FCA stats reveal hike in people accessing pensions without advice

About 30% of savers took regulated advice before accessing their pot

Jenna Brown
clock • 2 min read

The number of people who withdrew money from their pension pot for the first time increased to 885,455 in 2023/24, latest statistics from the regulator reveal, however, there was a decline in the uptake of financial advice beforehand.

The Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) retirement income data for 2023/24 reported an almost 20% increase in people accessing their pots for the first time. It said 885,455 people withdrew cash from their pensions compared to 739,652 in 2022/23. However, analysis from Quilter pointed out that the number of people seeking regulated advice before dipping into their pots "continued to decline". Head of retirement policy Jon Greer said that in 2023/24, just 30.9% of plan holders took advice, down from 32.9% in the previous year. "This ongoing drop suggests that more people are navigat...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Pensions

Budget Media Watch: Healey to raise tax-free allowance for low-income state pensioners

Budget Media Watch: Healey to raise tax-free allowance for low-income state pensioners

Not expected to tinker with tax-free lump sum

Jen Frost
clock 26 October 2026 • 2 min read
Mind the gap: Why advisers have a key role in closing the gender pension divide

Mind the gap: Why advisers have a key role in closing the gender pension divide

'While access to pensions has improved, barriers remain'

Julia Peake
clock 22 October 2026 • 5 min read
Planning points: Paying pension funds to charity on death

Planning points: Paying pension funds to charity on death

IHT on pensions may create opportunities for charitable giving

Martin Jones
clock 16 October 2026 • 3 min read