LGPS plus 3 DC pots confusion

AprilJapan

I am new to the forum and have read oodles on pensions to the point I have confused myself and would really appreciate some advice please? 
I have 2 separate LGPS pensions, both deferred.  One includes a lump sum of £69k and annual pension of £9k. This is payable at 60 which I am next year. The other has no lump sum, annual pension of £4.5k. (This is less as should be at 65 but want to finish next year at 60.) I decided to keep them seperate which I hope was the right decision. 
I also have my current employer DC pension for which I have a figure of approximately £4k if I  take it next year when I am 60.
When I was 55 at that point I had 2 other pensions for which I took the lump sums, one was £3k and the other £7k. I have read you can take up to 3 small pots in your lifetime? So am I correct in thinking my current employer DC one is my 3rd pot? Does the fact I have taken the others have an impact on the LGPS ones I take next year? 
I hope I don't sound ignorant but would appreciate some advice.

Brynsam

AprilJapan said:

When I was 55 at that point I had 2 other pensions for which I took the lump sums, one was £3k and the other £7k. I have read you can take up to 3 small pots in your lifetime? So am I correct in thinking my current employer DC one is my 3rd pot? Does the fact I have taken the others have an impact on the LGPS ones I take next year? 
I hope I don't sound ignorant but would appreciate some advice.

If you specifically took the 'two other pensions' as small pots (i.e. took the whole of each pot and said that 'small pot' was the basis on which you were taking it - it isn't automatic) then you can take one more under the same 'small pot' rule if they were all personal pensions. Most are 'personal pensions' even if provided through your employer - the paperwork will tell you. Look for words like 'group personal pension' or 'group stakeholder' or just 'personal pension'. There is no impact on your LGPS.

More for the benefit of other readers as opposed to trying to give OP more information overload: you can take more than 3 DC pensions as one-off cash sums, but if you do, you are 'flexibly accessing' your DC funds and run the risk of triggering the 'Money Purchase Annual Allowance' and limiting yourself to maximum tax-relievable contributions of £4,000 a year (including tax relief and any employer contributions) to any future DC pension you're trying to build up.