Pension providers will be required to check whether or not customers buying their products have already taken guidance or advice on their options under rules set out by the City regulator to help people make the most of their retirement savings freedoms from next year.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published standards for the bodies which will be delivering free and impartial guidance to people approaching retirement when the Government's pension revolution comes into force next April.

It said that if it turns out that customers have not taken guidance or financial advice over what they should do with their pension pot, they should be encouraged by pension firms to do so.

The FCA had previously said that it did not expect firms to check whether people purchasing a product from them had received guidance.

But during a subsequent consultation, it said it has heard from a number of bodies, including some providers themselves, which have suggested that firms should be asking this question.

The FCA said that in the light of these responses: "We will require firms to refer clients to the pensions guidance and encourage them to seek guidance or advice on their retirement options, unless the customer has already received advice from a regulated firm or has used the pensions guidance service.

"This means that firms will have to ask whether their customer has taken pensions guidance or regulated financial advice, and if not to encourage them to do so."

The regulator has also promised it will be ready to swoop on any scams arising out of the new freedoms and it will take "tough and meaningful action" on anyone falsely claiming to be offering a pensions guidance service on behalf of the Government.

Legislation will make it an offence, punishable by a prison sentence of up to one year, for someone to falsely describe themselves or behave in a manner which indicates that they are giving pensions guidance under arrangements with the Treasury.

From April, people aged over 55 with a defined contribution (DC) pension will be handed much greater freedom over what they do with their savings pot. Instead of being herded towards buying a retirement income called an annuity, they will be able to take their pot how they wish, subject to their marginal rate of income tax during that year. They can take cash out of their pot in slices if they wish, with 25% of each slice being tax free.

People will be offered free, impartial guidance alongside this to help them make confident decisions when presented with the vast new array of choices before them. Whether or not they decide to take this up is down to the individual pension saver.

Citizens Advice will give free face-to-face guidance at its bureaux across the UK. Guidance will also be available over the telephone from the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS). An online service will also be designed as part of the guidance scheme.

As the decisions they make will be crucial to determining how well off or not they are in retirement, some people may also want to go further and pay for financial advice.

The standards for guidance set out by the FCA also say that guidance providers must ensure that personnel have knowledge of different types of pension schemes, the tax treatment of pensions, the impact of fees and charges on products, circumstances where a consumer might need more specialist help including debt advice and regulated advice and that they are aware of other issues that could be relevant such as long-term care needs and life expectancy.

Consumers should also receive a record of the guidance session in the standard format and they should be made aware of complaints procedures.

Christopher Woolard, director of policy, risk and research at the FCA, said: "Any decision about your pension has far-reaching consequences that often cannot be reversed.

"The pensions landscape will fundamentally change from April 2015 so it is important that people get support to enable them to make the right choices about what to do with their retirement fund."

Pensions Minister Steve Webb said: "The changes we announced earlier this year represent the most radical changes to the way people take their pension for a century.

"From April 2015, around 320,000 individuals retiring each year with defined contribution pension savings will be able to access them as they wish, subject to their marginal rate of tax.

"But, of course, in line with enjoying that new flexibility, it's essential people have access to free, impartial guidance - so I welcome the publication by the FCA of these new standards, which will help ensure people are properly supported to make the right decisions when they access their hard-earned pension savings."