HMRC’s April 2026 edition of the pension scheme newsletter
Pension Scheme Newsletter 180 covers the following:
- Pension scheme return (PSR);
- Lifetime allowance protection and enhancements;
- Digitisation of relief at source (DigiRAS);
- Relief at source returns;
- Pension schemes migration to the Managing pension schemes service;
- Normal minimum pension age;
- Pension flexibility statistics;
- Registration statistics.
Areas of particular interest:
Normal Minimum Pension age – transitional regulations
In previous pensions scheme newsletters HMRC have explained that they are working on transitional regulations covering the increase in the normal minimum pension age from age 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028.
Broadly, the intention is that the transitional regulations will allow those who have reached age 55 (but not 57) on or before 5 April 2028 to continue to receive any pensions already in payment or take withdrawals from any funds already in drawdown as if they were aged 57. However no new crystallisations will be permitted until they reach age 57.
Pension flexibility statistics
The latest statistics on the number of tax repayment claims processed for pension flexibility payments.
From 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026, HMRC processed:
- P55 — 9,291 forms;
- P53Z — 4,048 forms;
- P50Z — 603 forms.
Total value repaid: £44,139,097.55.
The total number of claims has reduced by just under 9% over the same period in 2025 while the total value of the claims has remained almost the same. The average reclaim in this period was £3,165.
Registration statistics
For 2025/26, HMRC received in total 2,421 applications to register new pension schemes. Of these schemes, 54% have been registered and 33% of applications were refused. No decision has been made on the remainder yet.