New pension rules

when the new rules came into operation in april wife decided she was going to cash in one of her pensions to pay for daughters wedding & pay off her c/card etc,her fund is with friends life & worth about £35,000.Be warned since she contacted them they ve done everything possible to block her accessing her funds.First they insisted that everything had to be done through a financial adviser costing substantial fees,it took her a month & several phone calls to get them to agree that wasnt the case.After more stalling tactics they agreed to send her necessary paperwork,then last friday she received a letter saying that they were not allowing anone to drawdown the pension over a few years & the only option was to take the full amount in one go because the paperwork 'would be too onerous'.this means that apart from the initial 25% most of the balance will be subject to top rate of tax.It seems like the pension companies are doing everthing they can to prevent people taking advantage of the new rules Anyone   else   going through a similar process?