A long-awaited online tool to track down lost pensions could be ready next year – after a minister said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the timeline.

Torsten Bell, the pensions minister, said the public will be given six months notice before the Government’s dashboard is available for wider use.

The online tool, designed to allow people to view all their pension pots in one place, has been beset by a series of delays and is tens of millions of pounds over budget.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report in May last year found that the cost of the project had increased from £235m in 2020 to £289m in 2023.

But Bell stressed that the availability of such a service was crucial to helping people understand and make better use of retirement savings.

Speaking at a pensions event, Bell was

See Full Page