Third-party pensions administrator Trafalgar House has announced a major upgrade to its member communications technology, as part of a new partnership with Smart Communications.
The upgrade will initially focus on retirement communications, before being rolled out across a wider set of member communications, including transfer quotations, benefit statements and deferred member letters.
Trafalgar House said the move was aimed at improving clarity, consistency and trust in scheme communications, as member expectations continue to evolve.
Daniel Taylor, client director at Trafalgar House, said the investment reflects growing concern about confidence in the pensions industry. “Good communication isn’t just about efficiency; it is about trust,” he said.
“Our latest Trust & Confidence Index showed that overall trust in the pensions industry slipped slightly in 2025 to 5.23 out of 10, a clear signal that the industry needs to communicate more clearly and consistently if we’re to strengthen member confidence.”
The index, which surveys more than 2,000 people annually, found that there had been a decline in public trust in pensions for the first time since Trafalgar House began the research five years ago.
The most recent poll found that 7.3% of respondents scored zero when asked to rate how much they trust pension providers, on a scale of zero to 10. Trafalgar House’s report labelled this “concerning”, adding that it was also an issue that just 3.8% gave top marks with a score of 10. “Not exactly a ringing endorsement for an industry tasked with safeguarding people’s financial futures,” the provider stated.
On the new partnership with Smart, Trafalgar House’s Taylor said pension information can still feel “distant or confusing” for many members, underlining the need for communications that are both accessible and meaningful. He said the upgraded technology would allow the administrator to deliver communications that better support understanding and engagement over time.
The partnership is intended to support more personalised, multi-channel engagement, allowing member communications to be delivered by post, digital portals, or other digital interactions, depending on preference. Trafalgar House said the upgraded platform would help it manage growing scheme complexity while scaling more tailored communications across its client base.
Trafalgar House, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, administers benefits for more than 200,000 members across 35 pension scheme clients.
