What is a final salary (defined benefit) pension?
A defined benefit (DB) or final salary pension pays you a guaranteed income in retirement, calculated based on your salary and years of service — regardless of investment performance. It's often described as the "gold standard" of pensions, and for good reason: the employer bears all the investment and longevity risk, not you.
Most DB schemes are now closed to new members in the private sector, but millions of people still have existing DB pensions from previous employment.
What is a defined benefit transfer?
A DB transfer involves giving up your guaranteed pension income in exchange for a cash transfer value (the "CETV" — Cash Equivalent Transfer Value), which you then move into a defined contribution pension (such as a SIPP). You take on full investment and longevity risk in exchange for flexibility and control.
Why the FCA takes DB transfers very seriously
Following high-profile pension scandals (British Steel, British Airways), the FCA ruled that it is almost always in a member's best interest to keep their defined benefit pension. The FCA's starting assumption is that transfers are unsuitable for most people — advisers must demonstrate positive reasons to transfer, not just neutral ones.
⚠️ By law, if your DB pension is worth more than £30,000, you must take regulated financial advice before transferring. This is not a formality — it is genuine consumer protection.
The value of a DB pension
To illustrate what you'd be giving up: a DB pension paying £10,000 per year from age 65, inflation-linked, with a 50% spouse's pension, might have a CETV of £250,000–£350,000. To replicate that guaranteed income from a DC pension invested in the market would require a significantly larger pot — and would still carry investment risk.
When might a transfer make sense?
There are genuine circumstances where a transfer can be appropriate — but they're the exception, not the rule:
- Serious ill health: If you have a significantly reduced life expectancy, giving up a lifetime income may make sense in favour of accessing capital.
- No dependants: DB pensions typically die with you (or pay a reduced spouse's pension). If you have no spouse or dependants, the inheritance advantage of a DC pension is more relevant.
- Very large transfer values: In rare cases where the CETV significantly exceeds the realistic value of the income stream.
- Scheme funding concerns: If the sponsoring employer is in serious financial difficulty — though the Pension Protection Fund provides a backstop.
💡 The vast majority of DB transfer advice results in a recommendation to retain the scheme pension. This is usually the right answer — but getting advice is still valuable to confirm this and understand your options fully.
The advice process
A specialist pension transfer adviser will:
- Analyse your CETV and the full value of your scheme benefits
- Model your retirement income under both scenarios
- Assess your personal circumstances, other income, health, and objectives
- Produce a suitability report explaining their recommendation
- If recommending a transfer: arrange the transfer to an appropriate receiving scheme
This advice is not free — expect to pay £2,000–£5,000+ depending on scheme complexity — but it is legally required and genuinely valuable.