Where this fits
Each pension you hold has its own expression of wish form, and we can review them all with you.
Sunny Bharj
Independent Financial Adviser
Tony Springer
Independent Financial Adviser
It is the form that tells your pension scheme who you would like to receive your pension when you die. Most schemes treat it as a request they consider, and they are not bound by it.
A pension does not usually pass under your will. Where the scheme pays at the trustees' discretion, they decide who receives the money, and the expression of wish is the main thing guiding them.
Because trustees have discretion, the payment falls outside the estate for probate. It also means an out-of-date form can send the money to somebody you would no longer choose.
A pension paid at the trustees' discretion does not pass under your will. The expression of wish is the main thing guiding them.
Usually not. Most schemes give trustees discretion and the form guides them. They will normally follow a clear, current nomination unless circumstances have obviously changed.
The discretion is what keeps the payment outside the estate for probate, so it is generally an advantage. From 6 April 2027 it no longer keeps the money outside the estate for inheritance tax.
Yes, and you can give percentages. You can usually name a trust as well, though whether that is sensible depends on your circumstances.
Through the scheme or provider, and separately for each pension you hold. There is no central place to do it.
Each pension you hold has its own expression of wish form, and we can review them all with you.
Independent Financial Adviser
Independent Financial Adviser
Your first call is with an Account Manager and is at no cost to you. Tell us what is on your mind: a pension you have lost track of, a fixed rate ending, a will you keep meaning to write.