Savers tap in to their pensions as Covid-19 saps cash

Record numbers of savers made withdrawals from their pensions during the first quarter of the year, new figures show, prompting warnings that the pandemic may be forcing people to dip into pensions cash. 

Some 348,000 savers withdrew £2.5bn from their pension funds under the pension freedom reforms between January and March, new data from HM Revenue & Customs shows, with pension advisers warning of potential adverse impacts on people’s tax bills and long-term financial planning.

First-quarter withdrawals from pensions were around 19% higher than in the same period of last year. But pension advisers fear the second quarter may have seen an even more substantial trend towards higher pension withdrawals, given that the UK’s Covid-19 crisis did not begin to grip the country until mid-March. Advisers warn that while savers over the age of 55 are entitled to dip into their savings – and that pension funds might be a tempting target for those suffering financially because of Covid-19 – doing so could result in a large tax bill. 

Savers going above their tax-free cash allowances pay income tax on withdrawals. Taking out larger sums, or even their whole pension, could push them into a higher income-tax band.

There is also the risk that pension withdrawals made early on will leave savers without sufficient cash to see them through retirement.

Some older people are also exploring other options for securing additional cash during the pandemic. The Equity Release Council said the number of older people borrowing against the value of their property with an equity-release plan increased by 14% during the first three months of the year. Since then, specialist equity-release advisers have reported a substantial increase in enquiries about the product.

• Elsewhere, the Pensions Regulator has ordered pension schemes to prioritise switching requests made by savers looking to move their pension savings. There have been claims that the industry is using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to delay carrying out the instructions of savers who want to take their money elsewhere. 

The regulator pointed out that schemes are entitled to delay switches of final-salary or other defined-benefit pension plans where there have been fears about poor advice. However, no such rules apply to defined-contribution transfers.