How can I get at my money?

sun-n-moon

I left an employer in 1998. At the time I had paid into a group pension plan. I stopped contributing when I left the company. The pot stood at £2000 at the time. The pension provider [Pheonix] stopped investing the pot and just took annual management charges from the £2000. Not that they managed anything.
I'm now 65. They have written to me after I had chased them and tell me that as the value of the plan is insufficient to to enable the purchase of an annuity with them. They advise me to transfer to another provider if possible.
I have two other small pensions that are being processed at the moment and I am not contributing so cannot transfer.
I cannot [googling] get an annuity quote elsewhere so I'm at a bit of a loss how I can release this money. My other pensions combined take me over the limit for taking it all as cash.
Any ideas or advice would be welcome.

Jim.

Perelandra

What is the current value of the specific pot, and all pots combined?

sun-n-moon

Current Phoenix pot is £1600 total.
Other pot is £34000 total.
Other pension is small [very small] civil service pension.

Perelandra

sun-n-moon wrote: »

Current Phoenix pot is £1600 total.
Other pot is £34000 total.
Other pension is small [very small] civil service pension.

Ok, the "small pension pot" rule would probably apply to you then:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/small-pen.htm#2

If you pass those criteria, you should be able to take the value of the small pot as a lump sum even though your pensions are greater than the maximum for taking them all as cash.

sun-n-moon

Thanks for your help. I'll look into it.