What is a SIPP?
It’s a self-invested personal pension, or SIPP for short. This type of tax-efficient personal pension usually offers a wider range of investment choices than other types of pensions, putting you in control of how you invest your pension pot.
It might be something to think about if you don’t already have a workplace pension, or you’re looking for another way to invest alongside a workplace pension.
If you already have several pensions, you could open a SIPP as a first step towards bringing them all together, which could mean less admin and fewer passwords to remember. Read more about combining pensions.
The value of a SIPP can fall as well as rise, so you could get back less than the amount that's been put in.
How our pension makes it easy for you
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Boost your SIPP with tax relief
Every pension payment you make automatically gets basic rate tax relief of 20% from the government (even if you're not a tax payer). So, if you put in £800 you'll get an extra £200 into the pension.
Any personal contributions you pay into an Aviva SIPP must qualify for tax relief. So they must be within your earnings or £3,600 if you earn less than that.
There are limits on how much you can build up in pension benefits without paying a tax charge. Read more about tax relief and your annual allowance.
Tax benefits depend on your personal circumstances and can change in the future.
What to think about before you apply for a SIPP with us
Benefits
Things to think about
- Investment risk
SIPP investors need to be happy to make their own decisions and appreciate that investments can fall as well as rise in value. If you're not sure what’s best for you, you may want to get financial advice.
- If you’re paying into a workplace pension
Your employer adds to your workplace pension, helping to build up your pot. A SIPP isn’t meant as a replacement for this, but can be used alongside it. Before you take out a SIPP, it’s worth checking whether you might be better off paying more into your workplace pension – for example, because your employer might put in more too. - Age limits on paying in and taking money out
You can’t touch the money in your pension until you’re 55, and this will increase to 57 on 6 April 2028. You and your employer can only pay into a SIPP until you turn 75, but you can transfer a pension at any age.
Important documents
Before you apply for a pension, make sure you read and understand all the details. If there’s anything you’re not sure about, it may be worth taking financial advice before you make any decision. If you don't have an adviser, you can find one at www.unbiased.co.uk. You'll have to pay for this advice.
Aviva Pension Key Features (PDF 253 KB)
Our investments and SIPP charges
How to choose investments
There are five ways to invest in our SIPP.
What are the investment charges?
We won’t charge you for opening a SIPP and there’s no charge to transfer your investments to us. However, your existing provider may charge you for leaving them, so you’ll need to make sure it all adds up before making the move. Once you have a SIPP with us, these are the charges you can expect to pay:
Funds
You'll pay an Aviva Charge of up to 0.40% for the value of your funds or cash, depending on how much you invest.
For example, if you have £5,000 of funds or cash with us, your Aviva Charge will be £20 a year.
There's also a Fund Manager Charge that will depend on the funds that you've chosen. This charge is included in the price of the fund.
We won't charge you for buying or selling funds.
Shares and other exchange traded investments
We have an Aviva Share Charge for managing those investments. It's 0.40% of their value, up to a maximum of £120 a year.
For example, if you have £5,000 of shares or exchange traded funds with us, your Aviva Share Charge will be £20 a year.
There'll be a Fund Manager Charge for exchange traded funds and investment trusts that will be included in the price of the investment.
When you buy shares and other exchange traded investments, there'll be a Trading Charge for every trade you make.
There may be other charges you’ll need to be aware of – you can read more about these on our charges page.
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Ready to apply?
You can open a SIPP with us through MyAviva, your secure online account. If you don’t yet have an account, you’ll need to set one up. It only takes a few minutes – just make sure you have these to hand:
Why choose us?
We believe we're the best choice for your SIPP - but don't take our word for it.
![Awards logos: Boring money best buy pension 2024 YourMoney.com Investment Awards winner - Best pension platform - medium portfolio Best overall investment platform](http://static.aviva.io/content/dam/aviva-public/gb/images/personal/ratings-and-awards/awards/2024-boringmoney-ymoney-best-investment-awards-logos_563x300px.jpg)
Aviva aims for high ethical standards
- The Aviva Life business is checked every year by The Good Shopping Guide (GSG) against eight key ethical points. These checks make sure Aviva is meeting high ethical standards in its company policy and practices.
- We've been given this accreditation for each of the past three years, most recently in March 2023.
- This accreditation is for the Aviva Life business, not specific products or ethical funds we provide.
- For more information on GSG's rating system, please visit The Good Shopping Guide.
![The God Shopping Guide logo](http://static.aviva.io/content/dam/aviva-public/gb/images/personal/retirement/aviva-pension/good-shopping-guide-logo-smaller.png)
SIPP FAQs
How many SIPPs can I have?
What do I need to set up our SIPP?
What's the annual allowance?
Are there any other limits and restrictions around pensions?
I pay tax at more than the basic rate - what does this mean for tax relief?
What’s the difference between a SIPP and a personal pension?
Can I access my SIPP once I turn 55?
Articles around pensions
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Checking your National Insurance record for gaps
Discover how you can close the gap if you have missed contributions.
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How many pensions can I have?
Learn more about how many different pension pots you can have and how to keep track of them.
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6 stepping stones to help you cross the gender pension gap
The gender pension gap is the difference in pension income that different genders will get in retirement. See 6 steps that you could take to close this gap.
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Mind the (pension) gap
If you’re worried about gaps in your private or state pension contributions, we’ve got some tips that will keep your pension pot topped up. Find out more here.
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How to check your pension contributions
Discover how to check your pension contributions for old and existing pensions pots.
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Why you should think twice before taking money from a pension
It can be tempting to free up extra cash wherever you can, including from your pension but is this a good idea?
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How much to pay into your pension
Considering how much you’ll need for a comfortable retirement will help you decide how much to pay into your pension.
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Understanding your pension statement
What’s in your pension statement and how often is comes will all depend on the type of pension you have.
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Changes to the normal minimum pension age
The age that you can start taking your pension is changing from 55 to 57 from 6th April 2028. Find out more about the change here.
![](http://static.aviva.io/content/dam/aviva-public/gb/images/personal/retirement/knowledge-centre/women-laughing-in-food-truck-kitchen.2880x1620px.$16x9-mobile-4cols$.jpg?$16x9-mobile-4cols$)
Should I combine my pensions into one pot?
Transferring all your pensions into one could save time and provide a clearer picture when you’re making retirement plans. Capital at risk.
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What happens to your pension when you leave a job?
Explore the options available for your pension after leaving a job, from transfers to consolidation.
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Pension tapered annual allowance
What is pension tapering? This article addresses common questions around the pension tapered annual allowance including how it works and key considerations.
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Is my pension safe?
You work hard to build up your money for retirement, so it's natural to ask if your pension is safe. Find out more about keeping your pension funds safe
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A decade by decade guide to retirement saving
Depending on how close (or far) you are from retirement, see what you can do to make the most of your pension savings.
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Bonus pension sacrifice: paying your bonus into your pension
Bonus pension sacrifice is when you pay all or some of your bonus into your pension plan. Find out more here.
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How the State Pension works
Knowing whether you’ll be entitled to a State Pension and how much you’ll get is helpful when you’re retirement planning.
More help with your pensions
Transfer or combine your pensions
If you have a pension, or several pensions, you can bring everything together in one place. Even if the amounts are small, it all adds up.
Your workplace pension
If you have a workplace pension with us, learn more about how it works and how you can manage it online.
Manage your pension
Log in to your MyAviva account to check how much you have, change how much you put in or update your personal details.
Contact us
Still need some help? Give us a call
0800 285 1088
Monday to Friday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
For our joint protection, telephone calls may be recorded and/or monitored and will be saved for a minimum of 5 years. Calls to 0800 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are free. Our opening hours may be different depending on which team you need to speak to.
Alternatively, you can email myinvestmentportfolio@aviva.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Platform provider: Aviva Wrap UK Limited. Registered in England No. 4470008. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 231530.
Pension product provided by: Aviva Pension Trustees UK Limited. Registered in England No. 2407799. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 465132.