How do I withdraw tax-free cash from my pension before the Autumn Budget? 


Think carefully before making financial decisions based on speculation. Once you’ve completed a withdrawal you will not be able to cancel it.

If you’re under 55 

You cannot usually withdraw from your Personal Pension until you reach 55. This will rise to 57 from 2028.  

If you’re 55 or over

Select if:

  • you have not taken any tax-free cash from your Vanguard Personal Pension 
  • you have already taken tax-free cash from your Vanguard Personal Pension and want to take more


If you have not taken some tax-free cash from your Vanguard Personal Pension before, log in to your account on our website and follow the steps below.

Taking tax-free cash from your pension for the first time is an important decision, so you’ll need to have a phone appointment with one of our retirement consultants as part of the process. If you want your payment processed before the Budget, we recommend arranging and completing your appointment by 7 October to allow enough time for the remaining steps.

The withdrawal process usually takes around 3 weeks. If you want us to process your tax-free payment before the Budget, you must complete the withdrawal process by 14 October.

  • You must have a verified bank account in ‘My Profile’ to withdraw cash from your Personal Pension before you book your appointment. It can take us a few days to verify your bank account. 
     

Learn more about Budget deadlines

How to take tax-free cash from your pension for the first time

  • Log in to your account on our website.

  • Go to ‘Pension overview’ and you’ll see a section called ‘Want to start withdrawing?’  

  • Select ‘Request retirement pack’ then ‘Book now’. Choose a date and time for your phone appointment. It can take up to 6 working days or longer to get an appointment in busy periods. 

  • During your appointment, which can take 30 to 60 minutes depending on your circumstances, we’ll discuss your withdrawal options in more detail. We’ll answer questions about your pension in a guidance capacity only. We cannot give you regulated financial advice.

  • Log in to your account on our website and submit your withdrawal. You’ll receive a pension illustration in the ‘Documents’ section of your account within 2 business days. Please wait until we send you a secure message telling you how to complete your withdrawal.

It can take up to 8 working days for the money to arrive in your bank account. If you have any other transactions in place, such as a Direct Debit, we may need to wait for them to complete before we can process your pension withdrawal request. 

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