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How do you cater for a diverse portfolio of schemes in a consistent, coherent way? That was the challenge we faced in working with the Hanson pension arrangements.

We do it like this

We’ve worked with Hanson for a number of years, but 2022 was a big one in terms of taking their communications strategy to the next level. We held a strategic workshop to identify the things each scheme had to do (e.g. Summary Funding Statements for DB, SMPI benefit statements for DC) and the things the trustees wanted to do (increase digital take-up; focus on employee wellbeing and ESG). We then came up with a co-ordinated plan to integrate the required and the desired.

Hanson’s DB schemes tend to have older members with lower digital engagement, so our Summary Funding Statements were produced in hard copy and incorporated into newsletters to give members other helpful information for financial planning and wellbeing.

The DC scheme, on the other hand, has been through a digital disclosure process so we were able to produce SMPI benefit statements in the new, simpler format and host these on the Scheme’s member portal. We know the simpler benefit statement parameters require a lot of information to be included in a small space, so we developed a template that’s clear, attractive and logical, with appropriate signposting to further information and support, including an online explanatory guide.

Reflecting the digital-first approach preferred for the DC scheme, the benefit statements were launched with an e-newsletter that gave further online content to fit with the trustees’ aims – including an article on financial wellbeing and an animation explaining the basics of ESG. With the benefit statement being the top annual opportunity for member engagement, we wanted to make the most of it rather than reduce it to a legislative box-ticking exercise.

It’s all gone down really well with trustees and members alike – a survey conducted in December 2022 gave us plenty of positive feedback and indicated that members want more of the same in 2023.