When Can You Access Your Pension Fund?

Normal retirement age

Fund rules set normal retirement age — often 55 or 60 for pension and provident funds. Access before normal retirement is restricted except for permitted withdrawals under fund rules and law, including recent two-pot savings component access in qualifying funds.

Early withdrawal before 55 outside permitted windows is generally not available for preserved benefits.

Tax on access

Lump sums from retirement funds use the retirement lump-sum tax table — not marginal salary rates. Multiple withdrawals aggregate over lifetime for table purposes.

Get a tax calculation before you elect cash — the net after tax may be far below the headline fund value.

Preserve until you must

Every withdrawal before retirement reduces compounding. Use MyGenie's retirement event to see projected fund value at 55, 60 and 65 if you preserve versus partial withdrawal scenarios.

This article is illustrative and educational. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Figures are examples only — model your own situation in MyGenie or speak to a licensed financial adviser.