Online help to shop around for the best annuity The tool, from Hargreaves Lansdown, the stockbroker and fund supermarket, will allow shoppers to search for the best rate among nine providers of enhanced annuities. In some cases annuity buyers can get 40pc more pension income annually as a result of health conditions. Users of Hargreaves Lansdown's service were on average getting 27pc more, the company said, adding that almost half of all annuity buyers qualified for an enhancement of some degree. To get a quote for an enhanced annuity, users of the new service have to complete an online questionnaire about their medical condition, although the company said this took just three minutes on average. Tom McPhail of Hargreaves Lansdown said: "400,000 annuities were purchased last year in the UK. Nearly half our customers already receive an enhanced annuity and with an average increase in annual income of £1,000 a year, over a typical 20 year retirement this is the equivalent of adding over £3.5bn to the pension system every year. Stephen Lowe of Just Retirement, an enhanced annuity provider, said: "Hargreaves Lansdown's enhanced annuity service is a breakthrough development in the annuity market. Every pension investor should be shopping around for the best possible annuity rates, including any possible medical enhancement. This new service will make it significantly easier for them to do that. Philip Brown of LV= said: "While we would always urge people to seek financial advice, there are many who prefer to self-serve or will not be catered for in a fee-based advice market. This type of service can help plug that gap by giving people direct access to annuity quotes that are specifically relevant to their lifestyle and medical circumstances, helping them make the most out of their pension savings.