Pension basics

What are the different types of Pension?

You could end up with different types of pension depending on whether you’re employed or self-employed, and the pensions available from a particular employer.

  1. The State Pension

The State Pension is from the government and the amount you get is based on your National Insurance contributions. If you qualify for the full State Pension, the weekly rate is £230.25, or about £12,005 a year. For more information on the State Pension, see GOV UK state Pensions.

  1. Workplace pensions

These are pensions provided by the firm you work for, so they’re also known as occupational or company pensions. Employers must now enrol their staff into a workplace pension if they are older than 22, earn more than £10k, and usually work in the UK – this is known as auto-enrolment.

  1. Personal pensions

If you don’t have a workplace pension, for example, if you’re self-employed, a personal pension can be a good way to save for retirement. There are two types of personal pension: stakeholder pensions and self-invested personal pensions.

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It's important you know

Capital at risk. All investing should be for the longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.

A 25% government penalty applies if you withdraw money from a Lifetime ISA for any reason other than buying your first home (up to £450,000) or for retirement, and you may get back less than you paid into your Lifetime ISA.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Payments you make into your pension won’t be accessible until the minimum pension age (currently 55, increasing to age 57 from 2028). Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.

For Business Saver: T&Cs apply. Max one withdrawal per day.

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