How long does a PODE report take? Pension report timescales explained
Quick answer
A PODE report can take anything from under 6 weeks to more than 6 months. This depends on the type of pensions, the complexity, how quickly pension providers supply the information and how long your Pension Sharing expert takes to analyse the information and produce your report.
Speed is crucial
We know how important it is to deliver your PODE report as soon as possible, so once we have all the required information we'll get your report back to you within 10 working days.
What needs to happen first
Before we can even begin the analysis, we need to gather the full picture. That includes:
Details of all pensions involved
Signed forms giving your permission for each pension provider to share information about your pensions with us
Confirmation of instruction and upfront initial payment
Once these things are sorted, we can start contacting the pension schemes to obtain the detailed information we require to fully understand your pensions.
Timescales by pension type
Provider response times are out of our direct control. But this is broadly what you can expect by pension type.
Private Defined Contribution schemes (e.g. personal pensions)
Around 3–4 weeks
Public Sector Defined Benefit schemes (e.g. NHS, teachers, LGPS)
Typically 6–10 weeks
longer if McCloud Remedy calculations are needed
Uniformed Services pensions (police, armed forces, firefighters)
Up to 12 weeks
Public sector pensions affected by the McCloud remedy
6 months + This position is easing as the backlog is worked through but there are still instances of long delays getting all the information needed
State Pension forecasts
Immediate if requested by you online via gov.uk
We chase weekly
We know how frustrating it is to wait in silence. That’s why we:
Submit all data requests promptly after payment
Send weekly chasers to each provider
Keep a clear log of progress (and delays)
Flag any schemes known to be slow or problematic upfront
If there’s something you can do to speed things up, like requesting data yourself, we’ll tell you.
Once we have the data
From the point we receive all the required pension information from the providers, our reports are delivered within 10 working days.
The bottom line
Pension schemes don't always move fast, but we do. The sooner we're instructed, the sooner we can get started. And with weekly chasers and transparent tracking, we'll do everything we can to deliver a clear, accurate, and timely PODE report.
FAQ’s
-
The main delay is usually waiting for pension providers to supply detailed information. Public sector, defined benefit and McCloud Remedy cases often take longer because the schemes need to provide more complex data.
-
You can help by providing all pension details early, signing Letters of Authority quickly, requesting State Pension forecasts online, and responding promptly to any information requests.
-
Public sector Defined Benefit schemes, Uniformed Services pensions, and schemes affected by the McCloud Remedy often take longer than straightforward private Defined Contribution pensions.
What to do next
The sooner you instruct a PODE, the sooner the process can begin. If you're not yet sure whether a PODE report is right for your situation, our free assessment will tell you in just a few minutes.
