Can I transfer my pension to a high growth scheme?
There are an increasing number of companies claiming they can offer you high growth investment options outside of your current pension arrangement or help you access your pension as cash early. You need to be very careful if a company says they can do this for you. Often these arrangements can put your savings at unnecessary risk or result in tax charges and penalties of more than half the pot’s value and you won’t be told about this. If you’re concerned you should consider taking advice from an independent financial adviser. The Pension Regulator has more information about this here.
Can I transfer out?
You may be able to transfer the benefits you’ve built up into another pension arrangement. For instance, you could transfer them into a new employer’s pension plan, a personal pension, stakeholder pension plan or a buy-out contract. There are various rules around pension transfers and you will need specialised IFA advice if you are in a Defined Benefit scheme and the value of the transfer is over £30,000. Contact us here if you would like a ‘Cash Equivalent Transfer Value’ (CETV) statement. You can receive independent advice from MoneyHelper here.
If your scheme or company is paying for our Retirement helpdesk service, you can contact us here.
Don’t let a scammer enjoy your retirement. Find out how pension scams work, how to avoid them and what to do if you suspect a scam here.
How do I report a death?
You may be entitled to a pension or a lump sum if your spouse, partner, or someone you were dependant on has passed away. Please do let us know here, if someone receiving a pension from us has died, or call us on 0800 122 5800 (from outside of the UK +44 20 3727 9850). We will need the member’s name, address, National Insurance number, date of birth and date of death. It would help if you know the member’s membership number and scheme name. Please let us know your telephone number, email address and relationship with the member. We will then be in touch about the next steps.
I'm getting divorced, what should I do?
If you get divorced or dissolve a civil partnership, the courts need to decide how to divide your assets between you and your former spouse or civil partner. When they do this, they’ll take the value of your pension benefits into account. Please get in touch here to get details of your pension benefits for divorce proceedings.
Upon my death, what happens to my pension?
When you die, most schemes, will provide your spouse or civil partner with a pension. If you don’t have a spouse or civil partner, your scheme may provide a pension to someone who was financially dependent on you. If we pay a pension to any of these people, their pension may also increase each year in line with inflation.
When can I retire?
The minimum age you can start taking a pension in the UK is currently 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028. This is set by the government. However, your pension scheme may have a higher minimum pension age set in the scheme rules. Retirement before ‘Normal Retirement Age’, which is usually 65, is normally reduced for early payment. Some schemes have exceptions due to ill health or protected minimum retirement ages. The latest that you can retire is often age 75.
