Editorial · Updated 2026-07-06
Pension Guides
Plain-English long-reads on the UK pension system, sourced from DWP, HMRC, MoneyHelper, and the FCA. Each guide cites its statutory source and date-stamps the rates used. All guides are free, with no paywall and no email-capture wall.
Guides
8
Total reading time
70 min
Official sources
4
Last reviewed
2026-07-06
UK State Pension Qualification Rules
35 qualifying years for the full New State Pension, 10 minimum to receive any. Triple-lock uprating, Class 3 voluntary top-ups, and the 2026/27 rate of £241.30 per week.
8 min read
Workplace Pension Auto-Enrolment Explained
The 8% minimum contribution split, the £6,240–£50,270 qualifying-earnings band, employer match, salary sacrifice, and what opting out actually costs you.
9 min read
SIPP vs ISA vs Workplace Pension
How to sequence the three UK tax-advantaged wrappers across each income band, capture the employer match first, then higher-rate tax relief, then flexibility via ISA.
10 min read
Tax-Free Lump Sum Rules
How the 25% Pension Commencement Lump Sum works in 2026/27 after the abolition of the Lifetime Allowance, the £268,275 Lump Sum Allowance, LSDBA, and when to take it.
9 min read
Annuity vs Drawdown 2026
The longevity-insurance argument for annuities, the inheritance-flexibility argument for drawdown, and the hybrid approach most UK retirees adopt in practice.
9 min read
Pension Wise, Free UK Pension Guidance
The statutory free 45–60 minute guidance entitlement, what it covers and what it does not, how to book, and what to bring to your session.
7 min read
How to Track Lost UK Pensions
The £31.1 billion forgotten-pot problem (PPI, 2024), how to use the DWP Pension Tracing Service, and how the Pensions Dashboards Programme will change pension discovery from 2027.
8 min read
Annual Allowance, Taper, and MPAA
The £60,000 standard pension Annual Allowance, the tapered allowance for £260,000+ earners, carry-forward, and the MPAA trap for anyone who has flexibly accessed a DC pension.
10 min read
Each guide is researched against the originating source, DWP rate-uprating order, HMRC Pensions Tax Manual, MoneyHelper guidance, or FCA Handbook reference, and date-stamped. For our full sourcing chain see the methodology page.
Put the guides to work
- Model your own contributions, employer match, and projected pot with the calculator. Open the calculator
- See every UK wrapper’s rules side by side before deciding where the next contribution goes. Compare pension types
- Check the current State Pension, Annual Allowance, and Lump Sum Allowance figures in one reference. View the statistics
General information, not a recommendation of any specific wrapper, provider, or course of action.