You will need to have a digital interface in place to connect your scheme to the digital architecture. You will also need to complete a number of steps before you connect.
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is facilitating the ordered connection of a community of voluntary participants which includes connection providers (who will in turn facilitate schemes to connect, having regard to the staged connection approach set out in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidance, as well as a number of direct-connecting schemes.
Choosing a digital interface
Your digital interface could be provided by:
- building your own interface if the scheme is administered in-house
- using an interface built by your scheme’s third-party administrator or software / IT supplier
- using an interface provided by a third-party integrated service provider (ISP)
If you are not building your own interface, you need to ensure that the interface you have selected is able to fulfil the requirements set out in the DWP regulations and can meet MaPS standards, including the Code of Connection and Technical standards. Once you have chosen who will be providing the digital interface (connection provider), you need to understand their plans for connecting your systems to the digital architecture and assess how well prepared they are to meet standards and facilitate connection. You need to make sure that this will enable you to comply with your other duties, such as being able to implement your matching policy.
If you are considering building your own interface, be aware that connecting to the digital architecture will be a significant undertaking and you should engage with MaPS at the earliest opportunity. It will typically require specialist resource and experience to meet the standards that MaPS sets and will be subject to extensive testing. It could also deliver a lot of traffic to your systems and these will need to be available at any time. Your systems will need to be able to process requests within seconds. You should carefully consider all these aspects before deciding on the best solution for you.
Whichever approach you take, you remain accountable for ensuring your scheme is connected to dashboards on time and that it remains compliant. You should ensure robust processes are in place for the selection, appointment, management and replacement of any suppliers.
Preparing your data for connection
You have legal duties for providing the required data to matched members. MaPS data standards set out how you provide this data, with the type, length and format requirements for key data (for example, how dates should be formatted).You will need to ensure your data is prepared in the correct format to connect smoothly. You will also need to prepare your data for matching and for up-to-date value information of members’ pensions.
If your scheme is using multiple providers to assist with your dashboard duties and the member data will be processed between these providers, you may find it helpful to perform a data mapping exercise. This will help you to understand where data is held (for example, whether member data will be held by your connection provider) and agree who will be performing certain tasks in contractual arrangements. It is a requirement for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) purposes to complete a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) and keep a record of roles. If you already have a DPIA, you may need to update it.
Registration process
Whichever route to connection you choose, you will need to ensure that your scheme is registered with MaPS’ Governance Register. This will ensure the digital architecture is kept safe by only allowing regulated schemes to connect, and the required security and performance standards are met. If you are using a provider to help you connect, your connection provider will handle this registration on your behalf.
You will need to use your Pension Scheme Reference (PSR) number and a registration code that is unique to your scheme to register with MaPS.
We will supply two unique registration codes for your scheme to the scheme’s chair of trustees (or the trustee nominated for pensions dashboards), or the scheme manager, via our scheduled communications. This will be around three to five months in advance of your ‘connect-by’ date. Please note that the registration code will expire shortly after your ‘connect-by’ date.
You are responsible for providing this code to your connection provider who will be connecting on your behalf. It is important that the codes we issue are kept safe.
If your scheme requires more codes (for example, if you are using more than two connection providers), or if you are planning to connect earlier than your ‘connect by’ date, contact our customer support team.
If your scheme is out of scope of the regulations, but you are looking to voluntarily connect your scheme, you will need to seek permission from MaPS. Once you have obtained permission and agreed your connection timescales with MaPS, you will need to contact our customer support team to obtain a registration code. MaPS will provide further information and guidance on this process in due course.
Technical connection
Once your scheme has passed the registration process, your scheme will enter the technical connection stage. At this stage, MaPS will need to be satisfied your scheme has met their standards. You can find more information about this process on MaPS’ connection hub. If you are using a provider to help you connect, your connection provider may have already passed this technical connection phase. In this case, your scheme is ready to connect to the live environment as soon as your connection provider has registered your scheme with MaPS on your behalf.
A specific connection date will need to be agreed with MaPS nearer the time of connection. This process will be handled by the connection provider. MaPS will provide further information and guidance to support this process in due course.
Connection to the live environment
Once you have completed the technical connection, your scheme is then ready to connect to the live environment. Once your scheme is connected to the live environment, you should be able to:
- receive personal data through ‘find requests’ that are issued by a saver
- use this data to find members’ pensions in your records (‘match’)
- provide pensions information to members through dashboards (‘respond to view requests’)
- be able to generate, record and (when needed) report certain information
Connection of multiple sections
If your scheme has multiple sections, you need to understand how each section will be connected and what interface they will be using.
You may choose to connect all your sections through the same connection provider or with different connection providers. You will need to work with your administrators, additional voluntary contribution (AVC) providers, and your connection providers to agree the suitable connection solutions, depending on your own circumstances. You can check the Financial Conduct Authority register for current contact details of your AVC provider, if your provider is FCA regulated.
If you are using more than one connection, for example if you are using a different connection route for different sections of your scheme, you will need to use different registration codes to connect each route. This includes your AVC providers, who will use your registration code to connect your AVC sections.