Pension Wise

On 6 April 2015 new pension reforms came into effect which included new freedoms giving people the opportunity to decide what they do with their pension pot.

Pension Wise is a government service set up to help people understand the pension options available to them. It offers guidance to help empower people to make informed decisions about their pension which are best for their individual circumstances.

People approaching retirement with a defined contribution pension pot can get help from Pension Wise:

There are 16 local Citizens Advice delivery centres that provide Pension Wise appointments on the telephone and face to face at locations across England and Wales, plus another team that do the same in Northern Ireland.

People approaching retirement can find out more and book an appointment on the Pension Wise website. Members of the public can also go into any local Citizens Advice to find out more information about Pension Wise and how to book an appointment.

Pension Wise offers guidance, not regulated financial advice. It can help you understand the information you need to make a decision, but the choice is yours. It will not recommend any financial products or providers and adheres to Financial Conduct Authority standards.

Trained guidance specialists will discuss the options available, the features of each and set out the next steps for service users.

The Citizens Advice service already supports people with many of the issues affecting retirement. In 2021 to 2022, Pension Wise delivered 70,835 appointments across the service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Locally, Citizens Advice are the known experts at helping people understand their circumstances and making informed decisions that are best for them.

No other organisation has our community reach or is trusted locally to provide impartial guidance that empowers people to make their own decisions.