The insurer’s DB Member Insights Report 2026 – based on a survey of 1,000 DB members,  commissioned by Standard Life and conducted by Censuswide in October – found this confidence was largely due to trust in the system rather than deep knowledge of the detail.

Despite this, the research found confidence levels dropped significantly at times of change – with only 28% of over-55s comfortable at this point, compared to 77% of those aged 25 to 34.

The research also found that if a scheme moves to buyout, 92% of members would have some concern – with members saying doubts would come from not knowing who would be responsible for their benefits and whether everything was on track for their retirement.

Standard Life’s research also showed that, when it came to their DB pension, members want more practical support – with access to a helpdesk/live chat (45%) being the top choice, followed by one-to-one advice (41%) and easy-to-use tools like calculators coming in third (39%).

Standard Life managing director of pension risk transfer and individual retirement Claire Altman said: “Members of DB schemes have had to contend with years of uncertainty around deficits and the risks that posed to their potential entitlements. This challenge has by and large receded for most schemes and members feel rightly confident about the outlook for their pensions.