Tel: 0800 012 1117

Guidance and advice

Take a look at the specialist sites and professional advisers listed below for guidance and advice on your pension.

Help with your pension from experts

If you need further guidance or additional support with your pension, finances or experiences in the rail police industry, you may find it useful to contact one of the organisations listed below. 

Your pension with the Fund

You can find more information about your pension with the Fund across this website and when you log in to your myFund account.  

If you can’t find the details you need online, or if you have any questions about your pension, please contact the scheme administrator, Railpen. You can find their contact details on the get in touch page.
Financial guidance

It’s worth taking the time to get guidance from the specialist sites or professional advisers listed below.

Using an adviser can be expensive, so make sure you’ve read all of the information available to you first.

MoneyHelper

MoneyHelper from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) brings together the support and services of three government-backed financial guidance providers: Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

It offers free support on a wide range of financial matters, online and over the phone. This covers a variety of finance and pension topics, including:

  • Managing debt
  • Building your retirement pot
  • Pension problems
  • Pension basics
  • State Pension
  • Taking your pension
  • Tax and pensions
  • Pensions and retirement

Telephone: 0800 138 7777 for general money guidance or 0800 011 3797 for anything pension specific.

Website: moneyhelper.org.uk

Gov.uk

The official website for the UK government, gov.uk offers clear information on a wide range of financial issues.

The workplace and personal pensions section in particular addresses a variety of pension-based topics, based around a handy A to Z list. This includes:

  • Planning for retirement
  • Tax on your pension contributions, covering allowances
  • Transferring your pension
  • Workplace pensions

There’s also a separate section on the State Pension which offers details about how much you can get and when.

Midlife MOT

If you’re aged 45-65, the Midlife MOT website is specifically designed to help you in 3 key areas:

  • work
  • health and
  • money

It includes a new tool from the government’s MoneyHelper service, which will help you understand your current finances, and learn what you can do to improve your financial wellbeing from now until retirement.

Created by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the site also offers advice on things like finding work over 50, how to get a free NHS health check if you’re over 40 and where to go for financial support or help to get out of debt.

HMRC

HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority. It can offer information about things such as:

  • Tax allowances and charges
  • Self-assessment
  • Tax credits
  • Child Benefit

The telephone number varies depending on the area you wish to discuss. Please visit the website in the first instance.

Website:  hmrc.gov.uk

Pensions Ombudsman

The Pensions Ombudsman is an independent organisation, set up by law to deal with pension complaints and disputes.

They may be able to help if you have a complaint about a workplace or private pension or about a decision made by the Pension Protection Fund or Financial Assistance Scheme. Their service is usually free.

Website: pensions-ombudsman.org.uk
Email: enquiries@pensions-ombudsman.org.uk

Financial Conduct Authority

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services firms and financial markets in the UK.  

It can offer further information about your rights with financial services and how to complain if you’re unhappy with a financial product or service.

It also holds a register of all authorised firms, individuals and bodies, as well as a warning list of known scams or companies to avoid.  

Website: fca.org.uk

Financial advice

Unlike the guidance services above, financial advisers can offer you professional advice on financial decisions.

 

In order to operate, they must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

This means they have to agree to a certain level of standards and you can get additional support through the Financial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.

Liverpool Victoria (LV)

Liverpool Victoria (LV) has been chosen as the preferred partner to give Fund members access to financial advice. They balance the cost and quality of advice.

LV is regulated by the FCA, covers all areas of pension and financial advice and has a dedicated team, with specific knowledge on the Scheme.

LV can be contacted on 0800 023 4187.

You can also choose your own Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). Just make sure you understand all of the potential costs for their services upfront before making a decision.

logo-link_lv
0800 023 4187
The chosen partner for financial advice for Fund members.
Unbiased

You can find a register of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) at unbiased.co.uk. An IFA will help you understand your pension, the options available, and how to manage your finances.

By using Unbiased you can:

  • get contact information for IFAs in your area, including pension specialists
  • be matched with a suitable adviser based on what you need help with

All IFAs listed on the site are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and the first meeting is typically free. 

Watch out for scams

If you’re looking for financial advice, be very wary of scams and fraudsters.

They often pose as advisers but are out to steal your savings.

Visit the dedicated pension scams page to learn what to look out for and how to stay safe.