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Scottish Widows: Pension reviews

Name: Pension
Rating: 1.26 (62 reviews)

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1.17

Based on 62 reviews, last reviewed 21st Mar 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

200% 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

Everything was a struggle. Everything was a struggle. Two GDPR breaches. Still pending information on why the plan performance was so dire. Reviewed on: 21st March 2025

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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!

Scottish Widows Pension reviews (62)

Review of the Scottish Widows, Pension:

Pension Protector fund - what a scandalous misnomer!

My Pension Fund certainly wasn't "protected" by Scottish Widows. Being able to see the value of my pension every time I logged into my LIoyds Bank account, I watched the value of the fund fall over the past two years and then take a nosedive through this summer. When I cashed-in the fund in late September this year, the value had been eroded by around 30 per cent. The poor performance of my fund was matched by the service I received from Scottish Widows staff. Several telephone hours were spent being passed from person to person and holding on their telephone service. This caused many days delay to activating the termination of my fund, whilst its value was continuing to fall. Further incompetence and lack of professionalism was displayed in errors to my final confirmation letter from Scottish Widows. This appalling custodianship of peoples' pensions is scandalous. Reviewed on: 19th December 2022

Scottish Widows are shockingly bad

I'm 56 and I was considering drawing down some funds this year. I had planned and hence I moved my Scottish Widows Uk stock market tracker pension to their balanced and supposedly lower risk Pension Portfolio 2 and 4 Series 2 in Nov 21 trusting those clever SW manager folk (led by Philip chandler) to protect the pension pot I had with them. Now in May 2022 they have lost a £1000 a week in their lower risk funds -??? I have complained to Scottish Widows who responded Brexit has impacted fund values (sorry I do not accept from Nov 21 to May 22 brexit has caused them to lose my fund £1000 a week from their managed balanced and lower risk funds what a ridiculous response) So I have complained now to the Ombudsman. Will update with any developments but my view is do not go near Scottish Widows as a pension manager. See update above I am hoping to meet my local MP next two weeks to raise these concerns Reviewed on: 22nd May 2022

Pension lost 8%

I have 2 pension pots my large one is with the Prudential which is still performing at around a 4.8% return. My second pension pot is the smaller and with Scottish Widows. This is currently returning a loss of around -1.9% and has caused me to lose slightly over 8% in the last 4 months. So glad that the Scottish Widows pension is only a small one and not one on which I rely. Reviewed on: 4th May 2022

DONT USE THEM

Move a pension to them , everytime i need to take to them it takes a hour waiting for someone to answer , today i spent 45 minutes waiting , agent answers , then asks a few questions and dumps me back in the queue for another 20 minutes then call ends . Disgrace you should be ashamed , last straw for me im moving my pension Reviewed on: 8th April 2022

Frustrating

Would have been quicker to paint forth bridge than get pension out Reviewed on: 3rd April 2022

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, showing me what I need to know and providing thorough information on financial wellbeing. Feel like they are going above and beyond to help people help themselves. Reviewed on: 12th January 2022

Great Eco Product

I got pension 25 years ago and it slowly rose in value, with climate change it surged nearly 25% this year. Ethical investing pays. Reviewed on: 9th October 2021

Very poor in all aspects.

I have two pensions. One with Scottish Widows (Clerical Medical), the other with Aviva. In comparison, SW/CM were exceptionally poor on all fronts, when compared with the competition. Over 20 years their investment return was a fraction of others, their record keeping and sharing of investment data is secretive, and suspiciously absent, and now their customer service provides delays and lip service. Mark Radin. Reviewed on: 28th September 2020

Par Excellence

First class customer service, clear honest transactions, future advice and transparency. Options discussed, and a tailor made service to meet your needs. Reviewed on: 4th February 2019

Don't waste your money

Dug meat company don't waste your time or your money with a company which does not invest in its staff or technology. Lloyds banking group try to run this as a bank and do not invest any time or resources into this once successful firm Reviewed on: 17th July 2018

Straight forward

Nice clear website and communications from this company Reviewed on: 5th September 2016

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