The DB Normal Retirement Age (NRA) under the Scheme is 65, although you can choose to take your benefits at any age from 55 to 75. Some members may have paid the additional 3% to retain the earliest age to draw an unreduced DB pension (this is age 60 for the majority). In some cases the Trustee and/or HSBC need to agree to you taking your benefits early (see your DB member guide and, if applicable, the 2009 Change leaflet).
You don’t have to take your DB and DC benefits at the same time but you’ll need to if you want to take your tax-free cash lump sum from your DC pension pot.
If you don’t take your DB and DC benefits at the same time, or you have some of your DC pension pot left after taking your tax-free cash, you can use these in other ways. You’ll be told about your options when you decide to take your benefits.
Your DC pension pot will have a Target Retirement Age (TRA) of 65 unless you choose a different age in My Pension.
However, if you paid Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)/bonus sacrifice or were still paying AVCs into the DC investment funds as at 30 June 2015 you’ll already have a TRA and your DC pension pot from 1 July 2015 will target the same TRA (unless you decide to change it in My Pension).
You may want to think about what age you want to take your DB and DC benefits so that you can target your DC investment choices to that age. If you want to view or update your TRA for your DC pension pot simply log on to My Pension.
Taking your benefits
Planning for your retirement
Set your Target Retirement Age
For more information on taking your benefits see the examples in the ‘Your DB and DC pension benefits working together’ (4.6MB, PDF) in our Information Centre.
You can set your Target Retirement Age in My Pension.You’ll need your username and password to log in unless you're on the HSBC network and then you can click here.
Tax-free cash video
As a hybrid member, you can choose whether you want to take your DB pension and DC pension pot together or separately. If you take them at the same time, you may be able to use your DC pension pot towards your overall tax-free cash lump sum. If you want to know more about how much tax-free cash you could take, there’s an easy way to estimate it. Why not watch this video today and find out more.
Choosing how to take your DB pension benefits
As a deferred hybrid member, when you decide you want to take your benefits, your DB pension will be calculated using two methods and you’ll receive whichever one produces the highest pension.
Either:
1. A pension based on your DB pensionable service up to 30 June 2015 and your DB pensionable salary at date of leaving HSBC (which will include any salary increases from 1 July 2015). This will then be revalued in line with the Scheme rules to help protect your pension against inflation.
or
2. A pension based on your DB pensionable service and DB pensionable salary as at 30 June 2015, revalued in line with the Scheme rules as if you left service (to help protect your pension against the impact of inflation) from 1 July 2015 up to your retirement date.
For more information on taking your benefits see the examples in the ‘Your DB and DC pension benefits working together’ (4.6MB, PDF) in our Information Centre.
Choosing how to take your DC pension pot
The majority of hybrid members will look to take their DC pot as part of their overall tax-free cash.
Generally you can take up to 25% of the total value of your benefits (up to the Lifetime Allowance) from the Scheme as a tax-free cash sum. To work out what that is, the value of your DB pension and the money in your DC pension pot are added together.
If the value of your DC pension pot is 25% or more of the total value of your Scheme benefits, you can take your maximum tax-free cash from that (provided you take your DB and DC benefits at the same time) – this means that you don’t have to give up any of your DB pension in exchange for cash if you don’t want to. Any DC pension pot left over can be used in other ways (such as to provide a further regular income or to transfer out and drawdown regular sums from) and you’ll be told about your options when you come to take your benefits.
If the value of your DC pension pot doesn’t cover the maximum tax-free cash sum you can take the remainder by exchanging part of your DB pension as well if you want to. If you do this, it will reduce the DB pension amount you receive.
You can use some or all of your DC pension pot to buy an income (called an annuity) with a provider if your choice. If you want to, you can take up to 25% of your DC pension pot (up to the Lifetime Allowance) as tax-free cash then use the rest towards securing an income. The income you'll get from your annuity depends on a number of things including:
- The value of your DC pension pot
- Annuity rates at the time you’re buying the income
- The type of annuity you choose – for example, you might want to include a pension for a spouse or civil partner in case they outlive you
- Whether you buy an annuity that increases or remains level
- Your health – if you’re in poor health you might be able to get a higher income (this is known as an impaired life annuity)
- Whether you wish your annuity to payments to continue to be paid to a dependant if you die during a specified period of time after the annuity starts (known as a guarantee period)
Take all your DC pension pot in one go. This option gives you the opportunity to take 25% — up to the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) — tax-free and the rest is then taxed at your marginal income tax rate* (taking benefits this way may affect any ‘means-tested’ benefits you might be entitled to). If you are entitled to a higher tax-free cash lump sum this cannot be taken as an UFPLS.
*HSBC’s Administration Team won’t have your tax code so you’ll pay tax at the emergency rate (i.e. without any personal allowances) on the cash amount over the tax-free limit. You’ll need to reclaim any overpaid tax yourself. You can find more information about this here or you can contact your HMRC office.
This is also called ‘flexi-access drawdown’. First, you’ll need to transfer your DC pension pot out of the Scheme to a provider offering a drawdown facility. Then you can take up to 25% of your DC pension pot (up to the Lifetime Allowance) as tax-free cash and invest the rest in one or more funds. These let you take income when you like, for example, monthly or on an irregular basis. You’ll pay tax on this income at your marginal income tax rate.
Alternatively, you can transfer your DC pension pot and 'drawdown' a series of cash lump sum payments taking 25% of each payment (up to the Lifetime Allowance) tax free with the rest of the payment being taxed at your marginal income tax rate.
‘Cash out’ and ‘drawdown’ DO NOT give you a guaranteed, regular income.
Money Purchase Annual Allowance
Taking all your DC pension pot (or any other money purchase savings you have) as cash, opting for flexible drawdown or taking reducing annuities when you’re over the age of 55 will trigger the Money Purchase Annual Allowance, for any future DC contributions you may make into other schemes.
You can find out more about the Money Purchase Annual Allowance and other limits on tax relief at the Money Advice Service.
Alternatively, you can transfer your DC pension pot and ‘drawdown’ a series of cash lump sum payments, taking 25% — up to the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) —of each payment tax-free with the rest of the payment being taxed at your marginal income tax rate.
Pension Wise
Pension Wise is backed by the Government.
It gives free, impartial guidance to help you understand your options and how they work.
The Money Advice Service
The Money Advice Service also offers free and impartial money advice. They’ve produced a guide 'Your pension - it’s time to choose', in conjunction with Pension Wise, which explains your choices.
Visit The Money Advice Service
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