrators, actuarial firms and buy-out providers. Used by thousands of schemes and administrators, it automates 100% of benefit calculations, improving accuracy and efficiency. With over 1.7 million member records hosted and £1 billion in payments processed annually, Mantle delivers real-time insight, secure digital access for members, and a streamlined experience for pension providers.

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Even in well-run schemes, member engagement can be difficult to sustain. Without regular, accessible touchpoints, members can drift – leaving them unclear on what they have and what it means for their future.

Financial literacy can be a difficult and nuanced topic to manage, but a pension is a vital part of it, and members need to understand what theirs will do for them.

Member engagement is even more important in the modern era. As pension management moves online and accessibility improves, trustees need to ensure that scheme members are adequately engaged so they have full access to all information as and when they need it. Let’s explore how to engage pension scheme members and the best ways to do so.

Why schemes need to engage members

A well-run pension scheme isn’t just about accurate administration behind the scenes – it’s about members who understand what they have and feel confident about their retirement. Members want to ensure that their pension contributions are being correctly managed. This is, after all, necessary for future financial health and a comfortable retirement. Yet, only 25% of men and 11% of women describe themselves as “very confident” in their retirement savings and planning, but this could be different if they were adequately engaged. For DB schemes with the tools and processes to deliver real clarity, that’s a gap worth closing.

The Pensions Regulator is clear on this point: sending information to members isn’t enough. The measure of good engagement is whether members genuinely understand their benefits, feel equipped to make informed decisions, and are supported towards better retirement outcomes. That requires a shift from passive, scheduled communications towards active, ongoing engagement strategies – ones that meet members where they are and give them what they need, when they need it.

When members are genuinely engaged, the difference is tangible. They understand how their scheme works and are more likely to use it to its fullest advantage. They will hopefully make more sound financial decisions, such as contributing more and making fewer last-minute decisions, all while planning realistically for their retirement.

Good engagement is also necessary for reduced risk and good compliance. If members are not adequately engaged, they can easily misunderstand their benefits and can raise additional complaints or disputes. In turn, this can then divert administrator attention away from where it actually needs to be.  Good engagement isn’t just better for members; it makes schemes easier and more efficient to run.

Pension regulators in the UK require good communication from schemes to members. Proving that the scheme delivers true value helps to build trust and confidence and proves to regulators that schemes are doing their due diligence to protect their members’ pension savings. The expectation is no longer simply meeting the minimum standard; it’s showing that engagement is a genuine priority, not a tick-box exercise.

What are the disadvantages of not doing so?

Lower member engagement in pension schemes will carry disadvantages and potential consequences. These can include:

Administrative burdens

Lower engagement often means that members will be less informed about their pension benefits. Not only will they not know what benefits they may have, but they may also be unaware of where to find such information.

It is therefore quite likely that pension administrators may spend too much of their valuable time assisting users who have trouble accessing their accounts. Rather than focus on issues that need to be prioritised, they have to deal with an influx of basic queries and access issues that members should be able to resolve independently. For in-house DB scheme teams already managing stretched capacity, that’s a pressure worth addressing.

Lack of confidence

When members feel disconnected and disengaged from their pension, confidence suffers in managing it. They will be more inclined to just let it sit without taking advice or the necessary steps from their end to ensure it is in the best possible state.

They may leave decisions too late, or take inappropriate annuity options. Meanwhile, engaged members will be confident in understanding the options available to them and will hopefully be able to transition more smoothly into retirement.

For DB scheme members, where the decisions can be complex and the consequences long-lasting, that confidence gap really matters.

How to engage pension scheme members

With this in mind, trustees and providers need to be clear in their tactics on how to engage their scheme members. The best ways to do so include:

Make information accessible

The easiest way to engage members is simply to make the information easy to access. The direction of travel across the industry is firmly towards self-service and real-time access, with tools like pensions dashboards creating new opportunities for members to engage with their pension on their own terms. A pension app like Mantle’s My Pocket Pension gives one such platform that gives members a way to explore and find any relevant information they may be searching for. Amongst users from one of our customers (pilot study) who adopted our app, 87% found it easy to check their benefits, and 92% chose the app over our web portal.

Offer self-service

Give power to your members to make accessing their information as frictionless and as automated as possible. Self-registration and service via QR codes prevent the need for endless emails and password resets. They should be able to find the information they need to know on their own, whether this is via AI or browsing.

Provide a wide variety of educational formats

DB pension schemes are complex, and a single annual statement isn’t enough to keep members informed. Regular, accessible communications in a wide variety of educational formats will ensure members can and do learn about how their pension works. Videos, informational blogs, and regular communication via mediums such as email, In-app messaging and SMS communications can all work together to present new information and easily digestible data to an audience of all literary levels.

Don’t let your members become disengaged

Disengaged DB pension scheme members are not simply drifting along and letting their money accumulate with no clue what is happening. As challenging as it might be to engage members, it is the responsibility of trustees and administrators to ensure that all involved truly understand what is happening with their savings.

It all starts with the right platform. Consolidating member data and communications, and self-service tools into one easy-to-use accessible place prevents key messages and information from slipping through the gaps.

Mantle’s pension platform provides everything needed for robust pension management, from an accessible and simple interface for those involved with management through to a clean and modern application for members to access and use.

Start a conversation with our experts today, and let’s discuss how we can transform your approach to pension management to better facilitate pension scheme engagement among members.

For further information on member engagement and Mantle’s My Pocket Pension, visit our website or watch My Pocket Pension in action.

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Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, right? But what happens when self-serve systems become more of a barrier than a benefit?

In our latest blog, Mantle’s Graeme Riddoch discusses how self-serve technology is often designed without understanding the user in mind and how they engage. From supermarket tills to pension scheme portals, the promise of self-service often falls short of its potential, leaving users frustrated and longing for human assistance. Graeme discusses the alternative member self-service option to help solve these issues.

I was in a Coop in the North East of Scotland recently standing at the self-service check outs.

I watched an elderly man battling the technology. He kept putting a solitary potato ( tattie in the local tongue)  in and out of his shopping bag, as prompted by the checkout. The till couldn’t register that he had put it in.

Eventually he gave up shouting “20 minutes to buy a tattie,” watched on by a long queue of customers waiting for a manned till. There were six self-serve checkouts in the shop and no one was using them, bar this one poor chap.

It’s often the case that self-serve technology doesn’t appear to have been designed with humans in mind and how they try and do things. Anything that’s a barrier to getting the job done means that people give up and revert to looking for a human for help.

This is all too true in the case of getting Pension Scheme members online to self-serve. There  are many benefits for both the member and the Scheme.

Firstly the member can get what they need in their own time on the device of their choice. There’s a massive trend to online banking at the moment with apps on smartphones the preferred vehicle. No reason why that shouldn’t be the ambition for Defined Benefit (DB) pensions too.

From the scheme’s perspective there are clear benefits, more engaged members and resource freed up as members look after themselves. Of course self-serve wont suit everyone, but the easier it is for members the more likely they are to use it.

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So what are the barriers to getting people online and looking after themselves?

The key thing to get right is the registration process, if it’s too difficult then people will disengage.

Typically pension websites use two factor authentication, user name & password with a one time code sent to the members device. It’s clearly vital to ensure that it’s the member trying to access their benefits, but it can be difficult to navigate.

With no clear imperative to register some members won’t bother. Typical registration rates for pension websites vary but 25% is a good outcome.

If members do get registered the next issue is logging back in. Generally pension websites aren’t heavily used so visits can be infrequent. Unless the member has saved their log in credentials they may struggle. We saw one scheme where around 50% of the inbound call traffic was for password resets. So what’s the alternative?

Member self-service from Mantle

At Mantle we developed a DB Smartphone app, My Pocket Pension, some four years ago. One of the key design principles was “easy to register.” Our best uptake so far is 70% for one Scheme.

The secret? No password, username or one time code, although the registration process is just as secure.

A QR code takes the customer to the relevant app store to download the app. The code is personalised and acts as a password, when scanned in the app. Next proof point is the customers NINO. When entered that’s registration complete. Selecting a 4 digit PIN makes it easy for the customer to get back in.

One minute registration and the job’s done, more time back for the daily shop!

To find out more about Mantle’s My Pocket Pension app, visit our website or see it in action, visit https://vimeo.com/587813490. 

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Mantle Services shortlisted for Mobile App of the Year Award as part of The Belfast Telegraph IT Awards

Mantle Services, a leading provider of innovative pension software solutions, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Mobile App of the Year award as part of The Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in partnership with Telefonica Tech.

The awards taking place on the 15^th of November in Belfast’s The Mac, recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland’s thriving IT sector.

Mantle has been shortlisted for its My Pocket Pension app, a revolutionary Defined Benefit Pension smart phone app that is designed to connect people with their pension.

Speaking about the shortlisting, Mantle’s Graeme Riddoch, Head of Business Developement said, “We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for Mobile App of the Year Award. Our app is a modern, easy to use solution with proven high adoption rates and a user centric design. It connects people with their pension in a way that works for them, simplifying pension information in real time.

We’re delighted to have been shortlisted amongst such high calibre organisations in the industry.”

For more information on the awards and shortlisting, visit The Belfast Telegraph website.

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Nowadays, self-service technologies are becoming ever-present. From airport bag drops to pension management systems, these systems promise convenience and efficiency. However, as many frustrated users can attest, self-service solutions often fall short of their promise.

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How not to do it

Picture this. 6.00 am Gatwick airport, Easyjet self-service bag drop area. An object lesson in how to get self-serve technology wrong. Nearly half of all the bag drops were flashing red and customers were tetchily waiting for the one customer service assistant!

To be fair, matters weren’t improved by our flight from Bristol being cancelled the evening before just as we were about to board. Cue a mad scramble, a £370 taxi journey and a sleepless night in a Premier Inn.

Anyway, those designing self-serve systems all too often ignore the human dimension, expecting people to behave rationally or as they would like them to.

The issue with the bag drop was that the baggage tag had to be attached to the top of a bag or the scanner couldn’t read it. Most people just attached it at the end of the bag.

 You do wonder if the designers trialled the system on real sleep deprived customers to see how they fared?

So, what does that mean for pensions?

The current trend is to try and get members online serving themselves, reducing the call on valuable administration resource and improving the customer experience.

A lot of time and money goes into the design of websites, but there’s a key point of failure meaning that some people may not register or if they do, they may not revisit the site to use it. That’s the registration process itself.

The traditional approach is Username Password and one-time code. If customers navigate this, then the next barrier can be using the site after first registration. Pension websites aren’t used on a frequent basis and all too often people forget their login credentials.

I recently spent an entire train journey to London trying to reset a password for a site I used infrequently.

We saw one scheme recently where 50% of all inbound calls were for password resets.

The net effect of making it hard for customers is that they give up and pick up the phone to get what they need. A bad outcome for everyone.

So what’s the solution to make it easy?

We developed a phone app a few years ago with a key design principle being easy to access.

People got very used to scanning QR codes with their phone cameras during Covid. It’s a quick and easy way to download apps or access content via a smartphone.

So why not personalise the QR code and make that the password? That’s what we did.

The customer then enters their own National Insurance Number and selects a 4-digit PIN, like a banking app. The phone is tagged to the member so all they need to do next time is use the 4-digit PIN.

Customer satisfaction with the process has been in excess of 90% and uptake of the app well above that of traditional websites, in excess of 70% for one scheme. We are also seeing up to 20% of customers who have the app, using it on a monthly basis.

So, the learning from all this is to design systems and processes that work with human nature and around how people behave, not how you’d like them to! When we design for humans as they are, rather than as we wish them to be, everyone benefits – users and service providers alike.

How Mantle Services can help

By prioritising ease of use, considering real-world scenarios, and embracing innovative approaches like personalised QR codes, we can create self-service systems that truly serve their purpose.

If you’d like further information on how Mantle Services can help your organisation engage with its members via self-serve capabilities, visit our website here or contact us for further information at enquiries@mantleservices.com

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