Combine Your Pensions in Custom House
Lost track of old pensions from different jobs? Many people in Custom House have several, and combining the right ones can make them simpler to manage and plan around. Whether you are looking for a pension adviser in Custom House, pension advice, or just to combine your pensions, here is the honest local picture, and how we connect you to a regulated adviser.
If you have pensions scattered across old jobs in and around Custom House, bringing the right ones together can make them simpler to manage and easier to plan around, though it is not right for everyone. Here is the honest local picture.
Living in Custom House and your pensions
Custom House has the amenities of a fast-growing, regenerating district, the shops and market around Freemasons Road and Rathbone Market, supermarkets, well-regarded primary schools, ExCeL and the Royal Docks waterside, and Canary Wharf, Stratford and the Olympic Park a few minutes away on the Elizabeth line and the DLR.
A little about Custom House
Where Custom House is
Getting around Custom House
The big everyday pluses are the affordability by the Docklands, the exceptional new connectivity, and the sheer momentum of the regeneration. The area has GP provision locally, with dentists and pharmacies around Custom House, Freemasons Road and the Royal Docks; the nearest major A&E department is at Newham University Hospital in Plaistow, about two miles away, with the Royal London (Whitechapel) also within reach.
Retirement is about more than money. It is the life your pension pays for. Combining old pots into one place can make it simpler to plan for exactly the Custom House life you want.
Living in Custom House: the honest view
- One of London’s more affordable areas by the Docklands
- On the Elizabeth line, Canary Wharf minutes, central London direct
- Elizabeth line & DLR, and ExCeL next door
- Outstanding & Good primaries nearby
- A huge regeneration, ~10,000 new homes
- The Royal Docks, ExCeL & City Airport close by
- A busy, densely built and still-developing district
- A flat-led market (few large period houses)
- Construction & change (regeneration ongoing)
- Flats/new-builds need lease, service-charge & building-safety checks
- Low-lying, riverside land, tidal & surface-water flood risk
- Main-road traffic on the A13 & to the Blackwall Tunnel
What life costs in Custom House
Retirement is about what your pension has to cover. Here is roughly what living in Custom House costs today, a useful anchor when you picture the income you will need.
| Typical cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax (Band D, 2026/27) | £1,944.23 | Newham + GLA precept, confirm your band |
| Buildings insurance | Varies, check tidal & surface-water risk | Riverside, low-lying land means tidal and surface-water risk can affect premiums; get a quote and flood check before committing |
| Service charge (flats) | Varies, often significant on new-builds | New-build and managed schemes carry service charges (and sometimes estate charges), check the exact figure and what it covers |
| Water & wastewater | ~£450–£750/yr | Thames Water area, check the supplier for the address |
| Broadband | ~£30–£50/mth | Gigabit full-fibre in most new-builds; superfast widely, check the address |
Figures are indicative and change each year, always confirm current rates for your exact address and council tax band.
The risks, please read this first
Combining pensions can help, but it is not always right, and getting it wrong can be costly.
Defined-benefit pensions
Final-salary and public-sector schemes promise an income for life. These are usually best left where they are.
Guarantees you could lose
Guaranteed annuity rates, protected tax-free cash or a protected early pension age can be worth a great deal.
Exit penalties & perks
Some older plans charge to leave, or come with employer top-ups or life cover you would give up.
The pot stays invested
A combined pot remains invested, so its value can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than was transferred in, and that risk sits with you, not the scheme.
How combining your pensions works
Track down every pot
Old workplace and personal pensions, plus anything found via the government Pension Tracing Service.
Check what each one is
Defined-benefit or defined-contribution, the guarantees, the charges and any exit penalties.
Get regulated advice
An FCA-regulated adviser recommends which (if any) to combine, and where to.
Combine only the right ones
Suitable pots are brought together; anything with valuable guarantees stays put.
Who it suits, and who it doesn’t
- Several small defined-contribution pots from past jobs
- Old plans with high charges or dated funds
- Wanting one place to see and plan your retirement
- Final-salary / defined-benefit pensions
- Guaranteed annuity rates or protected tax-free cash
- Pensions with valuable employer top-ups or life cover
Finding lost pensions in Custom House
The average worker changes jobs many times, and old pensions are easily forgotten. If you think you have pots you have lost track of, these free government tools help you find them, then a regulated adviser can review each one before you decide.
Life in Custom House, the place your pension pays for
A quick sense of Custom House, the place your pension is helping you enjoy in later life.
ExCeL London
ExCeL London right next door, one of the world’s great exhibition and events venues, hosting up to 400 events a year, from major shows and concerts to conferences, with Custom House its own station.
The Royal Victoria Dock & the Royal Docks
The Royal Docks on the doorstep, the Royal Victoria Dock waterside, watersports, the SkyLine walkway, and a huge enterprise zone on the water, with City Hall nearby.
The Canning Town & Custom House regeneration
The £3.7bn regeneration: around 10,000 new homes, including East City Point and the Custom House estate renewal, one of the capital’s biggest.
The Elizabeth line at Custom House
Custom House’s Elizabeth line platforms opened in 2022, a transformational change putting Canary Wharf minutes away and central London and Heathrow direct.
The Thames-side & the Royal Docks water
The waterside walks along the Royal Victoria Dock and the Thames, and the cable car across the river close by, genuine waterside living in a fast-changing district.
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park near
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at Stratford, the London Stadium, Westfield and acres of parkland a short hop away.
Check broadband before you make an offer in Custom House
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Custom House, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
Check broadband at an address (Ofcom)
Want all your bills in one?
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Common questions
Can you help me find a pension adviser in Custom House?
Should I combine my pensions in Custom House?
Is pension consolidation a good idea?
Do you charge for the introduction?
What is the risk of combining pensions?
How do I find old pensions?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Custom House?
We are an introducer, not a pension adviser.
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