There’s plenty of information at hand if you need it, to help you find out more about the Collective Plan.

You can read these documents on-screen, download and save them or print them out - just click on the document you want to look at from below. These documents will change from time to time so we recommend always accessing the documents from this page to make sure you’re looking at the most up to date version.

The Collective Plan's Handbook

Here you’ll find helpful information about the Collective Plan, created just for you. This website and the Collective Plan’s Handbook have been written with you in mind. They don’t give you any legal rights. Both the website and Handbook have been designed to give you some basic information about the Collective Plan, without getting into the kind of detail where you need to be a pensions expert or a lawyer to understand it. Sitting behind the website and Handbook is something called a ‘Trust Deed & Rules’. That’s the document that gives you legal rights, and it’s far more technical – it needs to be because it’s the legal document that governs the Collective Plan. It can change from time to time, so you need to check that you’re looking at an up to date version, and you can refer to it alongside this website and the Handbook. You can download the latest version here:

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)

You'll find all information around AVCs, like the AVC Handbook and the Fund Guide, on Scottish Widows.

The Collective Plan’s legal documents

Here you’ll find information that explains the nuts and bolts about the Collective Plan. These documents tend to be a bit more complex, as they’re legal documents that are needed to meet the requirements of running a pension scheme.

Other helpful documents

Below are documents which offer help on how to log into you Collective Plan member self-service account, and help explain your options.

When you retire, you get your income for life and lump sum from the Collective Plan. However, you do have other options available to you if you transfer your benefits in the Collective Plan to another provider. If you were to transfer, the income you receive could end up being lower than what you had built up in the Collective Plan. A transfer cannot be undone, and we strongly recommend you seek financial advice before making any decision. 

Page last updated 10 October 2024