Utmost Life and Pensions Recensioni 

I asked for a valuation of my policy on August 24th 2026. I did eventually speak to someone, but I would like a valuation in writing.

Gillian Ward

Postcode BR2 9GE

Utmost are ridiculously slow. Contacted then 1st September to drawdown on pension.....eventually after 4 weeks they send the paperwork...let's hope the market doesnt crash because these incompetents will cost a lot of money. Should not be allowed to run a pensions business like this

Failed to communicate my pension transfer from Equitable Life. They held my pension for 6 years knowing that the address they held for me was incorrect. Eventually decided to contact NHS Pensions for my correct address but in the meantime pension value had reduced. Staff are unhelpful and appear badly trained with no knowledge of the products. Complaints dept are argumentative and unprofessional
As per other reviews took ages to transfer my money requiring several stages of paperwork to be sent to them = 15 to 20 days then a further 5 to 10 days to complete the bank transfer. Other companies eg Aviva do these things so much quicker in line with modern communications and good customer service
Do not us this company for any financial products unless you wish to receive terrible service

Terrible communication from this company. Have been trying to sort out my AVC for a long while and they do not seem to care.

Wish I could rate Utmost at zero stars. Poor and dishonest management at Utmost Isle Man of offshore bonds in trust. We are trustees and beneficiaries of a two discounted gift trusts originally set up with Skandia, then managed by Old Mutual and finally Utmost. The trusts were in two offshore collective redemption bonds managed through Utmost Isle of Man. As beneficiaries we wanted to assign segments of these bonds to ourselves and redeem these. We did this 3 times. Each time we were given different conflicting advice by the customer service team as to how to fill in the complex forms. We were in fact blamed in two occasions for having made mistakes that would have required a new set of forms even though we were only following the instructions we had been given. We prevailed by proving that it was Utmost that had provided the guidance. They were shockingly - more than 3 months - late in paying out after a surrender and refused to accept full responsibility for their own administrative failings nor did they adequately compensate us for loss of earnings or interest. This was potentially a case for the FOS but we are too exhausted and fed up to continue. But not everyone can afford to miss out on several hundred pounds worth of earnings. A pithy letter was sent instead. They really need to get their act together. Meanwhile - AVOID anything to do with the Isle of Man office if you want to keep your sanity and not have unnecessary risks and delays in handling funds.

Shocking Company. I have spent 2 Years trying to transfer a small pension lump sum from Utmost to Nest.
Utmost put every barrier/delay/so-called procedures to ensure the money which is rightly mine is never transferred.
The fund performance is abysmal.
I have decided to lodge a formal complaint with the FSA and also write to the Government Pensions Minister to call for a formal investigation into Utmost.
AVOID AVOID AVOID - AS YOU CAN NEVER ACTUALLY ACCESS YOUR MONEY!!! That has been my experience for over 2 Years. Their fund performance is ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL!!!

24 Mar 2026
I help my client Mr KC Wong ask for the surrender value. My first email sent to Utmost is 24 Mar. I also call Utmost Customer services on 27 Mar morning but helpless. Customer services stated that they cannot do anything over the phone and I would have to await a response from the email in 10-16 working days, even longer. It's unbelievable how difficult it is to review the surrender value and get a form. We send the same request to another insurance company local in the UK, they always responses us within 48 hours.

-Updated on 1 Apr 2026-
I got forms and information. Emma is very helpful.

-Updated on 10 Apr 2026-
All forms completed and sent to Utmost via email.

-Updated on 16 Apr 2026-
Confirm payment

Overall we are happy with the service.

I deal with Utmost (earlier Generali) for their Utmost Worldwide plan. I have signed necessary documents so cannot state from legal perspective that I was not aware but the agents selling this make sure you do not understand the fees being collected by them. It is extremely high. After servicing 10 years of payment, I received bonus USD 6K which was more than appropriated under administration charges. Infact, the charges was more than USD 6K. If you are stuck with them, like I am, I am continuing since the surrender charge is high but if you can avoid, please do.

I am very happy either way the performance of my investment with Utmost.

Online access needs a bit of work esp for former Reliance pensions but otherwise my experience with Utmost was very good. They took on my Equitable pension and managed a reasonable return and also my former Reliance SERPS. I was always pleasantly surprised at how the latter performed. When it came to transferring the funds to an annuity provider this happened startingly quick. In fact I asked for the transfer to occur ASAP, expecting delays of weeks. It all happened in a matter of days! Good on the phone too.

Slowest Conpany to claim pension monies from. Aviva sent me forms and monies same day I responded with signing of forms. Its is now weeks since Utmost sorted this (and Im still waiting). Found the people there I spoke to unhelpful and stroppy also

Utmost pan Europe. 2015 and 2016. Account still active. Accepted false instruments from a Guernsey trustee without question and issued a policy in their favour with two people as lives assured without their consent. Accepted large sums of money with inaccurate and missing SOF/SOW despite asking the Guernsey Trustee for it. Accepting documentation with forged signatures. Trying to extract 230,000 Euros from an account without the clients knowledge or permission. Despite being sent hard evidence, including forensic reports, still have the account and still charging fees and still allowing churning of assets. The account is still in a persons name that has been deceased since December 2016. It was my father in law. Utmost continues to refuse to correspond. You issued a policy to a Guernsey trustee following the receipt of false instruments and accepted large sums of money in different currencies with missing bank documentation despite your organisation asking fot it. You are responsible for documentation received from 3rd parties. The buck stops with Utmost so please don't palm us off to another jurisdiction.
The account is still showing the name of the life assured who has been dead since December 2016. should this account now show the relevant life assured who is still alive? You have been told he is deceased.

To be clear, the policy is my father in laws not mine. He has been deceased since 2016.

Thank you Laura, Everything has been dealt with so i have increased the experience rating. Excellent .Paul

Utmost want you to print off forms & post in when others happy for security questions & can do in email. Suffering from ill health at moment do cannot do this. Just want to see online and find out process to take some pension at 55.

We have spent over a year trying to assign the last part of our policy to our youngest son but we got only delays, pointless questions and nonsense letters about payments closed long ago. With gold rule, no problem.

I foolishly trusted them with my savings. They forced me to put money into account, and now I can't get a single penny back. My account has been deactivated, so I can't try to process a withdrawal. They control the withdrawal completely. I am delighted I enrolled on Way‍mine I found them transparent and what they said from day one about withdrawal is what I have seen.

Admin really slow! How can you make sensible investment/pensions decisions when they're taking over 10 days to respond AND their online offering is pathetic?
Time to move funds elsewhere, I think.

Steer far from this platform, they are very manipulative and dubious, it's obvious they are designed to lure and steal from their users. I am a victim and I won't want others to fall into the same scam. Being with PAIVA has been the best decision I took. They are trustworthy and my returns has been steady.

I Phoned them gave instructions to switches my pension investments.

WHICH THEY DID NOT.

SO LOST ME MONEY ££

** THROUGH THEIR INCOMPETENCE MISMANAGEMENT **

Very slow to respond to initial enquiry regarding a cash withdrawal request from MY pension pot. Customer services stated that they cannot do anything over the phone and I would have to await a response from the message I sent on their website (10 days ago at present!). It seems I am in for a lengthy, drawn out process to access MY money…..

Thank you Laura
I have emailed you with the details as requested and await your response

Hello Laura
Yes, it was sent on 04.09.25 at 16.34pm. I have just re sent it again?

Hello
Yes I have checked the email address is correct? The message is also in your online portal.

Hello Laura
Thank you for sending the relevant documents. I have returned the completed forms which I believe are required, but please do let me know ASAP if you need anything further as I do not want any further delays with this.
Thank you for your assistance,