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Aviva: Pension reviews

2.00
Based on 195 reviews, last reviewed 15th May 2026
500% increase in 5 star reviews
in the past 90 days
67% increase in 1 star reviews
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5%
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67%

Latest highest rating:

5

Very professional pension team team dealing with my pension are very experienced and professional. their charges for providing service is reasonable Reviewed on: 17th April 2026
Awat ram's avatar
Awat ram

Latest lowest rating:

1

A truly horrible experience. A truly horrible experience. Wanted to start a drawdown. No online option. Forced to endure a very lengthy phone call on a very bad line with a man wh... Read more Reviewed on: 15th May 2026
Charlie Brown's avatar
Charlie Brown

About this product

Aviva offer a self-invested personal pension (SIPP).

There are five ways to invest in the Aviva SIPP. You can decide between the Universal Retirement Fund, a ready-made fund or choose an option from a fund shortlist provided by experts. You can also build your own portfolio or buy and sell shares and investments.

Aviva pension reviews share what it's like to have this pension. If you've used Aviva before, you can also leave your own review.

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Aviva Pension reviews (195)

A truly horrible experience.

1
A truly horrible experience. Wanted to start a drawdown. No online option. Forced to endure a very lengthy phone call on a very bad line with a man who talked too fast with an accent. Gave up trying to understand what he was saying and just kept saying yes to everything. Finally agreed the drawdown and a few days later had to read dozens of pages of documents online and complete pointless forms including having to copy a very long code by hand from one part of the form to another! Just hope the money arrives and never want to deal with Aviva again. Reviewed on: 15th May 2026

Very hard and slow to withdraw money

1
Very hard and slow to withdraw money from your Drawdown Account, It requires a lenghty phone call and takes up to 10 days to get the quotation email and then another 2 weeks after you've signed that! Reviewed on: 13th May 2026

Very professional pension team

5
team dealing with my pension are very experienced and professional. their charges for providing service is reasonable Reviewed on: 17th April 2026

AVIVA SIPP

5
I have an SIPP which is supported by my financial adviser. The online portal is easy to use and offers good choices of ETFS Reviewed on: 16th April 2026

Good web site, good services.

5
Good web site, good services. Easy tracking. Reviewed on: 16th April 2026

Efficient service

5
Lots of communication, moved quickly to carry out my requests and kept me updated throughout Reviewed on: 16th April 2026

Needed to boost my pension.

5
Needed to boost my pension. Reached retirement age and got divorced bought a house and now mortgage free. Realised I need to work a couple of more years to raise enough funds to live in comfortably. Chucking as much as I can in each month and running at approx. 13.5% profit so well on my way to reaching my goal within two years. Advisor sorted Aviva pension and really please so far that even with the global wars and economy crap things are going in the right direction. Reviewed on: 16th April 2026

Corporate Incompetence

1
Trying to start drawdown on a small pension pot but not able to initiate this on line. Contacted them on the number provided but need to be transfered to a different department. I've currently been holding for 40 mins because they are "really busy right now" They are constantly really busy and there is absolutely no continuity of service meaning you end up repeating yourself several times as you get transfered from one person who can't help you to another equally unhelpful agent. It's not the agents fault, they are just doing their job however there should be an escalation path. Their Complaints ( Customer Services) department are equally as unhelpful. I am a reasonably patient and intelligent person but dealing with this company is challenging me on both fronts. Reviewed on: 7th April 2026

Mindlessly bureaucratic and frustrating

1
Have an individual stakeholder plan which I was aware needed to be resolved before I hit 75 - it’s been with Aviva for decades. Long delays to speak to them, and advice initially very unclear. Managed on a second call to establish I could take the tax free lump sum but would need to set up a new pension arrangement for the small sum left. A tortuous call the next day to a different department left me feeling very frustrated and unsure about leaving the remaining pot with them. So, why on earth do I have to provide them details of my HMRC pension protection, tell them what I did before I retired, what I earned decades ago or even confirm my nationality.? Been with them for donkeys years but felt this was either a fishing trip for market data, or a bureaucratic tick box exercise with numerous health warnings about investments repeated endlessly. - along with telling me endlessly how I would have to manage my own pension with them. And why after decades with my bank could they not confirm my ID in their security vetting - never had that before and now leaving me in a position to have to post statements - and required in very prescribed format ( unredacted, with x many withdrawals, specified time etc etc). Then to boot a copy of the HMRC letter - why? . Needlessly detailed tick box process and very off putting. Let’s see how long it takes them to sort this out! . In contrast had a similar policy with another provider which was dealt with smoothly and effortlessly with none of this mindless bureaucracy. .Makes one wonder how easy they will be if I ( or my beneficiaries) have to address any issues with them in future.. Will see how it goes but may reconsider moving this pot when I can - left me cold! Reviewed on: 24th March 2026

Just a difficult company

1
After my mum had passed I had difficulty finding out any information. They were very cold and no empathy shown in the circumstances. They are just focused on policy rather than explaining information. No one knows how this works until they go through it but they are not firth coming in assisting you in the right way. They just assume you know what they are referring to. I took legal advice and they still went against this. They make the process so difficult in such an emotional time. Shocking! Reviewed on: 10th March 2026

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