Pension Access
Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and is subject to change.
Thinking about accessing
your pension early?

From the age of 55, it could be an option for you, but it can be complicated. As specialists in the area, we will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Start your pension check today
Trustpilot
Taking pension money early is not right for everyone as it will leave you worse off in retirement.

Why should I get financial advice for my pension?

We hear this question a lot, and we understand why.


Yet, whilst the pension rules are fairly black and white, pension schemes and the impact of taking money early from them are far from it. Let’s take a closer look at three of the main pitfalls.
Less to live on in retirement
The main purpose of a pension is to provide an income in retirement. So, the more you take early, the less you will have to supplement the State Pension, which, as of May 2025, is a maximum of £11,973 per year. This is why it’s best to consider other options before your pension if you need money right now. We can help you explore those options, including which one is best for you.
A higher tax bill
The first 25% you take from your pension is tax free. Everything after that is taxed as income. And if the money you take pushes you into a higher tax bracket, you will be handing over 40% or even 45% of some of that lump sum to HMRC. We can help you understand the implications.
Giving up valuable benefits and guarantees
Some pensions have built-in guarantees including the promise to pay you a set income for life. In most cases, you will forfeit this extremely valuable benefit by making changes to the scheme. Other types of pensions have benefits you will lose or penalties you will incur if you take money early. We can set all this out for you and advise on the best way forward.
Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and is subject to change.

"Everything explained in an easy manner that has put me at ease. Customer service 10/10.”

Graham, on reviews.io
Start your pension check today

How we can help you

Since 2018, we have helped over 16,000 people across the UK with their pensions.
We currently manage over £500 million in pension savings for more than 10,000 clients.
Peace of mind
We will provide all the information and advice you need to make confident pension decisions and avoid costly mistakes. We believe in plain English, not jargon, and our service is by phone, email and post, so you can access it anywhere in the UK.
No obligation
Our initial investigation will not cost you a penny. As a result you will receive lots of useful information including:
If it is possible to take money from your pension early
An overview of your pension options from one of our financial advisers
Accessible and transparent
After our initial investigation, any advice charges are confirmed in writing before you do anything. This means you can choose to walk away better informed with nothing to pay. And our dedicated support team is just a phone call away.

How to start your pension check today

Complete and submit the form below. This simply enables us to gather the information we need to check your pension. It does not commit you to a thing. Our service works best for people aged 55 or over.

We follow strict rules around protecting our clients’ data.

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    Your pension plan details

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    Please list all of your pensions, including your current workplaceindication of current workplace pension one.

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    Please select one option

    With this option we will request the information we need from your provider and wait for them to send it back to us. This can take longer to receive.

    If no option is chosen we will assume information only

    With this option we will only access the information we need electronically with many providers, significantly speeding up the process.

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    Your personal details

    Address

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    Your pension plan details

    Pension provider

    Plan number (if known)

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    To the provider / Trustee / (ex)Employer: I authorise you to provide Harbour Rock Capital Limited of Affinity House, Beaufort Court, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4FD with assistance and information relating to all policies held.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Yes, we are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 754580.

    Not at all. Completing and submitting the form simply gives us your permission and the information we need to advise you on what you could do with your pensions.

    We can help you if your pot is worth £15,000 or more. If it is worth less than this, any potential fees would outweigh the benefits of receiving financial advice.

    In almost all cases, you can only start accessing benefits from an eligible pension scheme from the age of 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). Gathering and analysing the information needed to advise you on your pensions can take a while, though. So, if you are aged 54 and a half, it can make sense to get the ball rolling now.

    And if you are younger than that, we can still check the cost and performance of your current pension(s). If your savings are poorly invested and you are paying high admin fees, you could be losing out. If we can improve your pensions now, you should be in a better position in a few years’ time.

    The State Pension is a government benefit that you cannot access before your State Pension age.

    Unfunded pensions are large public sector state-run schemes for people employed by the NHS, civil service, armed and emergency services etc. Generally, you can only start accessing benefits from these types of schemes from a specified age.

    Final salary pensions (also known as defined benefit schemes) are extremely valuable because they promise to pay you a guaranteed income for life. While we can advise people on their final salary pensions, our starting point is to leave them as they are.

    We will be in touch to explain what happens next and to answer any questions you may have.

    Start your pension check today
    Pension Access is a trading name of Harbour Rock Capital Limited which is registered in England & Wales as a Limited Company, No. 10290349. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, No. 754580. Registered Offices: Affinity House, Beaufort Court, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4FD. Telephone: 0800 009 3388. Email: adviseme@harbourrockcapital.co.uk
    © 2026 Pension Access. All right reserved.