Standard Life UK Reviews 

1,747
TrustScore 3 out of 5

3.0

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 414 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Consumers frequently mention that transferring pensions from one provider to another is a straightforward process handled efficiently by the team. Many people genuinely appreciate the friendly and helpful staff members who clearly guide them through various administrative procedures without encountering too much trouble. Some reviewers were not happy with the overall customer service experience, noting that representatives frequently give incorrect information or completely fail to respond. Clients additionally experienced frustratingly long delays regarding important payments and fund transfers, with significant amounts of money remaining on hold for several months.

What people talk about most

Service

Clients share ambiguous opinions on service, with some reviewers describing it as appalling and dreadfully... See more

Customer service

People report negative experiences with customer_service, noting long waiting times and unhelpful... See more

Payment

Users describe negative interactions with payment, expressing deep frustration over prolonged delays and... See more

Response time

Customers consistently note negative experiences with response time, highlighting prolonged delays and a lack... See more

Staff

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of staff, presenting heavily divided experiences regarding their... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

SL have dealt with my pension and kept it simple, there is a personable person at the end of the phone, but what I also found great was their messaging service 😀 good work SL

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I took out a pension plan some time in the 1980's before online technology , all my correspondence since then has been via post. I recently tried to set up an online account which failed , I p... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Unbelievable customer service in a negative way 3 emails for an instruction to reduce direct debit -no response . 1 phone call to them from overseas for 50 mins with a commitment to res... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I didn’t choose Standard Life, my employer did. Having said that I have nothing but praise for them. I’ve consolidated pensions from 3 other companies into Standard Life without issue. The performance... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Non-Bank Financial Service
  2. Pension Office

Written by the company

Life is full of choices and Standard Life is here to help you make good ones with your life savings. We believe there’s a lot to look forward to.


Contact info

3.0

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

2K reviews

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No recent history of asking for reviews

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3.0

All reviews

(1,747)

420 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Good communication and clear…

Good communication and clear understanding of what action I needed to take to allow the transfer to proceed.

7 May 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Stephen. We’re pleased to hear of your positive experience with us. We value our customers’ input and want to thank you taking the time to leave us 4-stars. We’re keen to provide you with that 5-star experience we aim for so please let us know if there’s anything we can do to improve. Many thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Poor service and lack of communication?

Poor communication between Phoenix and Standard Life, not being informed of the correct process / procedures ( had 3 different answers from members of the same team?) Still waiting for my money after nearly 5 weeks , yes “My Money” Still waiting for a call from the Supervisor / Manager from a week ago?

1 May 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Nick. We’re sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience with us. We’re committed to providing you with great customer service and we’ll do all we can to make this right. We’ve sent an email through Trustpilot requesting some more information, as it will help us to look into your concerns and investigate further. Thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very helpful and understanding.…

From the beginning when I first called standard life for help with my pension to the end result every one I spoke to was very understanding and helpful as I recently experienced a brain hemorage making talking a difficult process,
Everyone was patient with me and helped me get all my ducks in a row,
Many thanks Mr A Drake.

21 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Thank you for your kind review Mr Drake. As a company, we’re always looking to exceed the expectations of our customers and we’re delighted this has been your experience. Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I transferred another pension to standard life

I transferred another pension to standard life and it could not have been eny earlier. One message was all I had to send. Thay said it could take between 4 and 6 weeks. It only took 2 so happy with how it was done

4 May 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Thank you for your kind review Peter. As a company, we’re always looking to exceed the expectations of our customers and we’re delighted this has been your experience. Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Promt response

Promt response, so far

29 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi James. We’re pleased to hear of your positive experience with us. We value our customers’ input and want to thank you taking the time to leave us 4-stars. We’re keen to provide you with that 5-star experience we aim for so please let us know if there’s anything we can do to improve. Many thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Standard Life plc: Using administrative traps to block a £32k pension

I am reviewing Standard Life plc (formerly Phoenix Group) for a systemic failure in group oversight. Their subsidiary, ReAssure, is currently withholding my £32,000 pension using a shameful administrative loop.

After a 10-month delay caused jointly by the Financial Ombudsman (FOS) and ReAssure, ReAssure is now claiming my Cambodian ID—which was valid when I submitted it—is now "expired." They are effectively weaponizing their own delays to block access to my funds.

CEO Andy Briggs MBE claims Standard Life is a "trusted brand" for retirement. In reality, his group is causing "foreseeable harm" to a 56-year-old customer by creating unreasonable barriers. This is a clear breach of the FCA Consumer Duty. I have rejected the FOS decision and will continue to hold Standard Life plc publicly accountable for this withholding of my money.

29 April 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Went on line and done a pension transfer

Went on line and done a pension transfer into standard life. It was so easy and even thou the other company said that I hadn’t gave the right information so the transfer couldn’t go through. Standard life got in contact with me via letter and told me what information was required, then the other company released my funds and it went through smoothly.

28 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

That’s great news Sharon and we’re glad to hear you had a great experience. Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Standard Life works well for me.

I didn’t choose Standard Life, my employer did. Having said that I have nothing but praise for them. I’ve consolidated pensions from 3 other companies into Standard Life without issue. The performance of my plan looks good even in current uncertain times. Admin fees are low too but that was a company group negotiation.

28 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Mr Heaton. We’re happy you’ve had a great experience with us and thank you for taking the time to leave us 5 stars. Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I had to give this organisation 1 star…

I had to give this organisation 1 star to write the review, but they are not even deservant of that. They have had my money since late march, and i have made several requests for drawdowns, both online, and on the phone. They don't want you accessing your own money basically. Ive had excuse after excuse, the latest one was a promise of a CHAPS payment, which as we all know, is a same day payment That was a week ago, and still nothing hits the account. Seriously, if anyone is reading this, i would advise you to choose a better provider, they are deliberately trying to prevent me accessing my money, with excuse after excuse. Truly awful to deal with.

10 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Incognito James. We’re sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience with us. We’re committed to providing you with great customer service and we’ll do all we can to make this right. We’ve sent an email through Trustpilot requesting some more information, as it will help us to look into your concerns and investigate further. Thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dealing with standard life Ireland

Dealing with standard life Ireland. Not one reply for basic information about my policy to 5 emails . 3 phone calls just fobed off. So disappointed with their lack of interest. Time to go to the ombudsman I think.

27 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Patrick. We’re sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience with us. We’re committed to providing you with great customer service and we’ll do all we can to make this right. We’ve sent an email through Trustpilot requesting some more information, as it will help us to look into your concerns and investigate further. Thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I was referred by Reassure

I was referred by Reassure, the person I spoke to was very helpful in pointing me in the right direction I needed to go.

10 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Edward. We’re happy you’ve had a great experience with us, and thank you for taking the time to leave us 5 stars. Nikki at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I applied to transfer a small pension…

I applied to transfer a small pension and it was done in one piece of correspondence. Brilliant service 👏

1 March 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi. We’re happy you’ve had a great experience with us, and thank you for taking the time to leave us 5 stars. Nikki at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Havnt paid me a penny sine I retired in2018

Took ealy retirement in2018 due to severe depression.Recieved my state pension and two small private pensions immediately ..apart from Standard life.Did get a form asking for my options e.g. lump sum or monthly pension. Never filled in form as by then i had been admitted to a psychiatric ward .Three years later received a letter telling me my pension date had been changed to 2024. Never recieved another form about my options,but three years later Received another letter saying i would now be getting my pension in2030??Spoke on phone and got nowher.Went on line as advised and changed retirement date back to April 17 th 2026 Today I received a letter NOT about options but telling me my retirement was now set for 2030 again ...so every time my pension is due they add another three or for years on...seems like some sort of fraud here..and I!m not the only one after reading these reviews.Spoke on the phone 3 times over the last couple of years and was passed from advisor to advisor each one only wanted me to talk to a finacial advisor...no help from Standard life with my options whatsoever.Spoke again on phone today apparently I'm getting a letter sent for my options even though I asked on the phone to cash this pension in! No doubt I will fill in this form and still not get "MY" money..Been waiting 8 years now while Standard life invests my money and take out admin fees etc..If no results from todays phone call will be taking legal action and consulting a solicitor because its pretty obvious they don't want to part with my money Disgusting firm

24 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Mr Watson. Thank you for taking the time to give your feedback. We’ve had a look into this and can see our Complaints team is investigating this for you. We recognise the importance of your query and our team will respond as quickly as possible. Many thanks for your patience, Nikki at Standard Life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Service

Easy, secure transactions when transferring pensions in. Great communication. Highly recommended.

23 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Satisfied Customer. We’re happy you’ve had a great experience with us and thank you for taking the time to leave us 5 stars. Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

update in addition to my review of 7/04/2026

update in addition to my review of 7/4/2026 ref my Annuity Policy signed in 1993 with Legal & General . According to ReAssure (Part of Standard Life) they had an Agreement with Legal & General that once my Annuity was due i was to be referred back to Legal & General for a fee and for them to fulfill my Annuity Contract. I approached Legal & General as directed by ReAssure (part of Standard Life) but Legal & General would also not fulfill my Annuity Contract as per 1993 Agreement i Signed with them , so something agreed between them or that affected them not to pay my annuity contract as per the 1993 Agreement, We know it was not retrospective legislation. But still neither will say what it is .?????

19 May 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I dont think i have ever successfully…

I dont think i have ever successfully logged on their website , even when i try to tell them my name , email,and date of birth its say its wrong , sort it out folks .We have paid into pensions for years , at least when need them in old age the least we should have access.

15 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Tex. We’re sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience with us. We’re committed to providing you with great customer service and we’ll do all we can to make this right. We’ve sent an email through Trustpilot requesting some more information, as it will help us to look into your concerns and investigate further. Thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I would go somewhere else, if I were you....

I have had to move my pension to Standard Life from ReAssure. I was given an estimated date for things to have happened by. We are now a month past that date and the only contact I have had from Standard Life is this chance to review them....

10 March 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Julian. We’re sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience with us. We’re committed to providing you with great customer service and we’ll do all we can to make this right. I can see you have spoken to one of my colleagues today. I trust matters are now resolved. Thanks, Shaun at Standard Life.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

On going issues since 02/04

Same as Review posted below by Penny . My regular monthly payment apparently failed on 02/04 , due to me on 09/04. I was never contacted to explain why my regular payment was not sent / failed. I have had to chase and chase via telephone and message service receiving the same reply of its being investigated or its being done manually which it obviously has not. I requested a call from Standard Life twice now to allow them to explain and update but no call received. This in my opinion is awful customer service. I have been a SL customer for many years and would expect much better.My regular monthly payment which was due on 09/04 still not paid 14/04 with no information as to when I may receive it.If a SL employee did not receive their salary on the allotted day I wonder how that would go ?.Now received my regular monthly payments showing April and May by ad hoc system not regular payment however…

On going issues. Now have more regular monthly payments showing in my transactions via SL app than I have received.Also , worryingly according to my inland revenue account I have received 4 payments this tax year. I have received 2. My app shows another payment dated yesterday which I have not received so in total 5 payments over April and May. That last showing payment is still to hit my IR account . I have noted this with IR. Over April and May I have received 2 payments. My account dropped just short of 3000.00 pounds overnight with a fund growth of 0.052 !!.It appears to me that transactions are being deducted from my account but I am not receiving them and Inland Revenue are being told I have had them !!.Call SL frequently and message only to be told my case is escalated. No one from SL calls me back (since 09/04) from the relevant department after countless promises.I have now requested no further payment leave my account. Next step press and ombudsman as what other recourse do I have.

14 April 2026
Unprompted review
Standard Life UK logo

Reply from Standard Life UK

Hi Ian. Thank you for taking the time to give your feedback. We’ve had a look into this and can see our Complaints team is investigating this for you. We recognise the importance of your query and our team will respond as quickly as possible. Many thanks for your patience, Shaun at Standard Life.

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