Howden Avis 

I have been waiting nearly 3 months for a SIPP transfer to a new provider. Why does it take them 2 weeks to transfer my cash?

Where to start with this organisation.
There are two fundamental issues;
1. They have no facility for drawdown, thus once you wish to access your pension funds you have two choices. Take your tax free pot and buy an annuity or transfer to another provider.
2. Having opted for transfer you then encounter the second challenge. They are not only woefully unresponsive but have an infrastructure from the 1990's. All paper based, requiring "wet signature" and GPO reliant.
As a result I have been attempting to transfer funds since December and am little further on. Due to this I am having to amend my approach to pension management and make drawdowns I was not anticipating.
As an example they logged a request to provide an email to the new provider eight days ago and, on chasing this morning, have still not sent said email.
Oh, they rarely answer the phone either, 18 minutes on hold today.
In fairness their colleagues, once reached, are courteous and helpful.
If I had my time again I would go nowhere near them.

I thought it only fair to update this now my issue has been resolved. I stand by my comments on the product and the platform but, once mobilised, the team resolved the issue at pace.

As usual with BW things happen at glacial pace. Highlighted by the response to all emails as here;
"Thank you for your email, we can assure you we are dealing with your request, and we aim to respond within 5 working days."

I really wish you would take this auto responder off your email system. Telling long term customers like myself that you AIM to respond in 5 days is not a good look!

My interactions with Barnett Waddingham have been incredibly frustrating. The portal offers very little Information, and information requests placed there are largely ignored. Phone queries are just as poor, because agents are unable to hand information out over the phone. When you do find someone to email, emails are largely left unanswered, even though commitments are made to respond within a specified timeframe.

UPDATE: This issue has now been resolved. However, do not rely on receiving your funds or information in a timely manner. Also, factor in that they might use an emergency tax code.

These clowns are, unfortunately, the scheme administrators for my Interactive Investor SIPP. I moved a pension in drawdown to II, completing in November 25 but then the problems started...

I had drawn income from the previous pension provider in the 25/26 tax year and BW insist that I need to provide a P45 before they can setup my withdrawls from II. My previous provider doesn't provide a P45 though and, seemingly, they don't have to! I'm now going through the nightmare of passing messages back and forth via II to ask why the P45 is needed (no answer) and to keep saying I haven't got the documents that BW ask for.

So far, other than a P45 I've been asked for:

A P45 or P60 from my previous employer - Irrelevant as I left before the beginning of this tax year
Pay slipp from my previous pension provider - They don't produce them
A P60 for this tax year - Yes really! A document that won't be available until May and will then be irrelevant for setting up income this tax year!

I've forwarded emails from my previous provider showing payments made and tax paid. I've forwarded screengrabs form my HMRC account showing payments received, tax paid and my tax code but it's like banging my head against a brick wall!

Comms via II to BW take days, nobody from BW will actually talk to me to explain the delay. All I want is access to my money!

I answered all the questions regarding my partner's empty property. I was seeking a quote for buildings insurance. I agreed to take out the insurance over the phone and was told I have 14 days cooling off period in which I could cancel the agreement. I planned to pay for the insurance in monthly instalments. Next day I received an email from Howden's credit provider, a company called Premium Credit Ltd, informing me my first premium was due on that day (18th December 2025) and if I failed to pay there would be a £25 charge. I was immediately wary of dealing further with such a company. I telephoned Howden and informed them I would not proceed. Howden admitted the mistake was theirs, should have been 18th January. However, I had already been put off the company entirely. I replied via the Premium Credit Ltd's email informing them that I was not going ahead with it. They emailed back to say the return email is not monitored. They have since set up a direct debit schedule on my partner's account even though I have not signed anything! (My partner has Alzheimer's disease and I look after her AND work from home full time). I contacted my partner's bank who said they would reimburse any wrong payments. Premium Credit Ltd are still emailing, saying they will still take the payments for the insurance (which I have already cancelled with Howden). So they are a rogue company as far as I can see, the sort who would often feature on That's Life! for their disgusting business practices. Avoid them at all cost!!

Update: Howden/Premium Credit Ltd have again set up another direct debit schedule on my partner's bank account. I deleted the DD immediately, tried to speak to someone at Premium Credit Ltd but kept being referred to their website for a chat with a bot. So my partner's bank has now put a block on them. Disgusting company. They are now suggesting they will feed back negatively on my partner's credit file.

No death payment provided!
I informed Allied Domecq of my late Fathers death on 9th October 2025. I was advised of a £1590 death payment and provided all paperwork requested by them. Not a straightforward process which in hindsight seems convenient! After several calls to them over the months I now feel it's with the trustee's decision advice by them has exhausted itself.

Update 31/12/25

Called them again today and was passed to the admin team. This line just rang out to an eventual mailbox 47233 answer service. These people are shocking to deal with. They are not interested in paying what they owe deceased people!

Update 19/1/26

I provided all information requested by this company on 31/12/25.

Still no further forward after several more calls!! ITS IN THE TRUSTEE'S DECISIONS TRAY! Absolute disgrace of a company adding insult to injury to grieving families!

See how much they pay themselves? while pension transfer values half. Don't bother trying to contact using tools or email they provide... They are masters of delay and deflection. Don't trust website they suggest you use i. e. providing transfer values... They can't even do that online. When they eventually send it in post months after asking for... it it's clear why. Loss after loss after loss on transfer value. Move your pension away if you want any value from your hard earned savings.

Jeg har fået den mest uprofessionelle rådgivning man kan forestille sig. De er ligeglade med deres kunder, og pga. dårlig rådgivning har vi betalt til en forsikring der ikke kan udbetales da den modregnes. Vi fraråder kunder at bruge Howden /tidl. jysk P som pensionsselskab
Vi har oplevet ekstrem dårlig ledelse i virksomheden. :-(

English
I have received the most unprofessional advice imaginable. They do not care about their customers, and due to poor advice we have paid for insurance that cannot be paid out as it is offset. We advise customers not to use Howden /formerly Jysk P as a pension company

Exemplary service at every interaction. Efficient friendly staff.

extremely good service and good communication always on time

Very helpful staff, prompt response to enquiries, friendly, prepared to go the extra mile.

Claiming my tax free cash from my pension was surprisingly very straightforward. I was amazed how quickly the team delt with the request, totally beat my expectations.
I wish the general administration was as good and efficient!

Since being with BW my whole experience has been absolutely dreadful, with the time it takes to respond to any emails and indeed wait for any replies both in dealing with any aspect of the pension fund. All of my colleagues will attest to this as they feel the same.
However, I was recommended to speak to Matthew Porteus and since then he has dealt with everything I have required and been a pleasure to deal with.

Client Manager was extremely helpful in assisting with the completion of necessary forms. Communication by email was efficient and telephone contact was easy. It was always possible to speak to someone.

Very helpful and easy to deal with.
I would have given 5 stars but the forms were to long and not clear if you are not a professional.

Spoke to your representitve on the 28th October 2025, was told I would recieve the information I was looking for within two weeks. When I called back on the 17th November 2025, I was told nothing had been done, and they would get the information out by the end of the week. Todays call was not one I should have had to make, I hope things improve...

The technical support from Barnett Waddingham, James TJ and the wider team is extremely helpful and not received from any other SIPP provider Thank you