PPI chief to lead pensions dashboard group

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PPI chief to lead pensions dashboard group

Mr Curry will take up the role on July 8 on a two days per week basis set on a two-year fixed contract.

Currently director of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), Mr Curry has previously worked on projects such as the department for Work and Pensions’ auto-enrolment review advisory group in 2017, where he was co-chair and led on providing advice on contributions.

Mr Curry’s first task as principal of the project will be to establish the industry delivery group (IDG) which will be formed of stakeholders from across the pensions sector.

The IDG will develop the data standards and other criteria that any pensions dashboard will need to meet.

It will also ensure that all dashboards are consistent, easy-to-use and contain all the information people need to feel confident and informed when engaging with their pensions.

This year the priority is to progress the business case of the pensions dashboard project as well as develop a timeline for delivering the final dashboard digital infrastructure. 

The Money and Pension Service, which has been tasked with creating and implementing the dashboard, will begin to design, test and build a consumer facing dashboard, while working closely with the IDG. 

It’s vital that user testing will feed into the data and other standards work that the IDG will be developing for all dashboards, the Money and Pensions Service stated.

Mr Curry will continue his role at the PPI .

He said: "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."

The pensions dashboards will ensure people throughout the UK have easy access to key information about what pensions they have, who manages them and what they are worth. It will also allow savers to view all their pension pots in one place.

The government confirmed it December it will introduce multiple pension dashboards, with the first one, developed by the Money and Pensions Service, expected in 2019.

However, it did not guarantee state pension data will be included on the pension dashboard in 2019 or that legislation for compulsion to force providers to reveal the size of pots will be introduced at this point.

Guy Opperman, minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, said: "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."

Helen Morrissey, pension specialist at Royal London, welcomed Mr Curry's appointment.

She said: "It is great to see some much needed progress being made on the pension dashboard and [Mr Curry] is an excellent choice to drive this forward.

"He is well respected throughout the industry and we look forward to working with him to make the dashboard a reality."

The Money and Pensions Service is still recruiting for an implementation director, who will report to the principal.

The Money and Pensions Service was formed this year as a result of the merger of previous guidance bodies The Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service, and Pension Wise.

amy.austin@ft.com

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