New government guidance body appoints head of Pensions Dashboard group

Chris Curry is director of the Pensions Policy Institute, as well as working on projects such as the DWP Auto-Enrolment Review Advisory Group in 2017.

His first task will be to establish the Industry Delivery Group, formed of stakeholders from across the pensions sector.

The Industry Delivery Group will work to develop the data standards and other criteria that any Pensions Dashboard will need to meet. A focus of this work will be to make sure that all Dashboards are consistent, easy-to-use and contain all the information people need in order to feel confident and informed in engaging with their pensions.

Another key priority is developing a clear timeline for delivering the final Dashboard digital infrastructure. In parallel the Money and Pensions Service will begin work to design, test and build a consumer facing dashboard, working closely with the IDG.

Sir Hector Sants, chair of the Money and Pensions Service, said: “Our vision is a society with everyone making the most of their money and pensions. When nearly half of UK adults say that they don’t feel confident in making decisions about financial products and services, it’s essential that through the Pensions Dashboards we create a platform for people to engage more easily with their pensions throughout their lives.”

"I look forward to working with Chris and the Industry Delivery Group, to ensure that through the Pensions Dashboards that people have access to the information they need, how they need it, in an accessible and user-friendly format, that they can rely on.”

Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, commented: “Chris Curry has a wealth of experience driving forward innovation in the pensions industry. His appointment to lead the latest of our truly transformative reforms is an important moment.

“Pension dashboards will deliver a digital revolution, transforming how people plan for retirement by allowing everyone to see their savings online in one place.

“This is a pivotal year for the project. As industry begins to create and test consumer-facing models later this year, Chris and his team will have a crucial role in agreeing data standards and developing the technical architecture underpinning dashboards."

Chris Curry added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in something as important as the Pensions Dashboard. Building on the success so far of automatic enrolment, Pensions Dashboards have the potential to improve retirement outcomes for many people, and I look forward to leading the team driving this forward."