Mark 999

That article only explains what happens if you have flexibly accessed your pension pot. It does not answer my question "Have I taken flexible retirement income?" The Firefighters Pension Scheme is a defined benefit occupational pension scheme, if that helps answer the question. But as allowed under the rules of the scheme I took 25% tax free lump sum. Is that action defined as a flexibling accessing my pension pot? Thanks

I'm 55 and I have recently retired from the fire service for which I worked part time and I’m now receiving a pension. I took the 25% tax free lump sum. But I still work full time job and pay into a pension for that job. Normally the annual allowance for payments into a pension is £40,000, but I understand it reduces to £4,000, if you have taken flexible retirement income. I have retired at the usual age for my part time job, under the scheme rules. Have I taken flexible retirement income? According to https://www.gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/annual-allowance, it just says your annual allowance might be lower if you have: flexibly accessed your pension pot a high income