Aegon is one of the UK’s largest pension, investment, and retirement providers, with approximately three million customers. People come to Aegon through many different routes: an auto-enrolled workplace pension through an employer, a personal SIPP they opened directly, a Cofunds investment platform account, a policy on the Aegon Retirement Choices (ARC) or One Retirement platform, or an annuity paying regular income in retirement. Because the product range is broad and the contact routes vary by product, dealing with an Aegon account after someone dies can feel complicated.
The process itself is straightforward once you know which product the deceased held and which team to call. This guide walks you through each product type, the correct contact details, what documents you will need, and what happens to the money.
Quick reference:
- Pensions and bonds (Scottish Equitable/Aegon branded): 03456 100 010, Monday–Friday 8:30am–5:30pm
- Aegon Platform (ISAs, GIAs, adviser-placed pensions): 03456 044 001
- ARC/One Retirement/Retiready: 03456 081 680
- Online bereavement page: aegon.co.uk/support/additional-support/bereavements
Source: Aegon bereavement page, verified May 2026.
How to contact Aegon
Aegon does not have a single universal bereavement number. The right number depends on which product the deceased held – pensions, platform investments, and ARC/retirement plans each have separate teams.
Pensions and bonds (Scottish Equitable/Aegon branded)
Call 03456 100 010 (or +44 131 378 3000 from abroad), Monday to Friday, 8:30am–5:30pm. This covers workplace pensions (Group Personal Pensions), personal pensions, and bonds branded as Aegon or Scottish Equitable. Write to: Aegon, Sunderland, SR43 4DS.
Aegon Platform (formerly Cofunds)
Call 03456 044 001 or email apcustomercare@aegon.co.uk. This covers investment accounts (ISAs, GIAs, and adviser-placed pensions) on the Aegon Platform, which was previously known as Cofunds or Investor Portfolio Service (IPS). Write to: Aegon Platform Administration, Sunderland, SR43 4DN.
ARC, One Retirement, and Retiready
Call 03456 081 680 or email arccustomercare@aegon.co.uk. This covers accounts on the Aegon Retirement Choices (ARC) platform, One Retirement, and the Retiready self-service pension product. Write to: Aegon, Sunderland, SR43 4DL.
TargetPlan
Call 03456 01 77 21 or email my.pension@aegon.co.uk. TargetPlan is an older group pension product used by some employers.
What to have ready when you call
When you call, have the following to hand. You do not need all of this – Aegon can search their records from the deceased’s name and date of birth alone:
- The deceased’s full name, date of birth, and last address
- Date of death
- Your full name, address, and relationship to the deceased
- Any policy, plan, or account reference numbers, if you can find them
- The deceased’s National Insurance number (useful but not essential)
Aegon will log the death, stop any regular payments or communications, and explain what paperwork they need you to send. They ask for the original death certificate by post; originals are returned safely.
You can also use Life Ledger or DeathBell to notify Aegon along with other financial providers in a single submission, though these services may not cover every Aegon product type. It is safer to contact Aegon directly to ensure the correct team is notified.
Aegon product types: what you might be claiming
Aegon is unusual among pension providers in that it operates several distinct platforms. What you are claiming – and how you claim it – depends on which product the deceased held.
Workplace pension (Group Personal Pension)
Many employees are auto-enrolled into an Aegon Group Personal Pension (GPP) through their employer. The employer chooses the scheme; the employee builds up a defined contribution pot over time. When the member dies, death benefits are paid at the discretion of the scheme trustees, guided by any expression of wishes (nomination form) on file.
If the deceased died before age 75, the lump sum can usually be paid tax-free to nominated beneficiaries. If they died at age 75 or over, any payment is taxed as income at the recipient’s marginal rate. (Source: gov.uk – tax on a private pension you inherit)
Personal pension and SIPP
Aegon offers personal pensions and a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) on both the Aegon Platform and the ARC platform. The SIPP allows for a wider range of investments including commercial property. The death benefit process mirrors that of workplace pensions: trustees (or Aegon as scheme administrator) pay at their discretion, guided by any nomination form on file.
If the deceased was already drawing an income from their SIPP (in drawdown), any remaining fund can transfer to a nominated beneficiary’s own pension as a “drawdown continuation,” or be taken as a lump sum. This is sometimes called inherited drawdown.
Aegon Platform (formerly Cofunds) – ISAs and GIAs
The Aegon Platform hosts individual savings accounts (ISAs) and general investment accounts (GIAs). These sit inside the estate, unlike pensions. When an investor dies:
- ISAs lose their tax-exempt status from the date of death. The funds are moved into an equivalent GIA within the investor’s account while the estate is administered. Inherited ISA allowances may be available to a surviving spouse or civil partner – they can make an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) equal to the value of the deceased’s ISA. (Source: gov.uk – ISAs when the account holder dies)
- GIAs form part of the estate and pass under the will or intestacy rules.
Contact the Aegon Platform team (03456 044 001) for these accounts. Probate may be required before assets can be distributed – see the probate section below.
Annuities in payment
If the deceased was receiving annuity income from an Aegon annuity, payments stop on death. Whether anything passes to a beneficiary depends on the type of annuity:
- A single life annuity simply ends – no further payments.
- A joint life annuity continues to pay a reduced income to the surviving spouse or civil partner, at the rate set when the annuity was purchased (typically 50%, 67%, or 100%).
- An annuity with a guarantee period continues paying until the end of the guaranteed term, even if the annuitant has died, with payments going to the estate or nominated beneficiary.
- An annuity with a value protection feature returns the remaining capital (less income already received) to the estate.
Check the annuity policy documents carefully, as the terms vary. Contact the pensions and bonds team on 03456 100 010 for annuities.
Aegon Retirement Choices (ARC) and One Retirement
ARC is Aegon’s comprehensive retirement platform, typically accessed through a financial adviser. It can hold a SIPP, ISA, GIA, and onshore bond within a single wrapper. Death benefits for the pension element are handled the same way as a standard SIPP – paid at Aegon’s discretion, guided by nomination. The ISA and GIA elements form part of the estate. Contact the ARC team on 03456 081 680.
Expression of wish and nominations
The expression of wishes form (also called a nomination form) is the most important document in the death benefits process. It tells Aegon’s trustees who you would like to receive your pension pot if you die. Aegon trustees are not legally bound to follow it – they have discretionary power – but in practice they almost always honour the nomination, particularly when the form is up to date and there are no competing claims.
Why nominations matter
Because pension trustees hold the money outside the estate, the pension pot does not automatically follow the will. A nomination form is the only way to signal your wishes directly. Without one, Aegon must investigate the member’s circumstances, contact next of kin, and make their own assessment – a process that takes longer and may not reflect what the deceased would have wanted.
Nominations should be reviewed whenever circumstances change: marriage, divorce, birth of children, or the death of a previously nominated beneficiary.
Updating a nomination
Aegon provides nomination forms for download on its website: the death benefits nomination form for direct customers. ARC customers have a separate form. Nominations can also be updated by contacting Aegon directly.
The two-year rule
If Aegon is not notified of a member’s death within two years, discretionary lump sum payments may lose their tax-free status (for deaths before age 75) and become subject to income tax. Notify Aegon promptly after a death, even if you are not ready to make a formal claim. (Source: Aegon – the two-year rule)
April 2027 – inheritance tax change
Under current rules (for deaths before 6 April 2027), pension pots held in discretionary trust are outside the estate and not subject to inheritance tax. This changes from 6 April 2027: under the Finance Act 2026, unused pension funds and most pension death benefits will become subject to inheritance tax as part of the deceased’s estate for deaths on or after that date. This is a significant change. For estates with large pension pots, it may affect overall inheritance tax liability. Anyone holding a large Aegon pension would be wise to seek advice from a pension specialist or independent financial adviser before that date. (Source: gov.uk – inheritance tax on unused pension funds and death benefits)
What documents you will need
The documents required depend on the product type and the value of the estate.
| Document | When required |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Always – for all Aegon products. Aegon asks for the original by post and returns it. |
| Completed Aegon claim form | Always – Aegon sends this after initial notification |
| Your proof of identity | For most claims, especially where you are the beneficiary |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Required for investment accounts (ISA, GIA) forming part of the estate; not required for pension death benefits paid at discretion |
| Completed expression of wishes form (if available) | Helpful to include if you have it – speeds up the trustees' decision |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | May be requested where the claim involves a spouse's entitlement under a joint annuity or joint life arrangement |
Probate and investment accounts
Most Aegon pension products sit outside the estate – Aegon as scheme administrator holds pension funds under a discretionary trust, so probate is not required before the trustees decide to make a payment. This is true for workplace pensions, SIPPs, personal pensions, and ARC pension accounts.
However, investment accounts (ISAs and GIAs on the Aegon Platform) do form part of the estate. If the total non-pension estate value requires probate – which depends on the overall size of the estate and the institution’s own requirements – Aegon will ask to see the grant of probate or letters of administration before releasing these assets.
For small estates, Aegon’s platform has historically worked with a small estate declaration or statutory declaration for lower-value accounts, though thresholds are not published publicly. Speak to the Aegon Platform team (03456 044 001) to understand what they need for a specific estate.
For full guidance on when probate is needed and how to apply, see our guide to what happens to a pension when someone dies and the probate section of this site.
How long it takes
Aegon does not publish specific timeframes, as each case varies by product, complexity, and whether there are competing nominations. Typical timescales in practice:
| Product | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Workplace pension (GPP) – simple case, clear nomination | 4–8 weeks from receipt of all documents |
| Personal pension / SIPP – clear nomination | 4–8 weeks from receipt of all documents |
| SIPP – complex case (multiple beneficiaries, no nomination, large estate) | 3–6 months or longer |
| Annuity in payment – joint life or guaranteed period | 2–4 weeks once death certificate received |
| ISA / GIA on Aegon Platform – probate required | Depends on probate timeline; weeks once grant received |
The two-year rule means it is always worth notifying Aegon quickly, even if you are not yet ready to make a full claim. An early notification preserves the tax position; paperwork can follow.
Things to watch out for
Cofunds vs. Aegon Platform. Before 2017, many adviser-arranged investments were held on Cofunds, a separate platform that Aegon subsequently acquired and rebranded as the Aegon Platform. If the deceased held investments with “Cofunds” appearing on statements from before 2017, these are now part of the Aegon Platform. The contact number is the same (03456 044 001).
Multiple platforms, one company. The deceased may have had both a workplace pension through an employer (on the standard Aegon/Scottish Equitable system) and a SIPP or ISA through an adviser (on the Aegon Platform or ARC). These are separate systems with separate teams. Checking one does not reveal the other – you may need to contact more than one team.
Adviser-placed vs. direct policies. Many Aegon pensions were arranged through a financial adviser rather than directly. If the deceased had an adviser, their firm may have access to the account and can assist with notification and the claim process. If the adviser has since retired or the firm has closed, contact Aegon directly.
No nomination on file. If the deceased never completed an expression of wishes form, Aegon’s trustees must investigate and decide who should receive the pension pot. This takes longer and the trustees will gather evidence about the deceased’s family circumstances. You can help by providing information about dependants and the deceased’s stated wishes, even if not formally documented.
Pension tracing. If you are not certain whether the deceased had an Aegon pension, use the Pension Tracing Service (free, via gov.uk) and search for “Aegon” and “Scottish Equitable.” You can also search by former employer name if you know where the deceased worked. For a full walkthrough, see our Pension Tracing Service guide.
Retiready closure. Retiready was Aegon’s direct-to-consumer pension service, launched in 2013 and subsequently wound down. Many Retiready policyholders were migrated to ARC. If statements reference Retiready, contact the ARC team on 03456 081 680.
Summary
Aegon’s breadth of products – workplace pensions, SIPPs, ARC platform accounts, Cofunds/Aegon Platform investments, and annuities – means there may be more than one team to contact. Start with the bereavement page at aegon.co.uk/support/additional-support/bereavements to identify the right contact route, or call the main pensions line on 03456 100 010 if you are unsure which product the deceased held.
Pension death benefits sit outside the estate and bypass probate in most cases. Act promptly – the two-year rule means delays can affect the tax treatment of any payment.
For related guides, see:
- What happens to a pension when someone dies – the full overview of UK pension death benefits, tax treatment, and probate
- How to notify Hargreaves Lansdown when someone dies – for clients holding HL SIPPs, ISAs, or fund accounts
- How to claim an Aviva pension when someone dies – workplace pensions, personal pensions, and annuities
- What to do after a death – the full checklist of organisations to notify