Surprise, surprise: introduction of the 'lump sum withdrawal' postponed again!
Publication date: 16 February 2026
The introduction of the option to withdraw up to 10% of one’s pension capital in a single payment - the so called ‘lump sum withdrawal’ (“bedrag ineens”) - has once again been postponed. I have lost count of how many updates we have already written on this topic. The latest delay follows from a letter dated 29 January 2026 from the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, responding to questions from the Senate. The letter makes clear that the planned implementation date of 1 July 2026 is no longer considered feasible.
Reason for the postponement
Pension administrators have indicated that they require an additional six to nine months of preparation time in order to implement the scheme properly, particularly due to its interaction with the transition to the new pension system under the Future Pensions Act (“Wtp”). The combined workload would place excessive pressure on administrative systems, careful communication processes, and effective decision guidance for participants.
No new implementation date yet
At present, no new target date for the introduction has been set. The Minister emphasises that this decision will be left to a new cabinet, given the current cabinet’s caretaker (demissionary) status.
Background
The ‘lump sum withdrawal’ scheme was agreed as part of the 2019 Pension Agreement and has been postponed several times since its originally intended introduction in 2021. Both pension providers and Parliament consider the risks of introducing the scheme simultaneously with the pension system transition to be too great. Pension administrators are already fully occupied with the Wtp transition itself. In addition, communication and adequate decision support are particularly complex, as the application for and payment of the lump sum may take place under two different pension regimes. Since all pension schemes must be converted to comply with the Future of Pensions Act by 1 January 2028, an implementation date of 1 July 2028, or even later, appears to be the most realistic scenario. This farce is therefore likely to continue for several more years. One can only imagine how frustrating this must be for those who had counted on or hoped for it. Fortunately, the ‘high-low pension’ option still exists!
