Pension transfers can take ten days - so why are some taking six months?

Pension transfers can take ten days - so why are some taking six months?

From Which? by Which?

April 2, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges and delays in pension transfers, featuring insights from experts in the field.

For many of us, doing admin on our pensions isn’t exactly the most exciting job in the world, but transferring or combining your pots can come with big advantages. So, for those of us who want to do it, why is the process still so painful? In this episode, Which? Money’s Ruby Flanagan joins us to share her research into pension transfers, and reveals the reality faced by Which? members trying to navigate the process and make managing their savings for later life easier. Plus, Lisa Picardo, chief business officer at PensionBee explains why she thinks there should be an industry-standard ten-day timeframe for transfers, rather than relying on decades-old legislation that allows firms to take up to six months. With pension dashboards set to roll out over the next year or so, more people are expected to locate and review their pension pots, likely leading to a rise in transfer requests. Without faster processes and updated regulation, this could create even longer backlogs, highlighting the urgent need for reform. Read more about why pension transfers are taking so long on our website & sign up for our free weekly Money newsletter Get in touch with us via email…

People in this episode

Host: Which?

Guests: Ruby Flanagan, Lisa Picardo

Topics covered

  • pension transfers
  • financial advice
  • savings management
  • regulatory reform
  • admin processes

Keywords

  • pension transfers
  • admin
  • savings
  • PensionBee
  • Which?
  • financial advice
  • regulation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PensionBee

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