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Aviva: Pension reviews

1.89
Based on 172 reviews, last reviewed 31st May 2025
No new 5 star reviews
in the past 90 days
167% increase in 1 star reviews
in the past 90 days
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18%
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8%
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1%
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3%
See only 1 star reviews
70%

Latest highest rating:

5

Managing my pension pot very well Managing my pension pot very well with regular updates and advice as to whether I have enough invested in order to retire. Reviewed on: 18th April 2025
Zoe's avatar
Zoe

Latest lowest rating:

1

Holding on to my pension single payment I have had a pension with Aviva for 25 years and 3 months ago I decided to pay a single premium into my pension plan March 17th 2025, I received an em... Read more Reviewed on: 31st May 2025
Rod S's avatar
Rod S

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.

Aviva Pension reviews (172)

Review of the Aviva, Pension:

frustration personified

1
Been trying to switch investment funds in my pension for several weeks now. Was told prosed funds selected were not permissible in my pension type (sipp). asked for a listing of what funds were permissible, only to receive confirmation that my selection was correct. Can't get any progress from Aviva on this matter, effectively trapped in poorly performing funds with no answers to my queries apart from a couple of mailed letters that merely confirm my disbelief in trying to deal with customer service reps who appear to be following a failed script. Reviewed on: 3rd April 2023

Shambolic experience from start to finish.

1
Shambolic experience from start to finish. Tell you 3-6 weeks to transfer funds and still waiting 12 weeks later. Avoid at all cost Reviewed on: 4th July 2024

Having paid over £6000 over 15 years I received diag...

1
Having paid over £6000 over 15 years I received diagnosis stage 4 terminal bowel cancer last October, upon contacting them I had a female saying a very unconvincing SORRY we won’t pay out on this policy if I was to get this diagnosis in the last 18 months of policy, they continued to take money telling me that I have to die before 14 may this year to get the payout. So check the small print as these companies it shows do not have your health or interest as a priority, should have had a payout of over£100.000 which would have helped my wife pay our £70.000 mortgage instead of now hurrying to downsize prior to my death. Nice company to do people with. STAY CLEAR OF AVIVA Reviewed on: 21st June 2024

Aviva is devaluing annuities it has bought

1
Aviva acquired a small annuity I had been forced to take out on a small personal pension pot with Sun Life - the law back then forced me to buy an annuity. Despite the capital value of the annuity being less than £10,000, Aviva refuses to allow me to encash it. Also, Aviva has consistently paid my annual annuity a day late, with customer service perpetually telling me I have the date wrong. Aviva has now admitted to the Ombudsman that "we always add a day". I believe they have also altered residual value calculations, so that my estate will get less than it should when I die. Essentially, by delaying payment by a day and probably taking at least a week off residual value, Aviva are diminishing the value of my annuity by at least 2.4%. I firmly believe it is illegal to change the T&Cs of an annuity already in payment, and am waiting to hear what, if anything, the Pensions Regulator will do to address Aviva's daylight robbery. The point is, if Aviva is doing this to all the annuities it has bought, it will add up to tens of millions of pounds added to Aviva's profits - and taken away from annuitants. If you are in the same position as me, make a formal complaint to the Regulator; the Ombudsman is restricted in what they can do about this blatant daylight robbery. Reviewed on: 20th June 2024

Shameful service and company

1
I’ve been waiting for 2 months to get my policies paid out. I received an email 2 days ago saying that the one policy has decreased in value by 37%. Still no payout. Customer agents don’t tell the truth. Polite but untruthful. Can’t believe anything they tell you. So utterly useless. I have no words left. Reviewed on: 16th April 2024

Aviva , Amatures when it comes to Penisons !

1
I transferred my pension from Aviva because I just couldn’t take anymore of their sheer incompetence. They may well receive good r3views on insurance , as this is much more their expertise , as for Pensions , they are merely in a training room when dealing with Administrating your pension . It takes ages to explain exactly what you would like from the call , then transferred all over the place ! Then it can take anything up to 1 month for a basic fund switch ! Aviva need to get their act together, people lose money inbetween investing. Very Poor indeed ! Reviewed on: 18th March 2024

If you want to be lied to and misinformed then Aviva...

1
If you want to be lied to and misinformed then Aviva Pension are the company to go with . Absolutely abysmal Reviewed on: 15th March 2024

Poor pension performance as value fell dramatically.

1
Poor pension performance as value fell dramatically. Reviewed on: 11th March 2024

Good pension product

5
I have had a pension with Aviva for over 15 years. Easy online access to check on pension performance, make additional contributions and even make an UFPLS wiithdrawal. I thoroughly recommend Aviva pensions. Reviewed on: 3rd March 2024

Aviva fund genocide

1
I have a company pension with Aviva but I'm very upset they invest in and support the genocide in Palestine where living people are being run over in bulldozers and people literally starving to death are being shot while they wait for a bag of flour. I wrote and complained to them about this and they didn't even both to contact me back at all. Reviewed on: 29th February 2024

Had an old pension with Aviva - was only worth 3k.

1
Had an old pension with Aviva - was only worth 3k. Applied to lift the money in October 2023 and I'm still waiting. Correspondence has been terrible. I would honestly never recommend them to anyone! Next step is the Financial Ombudsman office. Reviewed on: 18th January 2024

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