more Qs on pensions and redundancy

A question about : more Qs on pensions and redundancy

I am being made redundant and am trying to get my head around the best way to use some of my redundancy payment as pensions contributions. It's proving to be a very frustrating tasks. Despite the fact that I work for a large, reputable, mutual (for now) life assurance company, no one (internal) seems to be able to answer my questions!

Anyway, here are the salient facts:
1) I belong to my employer's (non-contributory) final salary pension scheme (and have been a member for 12 years).
2) My redundancy payment will be substantially more than the tax-free limit of Ј30k.
3) My employer has already confirmed that I can choose to forego part/all of my redundancy payment to purchase additional months' service in the occupational pension scheme (and I am awaiting exact quotes on value of such contributions etc).
4) I am 40 years old.

What I would really like to know is:
Can I direct my employer to pay some/all of my redundancy payment into a personal (stakeholder) pension rather than the occupational pension scheme (over and above the normal contribution levels)? If so, would such contributions get tax relief? Is there a time limit i.e. do such contributions have to be made at the time I receive my redundancy payment (as is the case with the occupational scheme)?

Any help gratefully and eagerly received! ???

Best answers:

• If you're a member of an Occupational Pension scheme you can only contribute Ј3,600 a year gross (i.e. you contribute Ј2,808 and the provider reclaims the rest from the IR) to a Personal or Stakeholder Pension and that's only if you have earned less than Ј30,000 in any single tax year since 2000-01 and have not been a controlling director in any of those years.
  So putting it in a PP/SHP doesn't look like a good option.
• He can contribute up to the age related percentage of his earnings during the rest of the tax year following his redundancy. It relies on him getting another job, and knowing already how much he is going to be earning.
  I agree, it isn't really a viable option.
• Thank you for your replies. Your comments re. contributions to a personal pension have greatly clarified things for me.
  I am continuing to look at making further contributions to my occupational pension scheme and it's looking increasingly likely that I will take this route. Getting the necessary figures is tedious beyond belief, but that's my problem!
  Thanks again.