Pension doesn't allow 3rd party contributions

penners324

Penfold is another

Grumpy_chap

breaking_free said:

Apparently the umbrella company don't have a default provider. Instead they've kindly offered to put me in touch with their financial advisor. I won't be taking them up on this.

It may be worth speaking with their "Financial Advisor".
UCs work in rather odd ways and the first contact with a "Financial Advisor" will be a slightly more capable administrator rather than a "Financial Advisor" in the proper meaning that we would know within these boards.

Assuming it is without charge, why not just do the call with the appropriate administrator "Financial Advisor" and simply state your requirements:

1. You want an unadvised service
2. You want to make SS pension at xxx rate
3. You would prefer to make that to your existing Scottish Widows scheme as employer contributions direct from the UC
4. If that can't be done, you want to make the employer contributions to any pension provider that can be administered in the most straightforward way by the UC.  Ideally, you want that pension provider to be one that 

a - allows you to select your investment fund (within their available selections) and for them to take that instruction from you directly
b - allows you to make partial transfers out (to another SIPP) at the frequency you choose and still keep the scheme open for ongoing contributions.
c - allows (b) to be done on your instruction and not require a Financial Advisor input / fee to process.
d - has low fees

I understand it is very annoying, but it may all be simpler to work with the system.

If you can set that up, fees percentage and selecting the fund become less important as every three months or so, you will be transferring the accrued fund (less £1 to keep the scheme open) into your established Scottish Widows SIPP.

Also, the UC must have a default provider as anyone who does not advise a pension choice will be put into auto-enrolment.  It is just the admin person who told you there is no default is simply given the script to refer any pension queries to the "Financial Advisor"...

dunstonh

penners324 said:

PensionBee allow employer contributions in this situation 

As is Scottish Widows and pretty much 90% of all individual pension plans.

The problem is not the plan. The problem is the misconception that the OP is trying to make 3rd party payments rather than employer payments.