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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The bulk purchase annuity (BPA) market remains buoyant in 2026, with improved funding positions enabling more schemes to approach insurers. However, from an insurer perspective, not all opportunities are equally attractive. This article explores the current BPA landscape and outlines what insurers should look for when assessing opportunities  and why well-prepared schemes stand out.

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The Current BPA Market Explained

A UK bulk purchase annuity is an insurance policy that a defined benefit pension scheme buys from an insurer to help secure members’ benefits. It is a key mechanism through which insurers assume pension liabilities, requiring careful pricing and risk assessment, as it cedes either all or a portion of scheme responsibilities to insurance providers. There are two main forms of BPA:

• Buy-in: The pension scheme purchases the Insurance policy, while retaining responsibility for paying members. The insurer pays the scheme, and the scheme continues to pay members as normal. Importantly, the insurer assumes the risk associated with pensioner payments.
• Buyout: The insurer takes over responsibility for paying benefits directly to members and assumes full responsibility for the liabilities and ongoing administration of the scheme. Members become policyholders of the insurer rather than remaining in the pension scheme.

At present, competition among insurers is strong, with well-prepared schemes better placed to attract insurer engagement. Given that insurer engagement with schemes below £100m was notably high in 2025, smaller schemes in particular may now be well-placed to take advantage of competitive market opportunities.

For insurers, each transaction represents a balance between deploying capital efficiently, managing longevity and investment risks, and selecting opportunities that can be executed with confidence. As transaction volumes increase, insurers are becoming increasingly selective, prioritising opportunities that align with their risk appetite and operational capacity.

Why Scheme Preparation is Important for Insurers

In a competitive BPA market, preparation can make a material difference. Here are some of the tangible benefits you can expect to see by preparing your pension scheme in advance of transactions.

Greater data confidence

Poor or incomplete data introduces uncertainty, which insurers must either price for or spend time resolving, potentially reducing competitiveness or delaying execution.

Take benefit histories, for instance. When insurers take on liabilities, it is in their best interest to have visibility of what benefits each member has built up over time and how those benefits have changed. This kind of clearly evidenced data increases scheme credibility and allows them to make evidence-backed decisions.

Time savings

In a capacity-constrained market, insurers prioritise opportunities that are straightforward to assess and execute. Cleaner data and complete documentation means insurers spend less time resolving uncertainties and more time assessing the opportunity itself.

More efficient transactions

WTW has noted that BPA transactions often require significant data cleansing and insurer-specific data extracts. For insurers, efficiency in execution is critical. Transactions that require significant data cleansing or clarification increase operational burden and can impact pricing timelines and internal resource allocation.

Reduced execution risk

From an insurer perspective, execution risk directly affects pricing confidence and capital allocation decisions. Schemes that have already addressed gaps in data, processes, and governance are less likely to encounter unexpected issues when they go to market. For pension software supplier Mantle, readiness means being able to demonstrate clear benefits, solid audit trails, and reliable management information, alongside the ability to execute without surprises.

What Insurers Should Look for in a Scheme

A well-prepared scheme is one that is organised, accurate, and operationally ready to go to market. It is best practice for insurers to assess the following factors when evaluating scheme readiness:

1. Accurate member records

Insurers need confidence that member data is complete, validated, and reliable in order to produce accurate pricing. Mantle’s no-code calculation engine allows insurers manage scenarios such as dual records and evolving scheme data.

2. Clear benefits and audit trail

Clarity enables insurers to assess liabilities without needing to make conservative assumptions, which can otherwise impact pricing

Benefits should be well documented, easy to trace, and supported by clear records of decisions, calculations, and any changes over time.

3. Reliable management actions

Insurers rely on consistent, high-quality management information to understand scheme dynamics and price risk appropriately.

This includes data on membership movements, retirements, deaths, and contingent beneficiaries, enabling insurers to build an accurate picture of liabilities and support robust pricing decisions.

High-quality administration and actuarial systems can generate data quality assurance reports, reducing uncertainty and streamlining insurer review processes.

4. Proven operational readiness

Beyond data quality, insurers assess whether a scheme can respond reliably and efficiently throughout the transaction process. This responsiveness is particularly critical during pricing and exclusivity phases, where delays can impact timelines, pricing confidence, and overall deal certainty.

Use Mantle Software for Your BPA Journey

From an insurer perspective, schemes that can demonstrate operational readiness are easier to engage with, assess, and progress – making them more likely to be prioritised in a competitive market.

Mantle’s bulk purchase annuity software centralises the entire journey in one place – from pricing through to buy-in and buyout. Its integrated actuarial capability supports initial pricing and valuation at a scheme and portfolio level, with Control, visibility, and auditability built in for ease of access.

Book a discovery call with us today to see Mantle in action.

 

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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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With communication forming such a key part of pension management, let’s fully explore what it entails, what makes for good comms, and how the right tools and approach can make it sustainable.

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What is pension member communication?

Pension member communication covers everything a scheme does to keep its members informed, supported, and connected to their pension. It is the line of communication between trustees and pension administrators running the scheme and the members at the heart of it. Good member communications keep people informed and help them to understand their options and the rules governing their pension. Effective communication is essential to help members navigate their pension options.

With the right approach, members can feel like they understand what they have and how their pensions can support their retirement plans. They will be able to make better decisions, with confidence and without feeling overwhelmed.

What does good member communication actually involve?

When firms engage members via communications, a basic standard must be met. These are important conversations, and so they need to be made as accessible as possible for everyone. Due to this, it is wise to consider the following when constructing membership communications:

Write in plain English

By their very nature, DB pension communications can be rather complicated and difficult to interpret. Members may not have a good technical grasp of what they are entitled to in their scheme, and they won’t keep reading past the first paragraph if they don’t immediately understand it.

The challenge for administrators is translating it into language that members with no pensions background can act on, providing clear communications that minimise jargon and speak in plain English. While in-house conversations can remain on a high, technical level, they must be simplified when speaking to customers.

Communicate timely

Members will appreciate timely communications. Pensions often require their members to make informed decisions. For DB scheme members approaching retirement in particular, timely communication can make a meaningful difference – ensuring they understand their options with enough time to consider them properly, rather than feeling rushed into decisions that will affect the rest of their retirement.

Signposting the right tools at the right moment matters too. Calculators, dashboards, and self-service resources are only useful if members know they exist and are prompted to use them when they’re most relevant.

Tailor communications

All communications need to be tailored to their audience. A DB scheme can have an enormously varied membership – deferred members with decades until retirement, active members approaching it, and pensioners already drawing their benefits. The right message for one group might be completely inadequate for another.

For example, members who are still in work will require different communications to those who have retired and are drawing on their pension. By tailoring messaging to the right audiences to reflect where they are on their journey, makes it far more likely that those communications will actually land and those audiences will feel confident and well-supported in return.

Collect feedback

Pension schemes cannot just send out communications with no idea as to how effective they are. Delivery metrics such as open rates and click-throughs can tell pension administrators how their communications are being received and interacted with. They don’t tell you whether it was understood.

Collecting regular feedback such as direct feedback or surveys on what members think of the communication is key. This will also help to provide evidence of customer care as part of regulatory or compliance scrutiny. The goal should always be to improve upon the level of communications currently delivered.

What should be communicated?

Member communications can be incredibly varied, as there is a wide variety of information that needs to be conveyed. Some of the most common communications will include:

• Annual pension statements
• Responses or clarifications to questions and requests
• Updates about changes to the scheme and how it may affect them
• Information about how to access funds in retirement as that milestone draws near

By communicating regularly and with clarity, schemes can ensure that members have all the information they need to effectively manage their pensions.

Defined Benefit (DB) vs Defined Contribution (DC) pension communications – why the difference matters

A great example of why communications need to be varied comes in the differences between defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) pensions. Since these pensions are structured differently, their respective members need to be informed of differing information and options.

Communication for DB pensions will focus more on clarity and reassurance. The scheme promises a defined outcome, so less decision-making is required. Members will not need a deep financial understanding, as risk mostly sits with the employer and scheme. Good communications will focus on making the scheme rules easy to understand for all, when members can access their funds, and what options are available to them at retirement.

Conversely, communication for DC pensions will be more guidance-led. Outcomes here are much more uncertain, so communications need to help individuals understand their options, simplify complexity, and encourage action. Comms may need to explain more technical topics, such as investment or longevity risk or the impact of inflation, and so need to be comfortable simplifying these topics without losing any of their significance.

What do effective member communications look like?

Regardless of their target audience, most member communications should follow the same principles. Communication is not just a single action but an entire strategy within a scheme, and effectiveness may be carried by:

Purpose

No message should be arriving in a member’s inbox simply because they haven’t had one in a while. Ideally, admins should be following a tailored communication strategy, whether they send a planned message or need an ad-hoc one to explain something new.

Length

Sending too long a communication risks disengaging your members. More often than not, they will not want to sit through a long newsletter or update video. Initial contact should be short and snappy. If you do need to pass on details or significant information, attach it to the communication, direct members to supplementary resources on their portal or website, or ask them to reach out directly.

Channels

Consider the channels available to you. Are you leveraging them correctly to ensure that messages are heading to every member? Modern pension schemes may use email, text, social media, or even pension app push notifications to pass on communications. Offering a wide variety of options to members allows them to control their incoming messages in a way that best suits them.

Clarity

As pensions get more and more complex, members equally need to be able to maintain a good working knowledge of how their money is being invested and what they can claim at each stage. This requires input and support from pension providers, and this task of clarification often falls to admins. Too many schemes still measure success by delivery, not understanding. Sending a compliant communication is not the same as ensuring it’s understood.

Proactive

Pension communications should ideally be proactive, not reactive. As members gain access to their pension dashboards and further understanding of how their money is working, meet them halfway with resources to answer their questions as they have them. A reactive approach may be needed in an emergency, but a proactive one can cover most enquiries the average member may have.

How technology supports better member communication

For administrators working on large or complex DB schemes, delivering consistent, high-quality member communications manually is increasingly difficult to sustain. The volume of members, the variety of communication types, and the need to tailor messaging to different audiences all create pressure that good intentions alone can’t solve.

Technology plays a significant role in making this manageable. Pension admins need to have the right tools on their side when it comes to delivering effective communications. As pensions grow more and more complex, manual work is becoming inefficient and time-consuming. Leveraging the right platforms and technology helps to ensure that communications can remain at a high standard while simultaneously relieving some of the burden placed on administrators, allowing them to focus their time and energy on more important tasks.

Mantle transforms pension management by bringing all aspects together into one unified platform—including member engagement and communications. Teams can construct and perfect their communication strategy within the platform and then send it directly to the customer via their preferred method, whether this is in the app, via text, or through an email newsletter.

Start a conversation with us today to find out more about how Mantle can support both your approach to member communication and your wider pension management strategy.

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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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The role of a Pension Scheme Administrator

Pension scheme administrators play a key role in overseeing schemes so they run smoothly and efficiently while maintaining compliance at all times. They are often responsible for ensuring that member trust remains intact, all while supporting operational resilience and compliance.

Both scheme members and the administrators themselves need to have a clear understanding of the full scope of the role. Let’s fully explore what this role entails in pension scheme administration and how it is best supported as it evolves in our modern world.

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What is a Pension Scheme Administrator?

A pension scheme administrator is the person responsible for the day-to-day running of the scheme, maintaining the operational engine that keeps it efficient and operating within regulatory guidelines. They are the “face” of the scheme and the main touchpoint for members.

This is a key role handling much of the practical work required to help keep a pension scheme running well. Even with the best practices and structure in place, a scheme can quickly run into issues such as data inaccuracies and compliance failures if poor administration is allowed to take root.

Who Can Be a Scheme Administrator?

Not everyone is qualified to be a scheme administrator. In the UK, this is a specific legal term under HMRC rules and can be:

• An individual, such as a trustee or a senior responsible person
• A corporate entity, such as a pension provider or administration firm
• Multiple administrators, in specific instances where responsibility can be shared.

Any administrator must be deemed a “fit and proper person” by HMRC, indicating that they are suitable and have the skills needed to take on the responsibilities of pension administration, particularly around handling tax matters.

Administrators vs Trustees

To fully understand the role of administrator, we must distinguish it from the role of trustee, one of the other key roles we typically see in the pension sphere.

As mentioned above, administrators are the ones carrying out the day-to-day operations of the scheme. They can either be in-house, or they may also be third-party administrators (TPAs). If they are the latter, they are often specialist providers who manage schemes on behalf of multiple clients.

Trustees are responsible for overseeing the scheme and acting in the best interest of the members. They will set the strategy, ensure that everything the administrators do falls within compliance guidelines, and will ultimately be the ones accountable for the actions administrators take.

Core Responsibilities of a Pension Scheme Administrator

A scheme administrator’s responsibilities are vital to keeping procedures moving forward as they should. Some of these core assignments include:

Member Record Management

Administrators are responsible for ensuring that all member records are accurate, up-to-date, and meticulously maintained. They will be the ones processing those joining and leaving the scheme and retirees who wish to withdraw their pensions. Maintaining this data integrity will form the foundation of all other tasks.

Contributions and Payments

Administrators will also be responsible for monitoring both employer and employee contributions to ensure these are handled correctly. They will need to allocate funds correctly while managing any late or missing payments and operating tax relief where required.

Benefit Calculations and Processing

Should retirees wish to withdraw their pensions, the scheme administrator’s duties will include ensuring this is done in an accurate and timely manner. They will be the ones responsible for calculating pensions and lump sums, retirement and death payments, plus any transfers that arise as a result of either of these.

Member Communications

Someone needs to be responsible for communicating with scheme members so they understand how their money is being handled. This could take the form of issuing annual benefit statements or answering queries as they are submitted. In doing so, they support transparency and engagement and build trust between the pension provider and its customers.

Compliance and Regulatory Reporting

UK pension regulations are handled by The Pensions Regulator (TPR). Though the trustees are ultimately the ones responsible for supporting scheme compliance, the administrator is often the one who prepares reports for both TPR and HMRC. They will also be responsible for reporting events relating to the scheme to relevant bodies if needed and will also need to manage audit requirements.

Key Challenges Faced by Pension Administrators

As schemes become increasingly more complex and regulatory requirements grow in response, more and more challenges also arise for pension administrators. In order to continue to deliver a good service, trustees and administrators need to know how to navigate these challenges while preparing for further ones arising in the future.

This is especially true in terms of changing regulations. Though regulatory change is well signposted and communicated, schemes need to be compliant with changes by their respective deadlines. It can require some careful internal coordination to ensure that no details are left behind.

Pensions Dashboards, when live, may increase the volume of queries that administrators need to handle.

Even the best registered pension scheme can also struggle due to manual processes and workflow inefficiencies. In particular around the calculation of pension benefits. Data silos and poor integration add even more difficulties. Good organisation and standards are a must to ensure that no information slips between the cracks, and that there is always a clear paper trail for compliance purposes.

The Role of Technology in Modern Pension Administration Services

In the changing modern world of pensions, technology plays a key role in ensuring administrators can keep up with the demands expected of them. The right software will be the partner and foundation they need, no matter the changes or challenges that may come their way.

Embracing software and pension tools is critical for reducing manual workload in a world where processes are becoming more and more complicated. Automation helps with data accuracy and maintaining accurate records, in turn helping with compliance and regulatory demand.

A strong pension administration platform should also offer a good member experience from all sides of the pension journey. Administrators need a straightforward portal they can access and quickly find information in, allowing them to run calculations, pull reports, complete requests, and undertake any other tasks that may be asked of them. Meanwhile, scheme members also need a user-friendly interface they can navigate to answer any questions they may have about their pensions, whether they are seeking out information on a FAQ on the portal or getting in touch with an administrator for a more specific problem.

The right software should:

• Reduce the risk of errors
• Improve service delivery while supporting long-term scheme sustainability
• Enable administrators to deliver a high level of service without excessive effort or distraction, allowing them to focus on higher-value work

Enable Better Pension Outcomes with Mantle

As important as the role of pension administrator is, it must be supported by the right tools. Pensions form a vital part of a worker’s future, so we all want to know that they are in the best possible care. Since administrators are the ones responsible for the everyday running of the scheme, their role is just as vital as that of the trustees in making investment decisions.

For this reason, it is vital that they are given the right platform to manage their tasks from, enabling them to deliver better care to their customers and ensure all compliance needs are met accurately.

Mantle simplifies complex pension management, delivering a unified, cloud-based pension software platform designed to support your scheme’s administrators and other key staff in their tasks. Give your administrators the support they need, break down silos, and build efficiency across your pension teams. Start a conversation with us today and find out how Mantle can transform your approach to delivering value to your scheme members.

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Built in partnership with Modulr, the leading embedded payments platform, MantlePay is designed to:

• Streamline payments with automation, ensuring accuracy and reducing risk
• Provide full visibility and fraud prevention, so the right funds reach the right people
• Deliver faster, more agile payments with unique calculation flexibility
• Confirm pensioners’ accounts are live and ready, critical for secure and reliable payments

Watch the full interview to see how MantlePay is transforming pension administration from start to finish. To find out more on Mantle’s partnership with Modulr, read our press release here.

For the last few years, the pensions industry has been in a state of constant preparation. We’ve talked about the new DB Funding Code, prepared for Pensions Dashboards, and watched the Pension Schemes Bill take shape.

2026 is the year these conversations move from theory to reality.

Many schemes will run their first valuation under the new Funding Code. Pensions Dashboards connection deadlines are getting closer. The BPA market is dealing with capacity pressure, and the Pension Schemes Bill looks likely to shift the rules of the game.

At the same time, the bar for service has moved. Members now expect on-demand data and modern digital interactions as standard.

The shift is clear. The planning phase is over. 2026 is about execution. It will reward schemes that have moved beyond “getting ready” and are now capable of delivery. It starts with clean data, efficient systems, and confident decision-making.

Here are the five themes we expect to define the year ahead, and where technology will make the difference between keeping pace and falling behind.

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1) Buy-in and Buyout: Capacity Constraints Drive Selection

Bulk purchase annuity (BPA) activity will remain high in 2026. More schemes can afford to transact, and more trustees now see buy-in or buyout as a realistic destination rather than a distant idea.

Capacity constraints mean insurers are increasingly selective.

When insurers have plenty of choice, they focus on schemes that are well-prepared. That usually means:

• having clean member data and benefit histories
• being able to show a clear benefits specification and a solid audit trail
• producing reliable management information on membership movements, retirements, deaths and contingent spouses
• demonstrating that the scheme can execute without surprises

In a buoyant BPA market, the schemes that move fastest are often the ones that did the unglamorous work early. Data, processes, and documentation.

2) Admin capacity: Efficiency as a necessity

A lot of industry conversation focuses on market conditions and insurer pricing. The quieter constraint is operational capacity.

Many teams are already stretched. When you add a dashboards programme, ongoing rectification, GMP equalisation tail work, and buyout readiness activity, it is easy to see why efficient delivery is hard.

If a scheme’s delivery strategy relies on manual spreadsheets and file transfers between systems, these competing demands will create gridlock. Efficiency in 2026 isn’t a cost-saving exercise. It’s a delivery strategy.

In practice the biggest wins come from:

• cutting down the number of manual touchpoints across admin, actuarial and payroll
• moving key calculations out of spreadsheets and into controlled processes with a clear audit trail
• using workflow to surface the exceptions and let routine cases can run straight through

In practice, it is the difference between admin teams spending time on judgement-heavy work, versus spending time copying data between tools.

3) Pensions Dashboards: Why data becomes “always-on”

2026 is a pivotal year for the Pensions Dashboards Programme. Data quality is no longer something you tidy up “for the big moment”. It is becoming an “always-on” requirement.

Dashboards will act as a magnifying glass. When members can see pension information more easily, small inconsistencies become obvious. Matching issues create confusion. Missing fields create questions. If the scheme cannot answer quickly, the workload lands back on already stretched admin teams.

The shift this year means:

• keeping benefit specifications clear and calculation logic consistent
• maintaining strong audit trails for changes and corrections
• building repeatable processes to produce and refresh key values, including retirement income figures where required
• spotting exceptions early, before they turn into delays and rework
• relying on management information you trust when decisions need to be made quickly

When data is reliable, everything else gets easier. Automation works. Reporting is faster. Transactions run smoother. Member communications become clearer. Dashboards become manageable, rather than a permanent source of manual effort.

4) Member engagement: The “on-demand” expectation

Member engagement is often discussed as a service ambition. In 2026 it becomes unavoidable.

As pension information becomes easier to access, members naturally ask more questions. They will want clarity on what they have, what it means, and what choices they can make.

Modern members expect their pension experience to match their banking experience: digital, instant, and clear. If the scheme cannot answer efficiently, that demand turns into pressure on admin teams.

The most effective response is:

• guiding members through journeys that explain benefits in plain English
• giving members tools to model the common “what if” questions
• making it easy to update details and submit routine requests
• using clear prompts that reduce avoidable queries

Done well, member engagement improves experience and reduces operational load at the same time. That is the sweet spot for 2026: better outcomes for members, fewer avoidable contacts for administrators, and more time for teams to focus on the cases that need human judgement.livers a better experience for administrators and ultimately the member. 

5) DB endgame strategy in 2026: buyout, run-on, consolidation and surplus

With the new DB Funding Code now in play, the long-term funding mindset is embedded. However, the destination is not one-size-fits-all.

Some schemes will pursue buyout at pace. Others will plan for buy-in first, then stage their way forward. Some will explore consolidator options where that makes sense. And more schemes will ask serious questions about running on, particularly where funding strength creates flexibility.

This is where good modelling and good information really matter. Trustees need to compare options properly:

• understanding what each route does to risk
• understanding the impact on cost and governance
• being clear on what it means for members, including communications and service levels
• being clear on what it means for sponsors, especially where surplus emerges

2026 will reward schemes that can turn these into practical choices, based on timely data and consistent calculations, rather than slow cycles of manual analysis.

Closing thoughts

2026 is the year pensions moves from planning to delivery.

Schemes that are aiming for BPA deals will need to be transaction-ready in more than name. Schemes preparing for dashboards will need a sustainable way to keep data accurate and calculations repeatable. Schemes thinking about endgame options will need modelling that is fast enough to support real decisions, not just retrospective reporting.

If we get those foundations right, the year ahead is genuinely exciting. Not because everything becomes simpler, but because better systems and better data let pension professionals spend more time on what truly matters: making the right decisions for members and sponsors.

For further information on what Mantle can offer,
visit our website www.mantleservices.com or contact us at enquiries@mantleservices.com  

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Pensions Dashboards: What you really need to know.

The UK pensions landscape is evolving, and pensions dashboards are set to play a major role in improving how savers access and understand their retirement information. While many in the industry are already familiar with the programme, the upcoming deadlines and technical requirements mean it’s more important than ever to stay aligned on what dashboards are, how they work, and what they mean for schemes, administrators, and technology providers. This overview breaks down the essentials and explains how Mantle supports the dashboards ecosystem with accurate, automated pension data.

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What are Pensions Dashboards?

Gone are the days when you work for one company your entire working life. Changing roles as you evolve and moving to different businesses are now considered to be two very normal practices in the world of work.

However, in doing so, we can lose track of a crucial part of our employment journey: our pension schemes. Every job you work will have its own pension attached to it that you will pay into but lose track of once you move to your next role. This is where the Money and Pensions Service’s Pensions Dashboard will come in: a new digital service that brings all your pensions together, securely, in one place. As we move forward into a new world of work and pensions, understanding how these new services work will be critical for good personal financial management.

What is the Pensions Dashboard?

The Pensions Dashboard is a UK government scheme to give people access to all the information about their pensions in one online and secure place. At the moment, workers have to approach each of their pension providers individually for information about their pension pots. This information may just be about the current amount saved, not what the worker may receive in the future.

The Pensions Dashboard has been designed to be this one place. Rather than having to explore countless occupational pension schemes and dashboards from third-party pension providers, the Pensions Dashboard will be a unified space for counting all pensions, including State Pensions.

Who will offer Pensions Dashboards?

The main Pensions Dashboard will be created and managed by the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK government. The Pensions Dashboard Programme (PDP) is part of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), and the dashboard accessible by the public will be the MoneyHelper Dashboard.

This is the first dashboard, and it will be the non-commercial dashboard accessible by any UK worker due a pension. Commercial dashboards may launch from other providers at a later date.

When is the deadline or pension providers to connect to the Pensions Dashboard?

The final connection date for pension schemes and providers is 31st October 2026. By this date, all pension providers and schemes must have connected their workplace pension records to the PDP. Over 60 million workplace and personal pensions have been connected so far, and tens of millions of additional State Pension records have also been added [*].

How will Pensions Dashboards work?

The Pensions Dashboards ecosystem is designed to make it as easy as possible for end-users, the general public. Multiple parties and technical services will all come together to create find and view interfaces, central digital architecture, and of course the dashboards themselves.

Using the Pensions and MoneyHelper Dashboards, users will provide key details to the consent and authorisation and the identity services. Using provided personal data such as passport and driving licence details, these services will then verify and authenticate the user’s identity. The consent and authorisation service will also help users to set permissions and authorisations for releasing information to the dashboards. No pension information will ever be stored; when matching pensions are discovered, the consent and authorisation services will manage access to the information in line with the authorisation already given by the user.

What will Mantle do?


What is Mantle’s role in the Pensions Dashboard rollout? Providing the data on behalf of our corner of the pensions industry. One of our main tasks will be accurately calculating Estimated Retirement Incomes (ERIs) and passing this information to the government. An ERI figure must be refreshed annually.

The 100% automation of benefit calculations is built into Mantle’s platform, making it a trivial matter to generate and send these ERIs onwards. Mantle has selected Pension Fusion as its Integrated Service Provider (ISP). All data is automatically pushed to it and stored. Mantle looks for changes in underlying data and automatically refreshes the ERI as required, pushing the new value to the Pension Fusion ISP.

Embrace modern changes in pensions with Mantle

The creation of the pensions dashboards ecosystem has been a significant undertaking by the government. Once live, it will give many workers a clear understanding of their pensions: where they come from and what they can expect to receive, whether they are retired or not.

The onus then falls to pension schemes and providers to ensure they have sent all relevant information to the dashboards. This is not just optional; it is a legal requirement, and pension regulators like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will monitor for non-compliance.

Mantle is ready to meet these changes. We understand that dashboards will not provide all the answers that members have about their pensions. In fact, a service like the MoneyHelper Dashboard may only result in more questions than before a member used it. This can result in added burdens to administrators as they are flooded by questions from understandably concerned members.

Mantle’s automations are designed to ease these worries, providing a clear experience for members while easing burdens and issues for administrators. The rollout of these dashboards marks a new era of transparency and empowerment in pensions, and Mantle is ready to make that transition seamless for both administrators and members.

Want to know more about how Mantle can help you? Clean data and good administration open the door to automation, cost savings, satisfied members, and easy compliance. Book a discovery call and watch how we transform your approach to pension management. 

Discover how Mantle is dashboards ready below. Mantle’s Graeme Riddoch provides an overview of the challenges pension schemes face when implementing pensions dashboards. Watch the video.

FAQs

Who has ownership of the Pensions Dashboards?

The Pensions Dashboards will be held by the Department for Work & Pensions, part of the UK government.

Do you have to be retired to view the Pensions Dashboards?

No, you will not have to be retired to view the Pensions Dashboards. Those yet to retire will instead see future pension information.

Can personal and stakeholder pensions be counted in the Pensions Dashboard?

Yes, personal and stakeholder pensions can and should be counted in the Pensions Dashboard. All FCA-regulated providers have a legal duty to connect to the dashboards ecosystem. The purpose of the Dashboard is to show individuals all of their pensions, and this includes ones that might not come from employment.

Are the Pensions Dashboards a pension consolidation scheme?

No, the Pensions Dashboard is not the same as a pension consolidation scheme. The Pensions Dashboard will exist as a place for UK retirees to see all their pensions in one single place. It will also give them an estimate of what they will have come their age of retirement.

A pension consolidation scheme is designed to find individual pension pots and bring them together into one saving stream. It is a form of pension savings that is unconnected to what is offered by the Pensions Dashboard.

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Modulr, the leading embedded payments platform, has partnered with Mantle, a global pensions software provider and market leader in actuarial and pension administration software to provide seamless payments functionality to the pensions market.

This collaboration marks a major milestone in the automation of pension payroll, delivering a fully integrated solution that simplifies payment execution and addresses key pain points for pension administrators.

Pension payroll is traditionally reliant on manual file uploads, disjointed processes and multiple approval actions across different systems. Mantle’s enhanced offering, powered by Modulr, introduces a new embedded payments capability directly into Mantle’s platform, supporting third-party administrators and pension trust administration teams to execute payroll with speed, accuracy, and confidence, without leaving the Mantle environment.

Solving Long-Standing Challenges in Pension Administration

The Modulr–Mantle integration directly addresses the long-standing challenges of fragmented systems and numerous manual interventions in pension payroll. It automates payout workflows from a single platform, eliminating the need for manual file uploads and freeing teams to focus on higher-value tasks. As part of the MantlePay offering, Mantle clients will be able to access the Confirmation of Payee service, which adds an increasingly critical layer of fraud protection, ensuring funds are sent to the correct recipient. With Faster Payments embedded as standard, the solution also enables payroll cut-off times to be extended by days, enhancing operational flexibility and ability to meet the needs of vulnerable customers without compromising on speed or compliance.

Danielle Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer at Mantle, said:

“We’re delighted to partner with Modulr to enhance our pension payroll capabilities. By integrating Modulr’s payment services with our existing functionality, we’re streamlining previously complex processes. This new functionality enables our clients to execute payments directly through Mantle using Faster Payments, ensuring pensioners receive their funds quickly and efficiently. It’s a significant step forward to simplify pension scheme administration and deliver better service to our clients’ members.”

Danielle Wilson

Chief Commercial Officer

Melek Pirgon, Chief Product Officer at Modulr, added:

“Modulr’s expanding network of integrations across payroll, accounting and travel addresses long-standing challenges in business payments. Our partnership with Mantle marks our expansion into the pensions sector. Leveraging Modulr’s secure and scalable platform, pension trust administrators can now automate their payment workflows, saving them time and eliminating fragmented, manual processes.”

Melek Pirgon

Chief Product Officer

About Modulr

Modulr is a leading embedded payments platform, enabling thousands of businesses from SMEs to global enterprises, to efficiently pay-in, collect and disburse funds instantly via a range of payment methods, accounts, and card products. Modulr’s payments hub is designed to provide customers with efficiency, control and security whilst unlocking accelerated revenue growth.

Modulr’s portal and API integrations offer access to Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS, Open Banking, SEPA and SWIFT, and are principal issuing members of Visa and Mastercard across the UK and Europe.

Modulr processes more than 300 million transactions annually, with a total payment volume exceeding £150 billion.

Modulr are regulated as an Authorised Electronic Money Institution in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and in the Netherlands by De Nederlandsche Bank.

Learn more at modulrfinance.com

About Mantle

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.

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

To find out more about MantlePay, watch our overview video below:

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