Coronavirus (COVID-19)

While there is still some uncertainty on the horizon, we’re still striving to keep you updated on what we’re doing to cope with the impact of COVID-19, and how we’re responding to provide support for Smart Pension’s customers and members.

Updated 26 October 2021

Smart is a very people-focused business

We’re following official advice closely, taking the right steps to protect our staff – and to support our customers and members.

Looking after our employees

Our customer service team is still on hand to answer any questions.

Taking care of clients and members

Businesses can still depend on us for reliable, responsive services.

Making information available

Helping you to understand how pension savings work in the long term.

COVID-19 and your Smart Pension

Our team is here to help, too. How to contact us.

How has Smart’s customer support been affected?

Some of our teams have begun to return to the office but there are still a number of staff who continue to work remotely. We took action quickly from the beginning to ensure the transition to home-working, and back to the office again, was a smooth one.

That said, our phone lines are still busier than normal. So we’ve made more FAQs available in our online help centre, and those FAQs are well-signposted in each member’s Smart Pension account too.

Also, to help both our teams and improve our customer service, we now have a new contact form for members. It will require just a bit more input from yourself, however, this will direct you straight to the correct person/s and information you require.

Are Smart’s services affected by COVID-19?

No. You shouldn’t notice a difference in our services or our levels of support, even though many of our Smart Pension staff are still working remotely. We’re a technology company at heart. We’ve always been happy using home-working technologies in our day-to-day business, and exploring new ways of working that actually bring us closer together.

Will COVID-19 affect scheme members’ savings?

Unfortunately, everyone’s pension schemes have been affected recently.

The financial markets are suffering from what’s known as ‘volatility’. We’re seeing investments go up and down in value a bit more than usual. However, Smart Pension scheme members’ savings are all managed carefully for the long-term.

We’ll stay on top of this, and keep looking at the potential impact of COVID-19 on members’ savings. Stay updated with our member articles.

How can members be reassured about their pension savings?

Pensions are a long-term investment. We’ve reminded our members that it’s normal to see the value of their savings go up and down in the short term.

Members who are approaching retirement are rightly concerned about their pension savings falling in value. But our model investment strategy is designed to protect their money as they approach retirement age. We move their money into lower-risk funds, which means their pension savings are less likely to fall in value overall.

We can’t guarantee the value of pension savings won’t go down in value when invested in these lower-risk funds, but it’s less likely.

We’ve also sent messages to younger savers, reassuring them there’s plenty of time for markets to correct themselves and for their savings to grow.

Where can I find out more about pensions and COVID-19?

If you’re an adviser or employer, looking for more information about management of pensions in general at the moment, we recommend browsing the pages on these sites:

The Pensions Regulator is always updating on general COVID-19 related information.

And there’s more general information about support for employers on the government's business support pages.

Where can I find more information in general about my pension?

If you’re a member, take a look at our article about how coronavirus will affect your pension savings.

We recommend using www.unbiased.co.uk to find an independent, local financial adviser. However, you can also get more guidance about the financial effects of COVID-19 by visiting Money Helper.

For information about spotting scams, have a read of our articles How to spot a pension scam and How to be scam smart, or visit ScamSmart – and for general guidance about your money and pensions, we recommend the Money Helper Service.