pension pots

gm0

Older trust based scheme pensions don't understand legally or operationally what crystallisation is.  So they don't accept "marked for drawdown" crystallised transfers in.   As to do so - they would need to manage this aspect.  i.e. drawdown.

Occasionally trustees will add drawdown features to an old scheme but even then the method may be to add a drawdown supporting thing adjacent and enable transfers (bulk or individual) from the older untouched scheme. 

In which case the original version will still know nothing of crystallised vs uncrystallised funds.  And thus still cannot accept them. The new product may well be able to but this scenario may still be rare and take a bit of dialogue with the customer service folk to achieve. 

Several life companies offer variations on this idea as a route to modernity for the older schemes they do admin on.

So the refusal is likely normal


The key to understanding pension admin support desks is to understand that:

There is a world of things that are legally allowed (which is bigger than)
The list of things that are supported and available in the market (at your wealth level) which is bigger than
The list of things that are supported by this provider on the wide variety of schemes they are involved in (which is bigger than)
The list of things - now - on this particular scheme

The ONLY thing a pension admin will talk about is the last and smallest item.  To stray into discussing how other options that could exist - might of might not suit you better - is to stray into advice. 

Monumentally consumer hostile it may be but that is the current regulated setup/


When they say "you can only do x,y,z" - they mean "HERE you can only do x,y,z" - it is easy to see how people get confused