Question: what is the penalty for withdrawing from a pension early?
Answer: While taking a legal 25% lump sum from your pension when 55 or over is totally tax-free, accessing your pension earlier isn't what they are intended for, and is viewed as an unauthorised payment. So the tax you'll pay for liberating can be a HUGE 55%, as well as charges of up to 30% to the firm which does it for you.