Workplace pensions, SIPPs, the State Pension and the April 2027 IHT changes — what you need to know about UK retirement saving.
What replaced the Lifetime Allowance from April 2024 — the Lump Sum Allowance, the Lump Sum and Death Benefit Allowance, the £268,275 tax-free lump cap, and how it interacts with protections from the old regime.
The two main ways to take income from a defined contribution pension at retirement, the trade-offs between guaranteed income and flexibility, the partial-of-both option, and the factors that should weigh in the decision.
£60,000 standard annual allowance for 2026/27. Tapered for high earners (down to £10,000), MPAA for flexible drawdown. Carry-forward of unused allowance.
From 55+ you can take 25% of your UK pension tax-free, up to the £268,275 Lump Sum Allowance. How it works, how to take it, and the MPAA trade-off.
Old workplace pensions stay invested and accessible to you forever. How they work after you leave, whether to transfer or leave them, and the trace tools.
UK DC pensions usually pass outside the estate, IHT-free. Pre-75 deaths: tax-free lump sum to beneficiaries. Post-75: taxed as income. The full rules.
If you leave the UK your pension stays open and invested. How withdrawals are taxed under UK rules and double-tax treaties, plus when QROPS makes sense.
The UK State Pension Age is rising from 66 to 67 in a phased process running from 6 May 2026 to 6 March 2028. Date-of-birth tables and what to do if you're caught in the transition.
From 6 April 2027 most unused pension funds and death benefits become part of the estate for Inheritance Tax. The exemptions that remain, who's affected, and the planning responses.
Tracking down and consolidating old workplace pensions into a single pot. Pension Tracing Service, transfer process, when consolidation helps vs hurts.
Taking your entire pension as a lump sum is heavily taxed — 25% tax-free, rest at marginal rate. Worked tax example for a £300,000 pot.
PLSA estimates: £43,100/year for a comfortable retirement. Translated into pension pot size, that's roughly £600,000–£800,000 plus State Pension.
Higher-rate taxpayers get 40% pension tax relief. How relief at source works, claiming the extra 20% via Self Assessment, and salary sacrifice efficiency.
Yes, via a QROPS — but a 25% Overseas Transfer Charge applies unless your destination scheme is in the same country you live in. The full rules and risks.
Yes — you can access a UK DC pension from age 55 and keep working. How the 25% tax-free lump sum works, the MPAA trap, and tax on the taxable portion.
Yes — self-employed people can open a SIPP and get tax relief on contributions up to £60,000/year or 100% of profits. How tax relief flows for the self-employed.
Yes — most UK workers have both. The £60,000 annual allowance is shared across all your pensions. How to combine workplace match and SIPP flexibility.
Yes — UK State Pension and private pensions can be paid in India. How the UK–India tax treaty works, when payments are uprated, and the QROPS option.
Yes — visa status doesn't affect pension access age (55, rising to 57 in 2028). What changes if you leave the UK, plus tax treatment for visa holders.
How the workplace pension and SIPP wrappers compare in the UK, the maths of the employer match, and the situations where adding a SIPP on top of the workplace scheme actually helps.
How UK workplace auto-enrolment works, what the legal minimum contributions are, what 'qualifying earnings' means, and how to check the scheme on your payslip is doing the right thing.
How to view your State Pension forecast on gov.uk, what counts as a qualifying year, when buying back missing years actually pays off, and the credits you might already qualify for.