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The short answer
You can usually start taking money from a UK workplace or personal pension from age 55, and that normal minimum pension age rises to 57 on 6 April 2028. Some people keep a protected lower age, and ill-health retirement can come earlier. The rule is the same whatever your nationality or visa.
A lot of Nigerians in the UK are paying into workplace pensions without having chosen to: auto-enrolment does that for most employees. A common question is when that money can be touched, especially for people planning to move back to Nigeria in their fifties. The answer is set by UK law and applies to everyone in a UK registered pension scheme.
The minimum age now and from 2028
GOV.UK's workplace pensions guidance says the earliest you can usually take money from a private pension is 55. The normal minimum pension age rises from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028. The Scottish Public Pensions Agency's NHS circular of 31 July 2025 on the change explains that it was introduced through the Finance Bill 2021-22, published on 4 November 2021.
| Your situation | Earliest normal access (no protected age) |
|---|---|
| You reach 55 before 6 April 2028 (born before 6 April 1973) | 55, but only until 5 April 2028; from 6 April 2028 the minimum is 57 unless you have a protected age |
| You reach 55 on or after 6 April 2028 | 57 |
| You are already 57 or over on 6 April 2028 | No change |
The point that catches people out is the middle group in time: anyone aged 55 or 56 on 6 April 2028 who has not started drawing, and has no protected pension age, would normally have to wait until 57. If that is you, ask your scheme now what your position will be. Someone born in 1974 turns 55 in 2029 and would normally wait until 57, in 2031.
Protected pension ages
Some schemes give members a right to take benefits at a lower age. The SPPA circular describes how this works in the NHS Scotland scheme: members who joined before 4 November 2021 keep a protected pension age of 55 (or an earlier protected age dating from 2010), while those who joined on or after that date move to 57 in April 2028. Other schemes have their own rules. Ask your scheme in writing whether you have a protected pension age, and keep the reply.
Ill health
The SPPA circular says the increase does not apply to members who take their pension early because of ill health. Most schemes have an ill-health route that can pay before the normal minimum age, subject to medical evidence.
What you can take, and how
GOV.UK says you can usually take up to 25% of a pension pot tax-free. The rest is taxed as income when drawn. Common options include taking the pot in stages, buying an annuity, or a mix. Spreading withdrawals across tax years often keeps more of the money in the basic-rate band.
Planning a return to Nigeria
Access age matters most if you plan to move home before 57. A few points:
- You do not have to take the pension before you leave. It can stay invested in the UK and pay you later; see drawing a UK pension while living in Nigeria.
- Under Article 18 of the UK-Nigeria Double Taxation Convention, pensions for past employment are taxable only in the country they come from, so UK pensions are generally taxed in the UK.
- Anyone offering to release a pension before the minimum age is a warning sign. Unauthorised early payments can carry heavy UK tax charges.
- The State Pension has a separate, later age; see how many NI years you need.
A worked example
Example only. Ada was born in March 1973 and turns 55 in March 2028. She could start drawing in the few weeks before 6 April 2028; if she waits beyond that date and has no protected age, she would normally wait until March 2030, when she turns 57. Her husband was born in August 1973 and turns 55 in August 2028, after the change, so unless his scheme gives him a protected age he waits until August 2030. Both should confirm with their schemes before planning a move date around it.
Checklist for the years before 55
- Get a current statement from every scheme and note the selected retirement age, which is often later than the minimum.
- Ask each scheme whether you have a protected pension age and whether it will carry over if you transfer.
- Check the death benefit nomination names the right people, including family in Nigeria.
- Think about currency: the pot is in pounds, while your spending after a move may be in naira.
- Treat any cold call about "pension release" or overseas investment of your pot with suspicion.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme does not provide pensions. When you do draw, a Pryme account can receive pounds and hold naira, and Swap converts only when you choose, showing the rate and fee first. For saving in naira for family at home, Savings Boxes are for naira held in Nigeria.
Questions people ask
What age can I take my workplace pension in the UK?
Usually from 55. For people reaching 55 on or after 6 April 2028, the normal minimum becomes 57.
Can I take my UK pension early if I move back to Nigeria?
Not before the normal minimum age unless you have a protected age or retire on ill-health grounds. Moving abroad does not change the age.
What is a protected pension age?
A right in some schemes to take benefits below the normal minimum age. Ask your scheme whether you have one.
How much of my pension can I take tax-free?
GOV.UK says usually up to 25% of the pot.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Workplace pensions · accessed Oct 2026
- SPPA: NHS Circular 2025/09, increase to the normal minimum pension age from 6 April 2028 (31 Jul 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: UK-Nigeria Double Taxation Convention (in force text) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.