National Pension Helpline - Update On Accessing Your Pension Early?

DECEMBER 2nd, 2025

December 03, 2025

Hi ,

As we look ahead to the most expensive period of the year, many of our readers are starting to ask a common yet important question:

“Can I access my pension early - and what are the tax implications if I do?”

The short answer is: yes - in many cases, you can access a portion of your pension from age 50, and even draw down up to 25% tax-free.

We’ve compiled some of our most valuable content around this subject to help you answer this question for yourself.

Cashing in your pension early

Only when you know what type of pension you have, and how much is in your pension can you figure out if early pension access makes sense.

nationalpensionhelpline.ie/pension-advice/can-i-cash-in-my-pension-early/

How to Retire Early in Ireland [2025].

There is no legal retirement age in Ireland under employment law, meaning that most people can technically retire whenever they want, if their circumstances allow.

nationalpensionhelpline.ie/pensions/how-to-retire-early-in-ireland-2025/

Should I keep my pension invested - or use it to pay off my mortgage?.

Rising interest rates have pushed mortgage repayments higher than ever and many homeowners in their 50s are still carrying large mortgages well into what should be their peak earning years.

nationalpensionhelpline.ie/pensions/should-i-keep-my-pension-invested-or-use-it-to-pay-off-my-mortgage/

It’s also important to recognise that thousands of people in Ireland may be sitting on pension benefits they’ve completely forgotten about.

We’ve broken down how this happens, who is most at risk, and the steps you can take to find out if any of this money belongs to you. You can read the full guide below.

Could you claim some of the €500 million in unclaimed pension benefits?

It has been estimated that upwards of €500 million could be sitting in various pension schemes in Ireland that have either been forgotten or ‘lost’ by those who have moved or changed jobs.

nationalpensionhelpline.ie/news/national-pension-helplines-budget-2025-review

In the coming weeks and the year ahead, our focus remains on delivering the best content and providing maximum value to you, our valued readers.

As always, please send us your questions and we value any feedback on our content quality. Email: [email protected]