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Your transfer checklist

How to check your pensions

You can transfer most, but not all pensions to us online. Here, we help you know which questions to ask your providers before you apply. This may help you to:

  • Work out if you can transfer your pensions to Scottish Widows
  • Decide if you should transfer to us.

Keep a notepad to hand when you’re speaking to your providers. This will allow you to capture their answers to your questions as you go. You could also print off a copy of our helpful checklist.

Let’s see if you can transfer to us

Do I have a final salary pension? (This is also known as a defined benefit pension)

You can’t transfer this kind of pension to us online. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Is one of my current or past employers, or someone other than me, still paying into this pension?

If there are still payments going into your pension, you can’t transfer it to us online. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Have I already taken a tax-free lump sum from this pension?

If you’ve taken a tax-free lump sum from the pension you want to transfer, you can’t transfer it to us online. This may be a percentage of part or the whole pension you’d like to move. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Does my pension come with any guarantees?

If your pension comes with guarantees, such as a Guaranteed Annuity Rate, Section 9(2B) rights or a Guaranteed Conversion Option, you can’t transfer these to us online. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Is my pension affected by a pension sharing order or a pension earmarking order? Or, was it set up using a pension credit you got under a pension sharing order?

A pension sharing order or pension earmarking order is where a pension has been divided up as part of a divorce. You can’t transfer this type of pension to us online. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Is my pension affected by a bankruptcy order?

If your pension is affected by a bankruptcy order, you can't transfer online. Instead, speak to your trustee in bankruptcy. You'll need to ask them to sign both the consent and a copy of the bankruptcy order.

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Is your pension with a provider outside the UK?

If your pension is with a provider which is outside the UK, you can't transfer it to us online. If you’d like to talk to an independent financial adviser about your options, you can find one in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk.

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Great news! From the details you’ve given us, it looks like you can apply to transfer your pensions to us online.


Check if you should decide to transfer

Next, ask if your pension has any benefits and features. You’ll give these up when you transfer. So, it's worth checking if you have them and if they’re valuable to you before you apply.

  • Do you have a pension with protected benefits? This may be a protected tax-free cash lump sum and protected pension age.
  • Does your pension come with other valuable benefits? These could be a guaranteed growth or bonus rate, loyalty bonus or a fund bonus.
  • Is your pension invested in a with-profit fund?
  • Does your pension have protections? This could be life cover, critical illness cover or waiver of premium.

What else you need to know

When you apply to transfer your pension to Scottish Widows, you’ll need an up-to-date transfer value. It’s worth checking this with your provider today.

You can also check if your other provider will charge you an exit fee when you move your pension to us.

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If you’d like to find out more about pension transfers, get in touch today.

Call us

Call our Pension helpdesk,
Monday and Friday (9am-5pm).

0345 608 0380