A pension statement lands on the doorstep…..It’s placed on the kitchen table….A few days later, it’s moved to another pile….Still unopened. Still unread.
Sound familiar?
It’s a scenario many schemes will recognise, and it highlights a challenge that continues to frustrate our industry.
We spend a lot of time improving pension communications:
✔️ Simplify language
✔️ Redesign documents
✔️ Optimise email journeys
✔️ Introduce new channels.
Yet engagement often remains stubbornly low ➡️Why? ➡️ Because good communication alone doesn’t guarantee action.
Even when information is clear and accessible, members may not engage because they’re overwhelmed by financial decisions, don’t see pensions as a priority today or simply have more immediate demands on their attention.
That’s where many engagement strategies fall short.
Low engagement isn’t always a communications issue. It can be an experience issue, a confidence issue, a trust issue or a behavioural issue.
But that doesn’t mean communications don’t matter. If members don’t understand what’s being communicated, or what they’re being asked to do next, engagement becomes even harder. Clear, effective communication is the foundation, not the complete solution.
That’s why we’re developing Simplify CLEAR, a new proposition that assesses member communications against a structured framework designed to improve understanding and support better outcomes.
This Pension Awareness Week, perhaps we need to expand the angle, and as well as asking:
“How do we communicate better?”
Also ask:
“What’s stopping members from taking the next step?”
At Simplify Consulting, we help schemes look beyond individual communications to identify and address the wider barriers that influence member engagement and ultimately improve member outcomes.
Nina Cherry
Wealth Consultant
