With the goal of creating a digital infrastructure where users may access and examine their pension benefits and data, the PDP initiative has been under development since 2020. Pensions dashboards are expected to help 16.3 million people, according to the analysis.

"Once completed, the PDP could benefit millions of people by providing a secure, comprehensive, and online point of access for information about their pensions," said NAO chief Gareth Davies.

The final deadline for pension providers and schemes to link to the PDP has been pushed back by a year, and there is presently no clear timetable for citizens to benefit. This is due to delivery delays caused by deficiencies in digital capacity and capabilities.

When Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), a division of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), concluded that the program's present schedule was unworkable, the PDP was reset in December 2022.

"With support from the Money and Pensions Service, Department for Work and Pensions, and wider stakeholder community, this report reflects the hard work of a dedicated team to inject real momentum into the dashboards programme," said Oliver Morley, CEO of the MaPS.

"We're delivering the information industry needs to connect and, as a result, enable us to transform financial planning for future generations," the statement reads.

One year after the first planned date, on October 31, 2026, is the current deadline for PDP delivery. MaPS and DWP have revised the program in anticipation of the PDP's leave reset in May 2024.

The delay and supplier expenses have resulted in an estimated 23% increase in the PDP's cost.

"Although there has been progress during the reset, DWP and MaPS must continue to work closely to ensure the smooth delivery of the PDP's final stages and the public can start having access to this important service," said Davies.

"The Pensions Dashboards Programme has made significant progress towards delivering a service which will transform how savers plan for their retirement," a DWP spokeswoman continued. "This is something that the NAO acknowledges."

"In order to successfully reset the Program and get it back on track for delivery, the DWP has taken action. As a result, connection testing will start in August 2024 and a broader onboarding of pension schemes and providers will start in April 2025."