Industry first: Smart Pension launches 12 month customer service plan, declares end of traditional pension administration
Smart Pension has digitised 90% of everyday pension tasks through its app and online services, with a goal of reaching 95% by 2027.
- Nine in ten everyday pension tasks are now completed by Smart Pension members in-app or online, company aims for this to rise to 95% in 2027
- Burden of pension administration being removed for members, matching standards consumers now expect from leading retail banking and e-commerce companies
- Freed from the simpler tasks, customer service spends more time supporting complex customer issues like retirement, illness or bereavement
- Enabled by AI and automation, integrated directly into Keystone
London, 14 September 2026 - Smart Pension, the UK’s fastest growing master trust, announces a new one-year customer service plan and aims to eliminate traditional pension administration for its members. Building on its industry-leading customer satisfaction, Smart Pension is making its customer service easier, quicker and more human, matching the standards customers expect from leading retail banking and e-commerce companies. Smart Pension’s plan sets a target of enabling 95% of everyday tasks to be completed in-app or online in 2027, building on the company’s current capabilities of 90%.
Enabled by AI and automation,this digital-first approach ensures that routine administrative tasks, like contribution changes or pension consolidation, are handled more efficiently in-app or online, while members can have longer conversations with customer support for complex life moments, such as retirement, bereavement, or illness. Smart Pension is able to operate this customer service model because AI is integrated directly into Keystone, its pioneering technology platform, rather than bolted onto legacy administration systems.
As part of this one-year plan Smart Pension has moved its contact channels onto a single cloud platform. Email, chat, phone, text and social messages now land in one workspace, so a member does not repeat their story when a conversation moves between channels. Members are securely identified, regardless of the channel they choose, before their requests are handled. Information held on the member is used to help all conversation be more relevant, with segmented journeys and personalised support. This makes it easier for Smart Pension’s teams to solve problems, manage demand more efficiently and drive better member experiences and outcomes.
By automating routine tasks in app or online, Smart Pension’s customer service team can prioritise complex, high-value support. With an average response time of 10 seconds, specialists are available to provide the judgment and empathy required during life events, such as illness or bereavement. Retirement is one of life’s significant milestones, members are encouraged to book an appointment to receive personalised guidance, these calls typically run for 25 minutes. Smart Pension is digital first rather than digital only, and every journey keeps a clear route to a person.
Smart Pension has been able to make the change quickly because it has run on the Keystone technology platform since it launched in 2015, avoiding the need to integrate different legacy digital and non-digital platforms. The company has industry-leading customer satisfaction, reflected in the highest Trustpilot rating among major UK pension providers.
Sue Whittington, Chief Operating Officer at Smart Pension, said:
“Service is our priority. By automating routine transactions we give members effortless self-service at any hour. It also gives our teams the time to focus on the complex issues that matter most to savers. By prioritising our members in this way, we are able to deliver a service that is easy to interact with while maintaining the empathy and judgment only human conversation provides on more complex matters. No one else in the industry is focussing on this and we see this as a significant gap for savers.”
“We are replacing administration with service in transitioning from a costly administrative approach to a value-creation model that prioritises member loyalty and differentiated service excellence. Data insights inform member segmentation that enables personalised engagement and support.”
“Members value expertise and connection over transactional admin. They want to be confident that their needs are met and how we help them translate their pension pot into their future life in retirement.”
Bahea Izmeqna, Chief Product Officer, at Keystone by Smart, said:
“Keystone enables financial services organisations to serve their clients and customers better and faster. The strength and flexibility of our platform allows us to deliver innovative retirement technology. As we continue to integrate AI and automation into our platform, our clients are able to invest more in customer service, prioritise human interaction and personalisation, whilst making pension administration simpler and even more efficient.”
“Keystone makes pensions easier and cheaper for organisations everywhere to provide. It also gives savers the experience they’ve come to expect from best-in-class ecommerce sites and online banking. We are making a technologically fragmented industry more user-friendly for everyone.”
About Smart Pension
Launched in 2015, Smart Pension now exceeds £10bn in Assets Under Management (AUM) and serves 2 million members and 100,000 employers. It is powered by Keystone, Smart’s global savings and investments technology platform.
Aquiline, Barclays, Chrysalis Investments, DWS Group, Fidelity InternationalStrategic Ventures, J.P. Morgan, MUFG and Natixis Investment Managers are all investors in Smart Pension.
