This question on a UK tax or self‑assessment form is asking whether you actually received income from certain sources during the tax year, not whether you simply paid into them.

What the question is really asking

“Did you receive any UK pensions, annuities or state benefits, for example, State Pension, occupational pension, retirement annuity, Incapacity Benefit?”

You should answer “Yes” only if, in that tax year, you were paid money as income from any of the following:

  • State Pension (old or new)
  • Occupational or workplace pension already in payment (i.e. you’re drawing a pension from a former employer)
  • Personal or retirement annuity paying you a regular income
  • Taxable state benefits such as certain incapacity‑type benefits or contribution‑based ESA (depending on current HMRC lists)

If you select “Yes” , you’ll normally be taken to additional pages to enter the amounts you received.

When you should answer “No”

You should normally answer “No” if:

  • You are just contributing to a workplace pension through your salary and your employer is contributing too, but you are not yet drawing a pension income.
  • You only built up a pension pot (for example in a defined contribution scheme) but did not take any pension or annuity payments from it in that year.
  • You did not receive any State Pension or other listed state benefits during the tax year.

A common confusion (seen often in UK personal finance discussions) is thinking “I have a pension at work, so that must mean ‘yes’”. In HMRC’s wording, that is not “receiving a pension” ; the question is about income you’re drawing , not saving.

Practical rule of thumb

Ask yourself:

  1. Did money arrive in my bank account (or as vouchers/cheques) during the year because I’m already retired or claiming a benefit or annuity?
  2. Was that money labelled as:
    • State Pension,
    • a company/occupational pension in payment,
    • an annuity income,
    • or a taxable state benefit such as some incapacity‑type benefits?
  • If yes to any of these, answer “Yes” and enter the details on the relevant pages.
  • If you only paid in to a pension scheme and didn’t receive pension or annuity income or those benefits, answer “No”.

Important note

Tax rules and which benefits are taxable can change, and HMRC’s own help text on each question usually sets out what to include or ignore for that specific year. For anything unclear or if you have mixed situations (for example, small pension withdrawals plus benefits), it is safest to check the latest HMRC guidance or get tailored advice from a qualified tax adviser.