14 July 2009 – Publication of DWP working paper 'The Pensions Advisory Service: Findings from user testing of the website'

Research is published today by the Department for Work and Pensions which presents the findings from individual users’ experiences of The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) website.  This research was carried out to explore users’ views and opinions of TPAS website.  The research included navigation, design/look and feel of the site, language and comprehension of terminology.

The main qualitative findings were as follows:

The overall experience of participants was positive.  Participants particularly liked the comprehensive nature of the site. They felt confident in the information they found and trusted it. Conversely in terms of design overall feelings and impressions were that it was dated in design and lacking in visual appeal.

There was mixed feedback regarding how easy it was to navigate around the site.  This prevented some respondents from finding the information they needed. Whilst in the main the respondents found the pensions terminology used within the site easy to comprehend, some wording needed clarification such as ‘leaving service options’ and ‘significant pensions events’.

Participants found the interactive aspects of the site to be interesting and more engaging as this enabled a more personalised approach with feedback relevant to the user.

Notes for Editors

This research has enabled the department to provide valuable evidence and identify key areas where the current TPAS site could benefit from being developed.

The summary of the research findings can be found at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/

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