The Dutch pension fund for general practitioners (GPs), Huisarts & Pensioen, has announced it will postpone its transition to the new Dutch pension system until 1 January 2028 due to timing and implementation concerns.

Huisarts & Pensioen explained that the delay in the transition to the new pension scheme under the Future Pensions Act (Wtp), from 1 July 2027 to 1 January 2028, is intended to ensure the transition is carried out responsibly and carefully.

The decision that more time is needed to complete the transition to the new pension system was made with the fund’s pension administrator, Achmea Pensioenservices.

The fund stressed that it was not unique in making this decision, highlighting that more funds are facing implementation challenges due to administrative pressures.

In particular, it suggested the pension sector is under widespread pressure due to the combination of major IT upgrades and the introduction of the new system, which is causing delays.

Over the past year, there has been a widespread trend of delays to pension transition plans.

In December last year, SNS Reaal postponed its transition to 1 January 2028, as the current schedule was not feasible for its administrator, Blue Sky Group.

Stichting Pensioenfonds Medisch Specialisten (SPMS), the Dutch pension fund for medical specialists, also delayed its transition due to capacity pressures at its administrator APG and now plans to switch between 1 July 2027 and 1 January 2028, instead of 1 January 2027.

Aon reported that 78 pension funds revised their timelines, with 44 postponing their original 1 January 2026 target date.

It said current transition schedules are "ambitious" and highlighted the challenges facing administrators, particularly given the timeframes and the different skill set needed in this process.

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