Pension choices: annuity vs income drawdown

When you want to access your pension pot, you have several choices. The right choice for you depends on a lot of things, such as your tax position, whether you have a partner, your attitude to risk and even your health.

This tool explains when using income drawdown can be more suitable than an annuity. Because accessing your pension is an important decision, you should also talk to one of our financial advisers for more help. Get in touch using the links below.

Flexible Drawdown - taking more out of your pension pot

The amount most people can take out of their pensions each year through flexible drawdown is 100% of a comparable annuity. The actual figure is determined by the government, based on factors such as your age.  However, if you’re over 55 and have a guaranteed income of at least £20,000, there’s no limit on how much you can withdraw using flexible drawdown.

The types of income that count towards the £20,000 minimum income requirement (MIR) include the basic state pension, additional state pension, annuities and defined benefit pensions.  Any unsecured income, for example a short term annuity or income drawdown, doesn’t count towards the £20,000.

Important information

As with any investment the value of your fund can go up or down and may be worth less than what was paid in.

Laws and tax rules may change in the future. The information here is based on our understanding in September 2012. Your personal circumstances also have an impact on tax treatment.