7 Days is a weekly round up of developments in pensions, normally published on Monday mornings. We collate this information from key industry sources, such as the DWP, HMRC and TPR.

In this 7 Days

DWP call for evidence on automatic enrolment alternative quality requirement

On 16 June 2026, the DWP published a call for evidence as part of its triennial review of the alternative quality requirements for DB and hybrid schemes used for automatic enrolment. These requirements allow for simpler alternative tests to be used so that a scheme can demonstrate that it is of sufficient quality to be used by employers to fulfil their automatic enrolment duties.

The call for evidence, which closes on 27 July 2026, aims to ascertain whether the Government’s policy objectives are being met, how the simplifications and flexibilities operate in practice, and whether any new issues have arisen since the last review in 2023.

The DWP is also required to carry out a statutory review of the alternative quality requirements for DC and CDC schemes. To assist this review, the call for evidence also seeks views on whether the alternative quality requirements remain appropriate for single and connected employers and whether the proposed alternative quality requirements are appropriate for new unconnected multiple employer CDC schemes.

Government to consult on strengthening flexible apportionment arrangement legislation

In a written statement on 16 June 2026, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell confirmed that the Government will consult “in due course” on whether, and how, the existing regulations governing flexible apportionment arrangements (“FAAs”) could be “strengthened”.

The statement follows a December 2025 transaction in which a “novel use” of the existing FAA mechanism resulted in an asset manager assuming responsibility for the assets and liabilities of another employer’s DB pension scheme. Although the transaction complied with the FAA legislation, the Government considers that the mechanism was used “in a way not anticipated” when it was introduced in 2012. It therefore intends to take action to ensure the strong regulatory framework for defined benefit pensions remains effective as innovation develops, to manage future risks and protect member benefits.

PASA guidance on pensions dashboard compliance

On 18 June 2026, PASA published new guidance to help schemes, providers and administrators monitor ongoing compliance with pensions dashboards requirements, together with a new Dashboards Toolkit on the treatment of survivor benefits.

The guidance covers practical compliance monitoring across three key areas of dashboards activity: matching, pension information provision and connection performance. It also considers the role of saver complaints, queries and feedback in identifying compliance issues and supporting continuous improvement.

PDP response to reporting standards consultation

On 19 June 2026, the PDP published its response to its consultation on the reporting standards for dashboards.

The reporting standards set out requirements on pension providers and schemes for generating and recording operational information and reporting it to MaPS. The current reporting standards, version 2.0, were approved by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in March 2025. They require that pension providers and schemes generate and retain records on data relating to coverage, service availability and view responses, to be made available to MaPS “on request”.

The consultation sought views on replacing ad-hoc reporting on request with daily submissions via application programming interfaces (“APIs”), a set of rules and protocols that enable different software applications to communicate with each other. The updated reporting standards (version 2.2) are expected to be approved during 2026 and will come into force on 1 March 2027, the revised mandatory implementation deadline for daily reporting via APIs.

In addition to the existing requirement to provide data on request, the PDP intends to require some manual reporting from autumn 2026 for directly connected organisations that have not yet implemented daily reporting.

MaPS launches new pensions guide

On 15 June 2026, MaPS launched a redesigned pensions guide through MoneyHelper, aimed at helping people approaching retirement make more informed decisions about their future. Replacing guidance published in 2015, this shorter, “clearer and easier to navigate” guide aims to help people better understand their retirement options and will be sent out by pension providers to policyholders turning 50 as part of a “wake-up” pack.

TPR appoints new board members

On 15 June 2026, the DWP announced the appointment of TPR’s Executive Director, Market Oversight, Ben Gunnee to the Board, alongside new Non-Executive Directors Tracey McDermott and Chris Hitchen. Noting that they join the board at a “pivotal time”, TPR plans to publish a refreshed five-year strategy next month setting out the principles and outcomes that will drive its work in this rapidly evolving landscape.

TPR blog on endgame solutions

On 19 June 2026, TPR published a blog on endgame solutions for DB schemes. Noting the “transformation” in the DB funding landscape, Executive Director of Market Oversight, Ben Gunnee considers the potential for further innovation in the DB landscape and TPR’s expectations of trustees.