Pensions run on data, and it's vital to make sure that data is robust enough to trust with people's futures.
In this Sense of Identity episode, Sam Drye, Managing Director, and David Rich, Chief Data Officer at Mortality Manifest, explain how schemes can improve mortality screening, tracing, and contact data for UK and overseas members.
Pensions data is under more pressure than ever. Poor records translate into real risk for schemes and savers, while dashboards, risk transfer, and overseas payments all depend on data that can stand up to scrutiny.
Mortality Manifest works at the point where member records, mortality checks, and contactability meet. The sections below cover what that means in practice for trustees and providers.
From Death Data to Data Confidence
Mortality Manifest grew from an uncomfortable but essential question: whether a member is still alive and contactable.
The company was one of the early adopters of the UK Government's central register of deaths, helping financial firms identify when customers had passed away and prevent payments continuing indefinitely.
In pensions, even that basic question becomes complex as records age and people move.
Pensions data quality has become a strategic risk.
Mortality Manifest has since evolved from mortality screening to a broader data quality partner for schemes and providers.
Its work now includes address tracing, beneficiary identification, and the particularly difficult challenge of overseas pensioners whose records no longer align with UK data sources.
"Essentially, we provide a range of automated data solutions to give financial institutions confidence in their data."
When Mortality Manifest reviews member files that have not been actively maintained, it expects a significant proportion to contain errors.
These can include out-of-date addresses, missing identification details, or members who have sadly died but remain marked as active.
Frequent house moves and life changes mean inaccuracies can accumulate quickly if schemes are not tracing proactively.
Across large member populations, weak records are not an edge case. They are a predictable outcome of long-term record-keeping.
Even modest pensions, multiplied across a growing cohort of British retirees living overseas, can result in substantial payments to people who may no longer be alive.
Some cases involve fraud, but many simply reflect outdated data and slow administrative processes.
The consequence is the same. Money intended to protect the whole scheme leaks away, leaving trustees to choose between recovery action, reputational risk, or writing off the loss.
Poor records can drive overpayments, disputes, and delays.
Why Regulation Is Turning Data into a Strategic Asset
These publications highlight that data quality underpins good governance and fair member outcomes.
Government dashboards policy reinforces this shift. Connecting to the ecosystem requires schemes to "find" and "view" members reliably, using data that can be matched consistently across multiple pension pots.
Consultancy and government commentary point in the same direction. The Government's review of DB options notes that clean, accurate data supports timely, cost-effective de-risking transactions.
More British retirees are living abroad, even as the administrative process for doing so has become more complex.
Digital connectivity has made this lifestyle more feasible, but it has widened the information gap for schemes.
Within the UK, a central death register provides reliable mortality screening. But outside the UK, no equivalent system exists.
Some countries maintain partial or regional death records, but access varies and data can be inconsistent.
Historically, schemes relied on slow, manual methods such as letters, stamped forms, and in-person verification.
A more workable model combines secure digital communication, biometric checks, and human support to confirm that members are alive, contactable, and who they claim to be.
From Print, Pack, and Post to Biometric Checks
The shift from paper-based verification to digital identity checks is one of the most striking developments in this space.
Previously, verifying that a member was alive could involve long travel, fees, and slow international post.
Today, members can scan an identity document, complete a biometric match on their phone, and speak with a UK-based support team if they need reassurance.
Many retirees are increasingly comfortable with digital tools, especially since the pandemic normalised video calling and online services.
Technology alone does not solve the problem. The managed service element matters because it handles sequencing, reminders, and inbound queries that schemes often struggle to resource.
Identity is as much about clarity and trust as it is about technology.
The Role of Tracing, Addresses, and Contactable Data
Schemes need a clear answer to a basic operational question: can they reliably reach the people whose data they hold?
Pension providers have a duty to maintain accurate contact information for long-term assets and lifetime payments.
Mortality Manifest strengthens these with historic address data and live credit indicators to locate members whose records have drifted.
Working On Better Pension Document Journeys?
Explore Nigel to see how secure, consent-led document management could help people organise and act on important financial information.
The same principles apply to digital contact details.
Email is becoming a critical communication channel, particularly for overseas members. However, many schemes still rely on work email addresses, which quickly become obsolete.
Mortality Manifest appends opt-in email addresses with evidence of when and how they were collected, supporting regulatory clarity and member trust.
Secure Digital Communication and Monthly "Pulse" Checks
Secure email, when implemented correctly, is widely understood, accessible, and increasingly recognised as a legitimate channel for regulated communication.
That creates an opportunity to rethink proof-of-life practices.
One workable model uses biometric verification first, followed by monthly secure email "pulse" checks before each payroll run.
Members confirm they are present and able to access their funds. Missed checks provide schemes with a clear audit trail for investigation.
The approach is intentionally low-friction for members and high-assurance for schemes, but it relies on accurate contact data and strong security controls.
"Pension schemes often need to reach overseas members by email, but an open message is a poor control on its own. Secure email gives teams a familiar route with stronger access checks, protected replies, and a clearer record when sensitive member contact is under review."
For schemes reviewing overseas member contact, the useful test is whether the channel stays familiar for the member while giving the scheme stronger access and reply controls.
Data Governance in Practice: From Scores to Plans
Effective data governance usually focuses on four practical areas, consistent with industry guidance.
Data quality scoring: regularly assessing completeness and accuracy.
Data Management Plans: data sources, processes, and risks.
Improvement planning: defining targeted actions to remediate gaps.
Governance and oversight: making data a priority, not a project.
Sam Kendall works on digital marketing at Beyond Encryption, helping build B2B marketing activity around research, first principles, and sustainable growth. He writes about marketing effectiveness, positioning, customer communications, and digital culture, with longer-form work published at ATNL.
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Sam Kendall
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