Legacy planning with a SIPP

Important information - The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may not get back what you invest. Tax treatment depends of individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. The minimum age you can normally access your pension savings is currently 55, and is due to rise to 57 on 6 April 2028, unless you have a lower protected pension age. It’s important to understand that pension transfers are a complex area and may not be suitable for everyone.

In this section, we take a much closer look at your pension and how your loved ones can benefit from it when you're no longer around.

Pensions can be a great way to leave something to those closest to you, as they often sit outside your estate, which means they won’t normally count towards your £325,000 inheritance tax allowance (£650,000 for married couples or civil partnerships).

If you have saved into your pension plan you have a number of options to consider when deciding how much to leave your loved ones. We’ve highlighted these below:

* Lifetime allowance rates may change and some individuals may have protection giving them a higher personalised lifetime allowance.

You should also consider updating your 'Expression of Wish' form if you haven't looked at it for a while. This will help the scheme administrators determine who to pay your pension benefits to if you die.

For your 'estate' (your property, money and possessions) to be distributed when you die, an application for the legal right to deal with your estate will need to be made to the local Probate Registry.

In addition to the existing £325,000 nil rate band, known as NRB, a dedicated main residence nil rate band, known as RNRB, is intended to protect the family home from Inheritance Tax. This applies if a home has been left to children (including adopted, foster or stepchildren) or grandchildren (family homes are transferred to spouses and civil partners tax-free). In addition, if your estate is worth less than your threshold when you die and you're married or in a civil partnership, any unused threshold can be added to your partner’s threshold. This means the tax-free threshold for the surviving spouse could be as much as £1 million. The RNRB was introduced on 6 April 2017 and has increased yearly since then:

The RNRB may also be available to you if you’ve downsized or sold your home on or after 8 July 2015. This allows assets of an equivalent value to be passed on to your direct descendants.

For estates with a net value of over £2m, the RNRB will be withdrawn at a rate of £1 for every £2 over the £2m threshold.

Your pension is just one way of passing on your wealth. It's good to understand what else is involved so that you can take comfort in the fact that you're doing all you can now, for when you're no longer here. There's more about this in our 'passing on wealth' section.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular product, service or course of action. It’s important to understand that pension transfers are a complex area and may not be suitable for everyone. Before going ahead with a pension transfer, we strongly recommend that you undertake a full comparison of the benefits, charges and features offered. To find out what else you should consider before transferring, please read our transfer factsheet. If you are in any doubt whether or not a pension transfer is suitable for your circumstances we strongly recommend that you seek advice from Fidelity Retirement Services on 0800 368 6882 or refer to an authorised financial adviser of your choice.