Write a review

Scottish Widows: Pension reviews

Name: Pension
Rating: 1.24 (66 reviews)

View other Scottish Widows products

1.14

Based on 66 reviews, last reviewed 31st Aug 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

300% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

4 star

3 star

2 star

94%

Latest highest rating:

5

Great customer and digital services Switched all my pensions to my workplace pension with Scottish Widows. Such a smooth process, I was kept well informed throughout. Their app is great,... Read more Reviewed on: 12th January 2022

Latest lowest rating:

1

58% loss in Scottish Widow's P.ension I have lost 58% of the value of my Scottish Widows Pension in the last 5 years, and in writing Scottish Widows have advised they see no issue with the... Read more Reviewed on: 31st August 2025

Read all reviews Write a review

About this product

Scottish Widows pension reviews written by Smart Money People like you. For many of us, our pension is an important part of our financial future. Finding a pension provider that you can trust and rely on is a must for many people. Take a look at our Scottish Widows pension reviews to find out what life at Scottish Widows is really like. If you hold this pension, we'd love you to write an honest review here too!

Review Scottish Widows: Pension now

Help others make smarter decisions by sharing your own experience.

Write a review

Scottish Widows Pension reviews (66)

A joke of a company

I moved jobs in Sept 22. My employer has a pension with SW. I filled in forms my employer sent and these were sent over to SW - 3 times now as of yesterday! My employer has made 2 monthly contributions on my behalf so far (Oct and Nov). However, SW have no policy number for me having emailed, filled in forms and spoken to them on the telephone countless times since i started my new job, its now 07 Dec 2022. I was given a different email address today to contact: lpc.aftersalesATscottishwidows.co.uk I was unable to deliver your message to the following addresses: lpc.aftersalesATscottishwidows.co.uk Reason: 550 #5.1.0 Address rejected. All I want is the number so I can transfer my previous employment's pension in. If I had a choice I wouldn't have a pension with this company - if you do have a choice AVOID Reviewed on: 7th December 2022

Jokers

On the phone for over an hour...passed to three people. Then still nothing was sorted out .I'm very angry. They are absolutely useless Reviewed on: 24th November 2022

Disgraceful performance

My Scottish Widows pension fund - in what they term 'Retirement Account' has tumbled in value over the last 12 months, losing £20,000 of it's original £150,000. The losses didn't happen at a specific moment in time but gradually over the entire 12 months. I'm no finance genius, but why didn't the fund managers remove the money from whatever they were invested in and put it under a mattress? My other pension with Lansdown Hargreaves has grown over the period - so justify that SW? Reviewed on: 18th November 2022

Terrible company

My ex employer moved my workplace pension over to Scottish widows. The Communisis Trustees took it upon themselves to change my fund choices without my consent. In 16 months my pension pot has fallen by £10,000. Scottish Widows refuse to do anything about it, they are really not bothered but are quite happy to take their % from me all the same. Do they actually have fund managers that know what they are doing. Stay well clear if you don’t want to lose your money. Reviewed on: 14th November 2022

Awful Customer Service

The website seldom works properly so you need to phone them. And when you phone them it is as if no one works there. I have been chasing a transfer in for 9 weeks now and nobody knows anything and the shorted time I have been on hold is 40 minutes. It is regularly over 1 hour on hold just to speak to someone. Avoid at all costs, I am trying to move away from them to a different provider. Reviewed on: 26th October 2022

Not sure if anyone acually works there?

1 hour 20 mins on the main customer service line andand addsional 30 minutes on the complaints number and no answer? This is a auful customer service for a financial comany. Reviewed on: 18th October 2022

Losing my money hand over fist.

Whatever you do, do not put your pension in the hand of Scottish Widows. I have lost 35% of my small pension pot. All you get from their customer services is that pots go down as well as up. That is all well and good but when you are due to retire in 3 months, that is not much help. Their fund manager do not manager your workplace pension very well. If I could have given them no stars I would. Reviewed on: 16th October 2022

Very poor company

At present my pension pot has lost 35% of its value in the last 10 months. I've only two months to go until I reach pensionable age. Normally pension pots are put into safe investments for the last year. Scottish widows have transferred 80% of my pension into their pension protector fund. This fund is one of the worst performing of any company over this period. (Down 42%)Having tracked my pot over the last 5 days things are getting worse. On current trajectory there will be no funds left. Have complained to sw but only get the usual response letter saying its not their fault and I could pay for an independent financial advisor to tell me why sw fund managers have made such poor investment decisions. Next step is the ombudsman, though not holding out much hope after reading some other reviews on this site. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

keep away from this company at all cost

this compay is a complete joke . some of my pension is missing and i have been trying to get old of some for nearly a month . they dont answer the phones or just cut you of . i have even complained to they complain departmensand they have not even got back to me . its a terrible company please keep well away . Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

Very disappointed and angry

In October 2021 my stakeholder pension was worth £77k. Despite having added £7k to it in the last 10 months it is now worth £62.5k. In real terms this is decrease of over £21k or 27%. Disgusted is not he word especially as I opted for a cautious approach. I understand that pensions are not performing as they have in the past but no warning was given by SW that is was sooo bad. It is only now that I have received my statement that I have been told to review my investment. Disgusted with SW. Reviewed on: 6th October 2022

Do you have a different Scottish Widows product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Personal pension
from Moneybox app 4.97 from 200 reviews
Pension
from SAUL 0.00 from 0 reviews
Pension
from LV (Liverpool Victoria) 5.00 from 2 reviews

Want to see more from Scottish Widows?

Mortgage
from Scottish Widows 4.71 from 3 reviews
ISA
from Scottish Widows 4.50 from 2 reviews
Life Insurance
from Scottish Widows 3.88 from 7 reviews

View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub