How to find lost or old Pensions

Everything you need to know about tracking down your lost pensions

Tracking down your lost pensions is vital when planning your retirement and making your later life as comfortable as possible.

With 1 in 5 people losing track of a pension, many of us could be missing out on thousands of pounds. You’ve worked hard to build those pots, now it’s time to hunt them down and make them work for you.

How do I find my old pensions?

Check old employment paperwork

Find as much paperwork as possible – documents like employment contracts and payslips could show deducted pension contributions. Even if you only find your previous employers contact details, these could be useful.

Use the free Pension Tracing Service

The government’s Pension Tracing Service is a free service that allows you to search a large database of pension scheme contact details.

This includes details of private and workplace pensions.

Contact your previous employers

Your previous employer will have details of their pension provider, even if it has changed over time.

They will be able to advise you on who to contact to track down your lost pension pot.

Check with Companies House

Still no luck? Try searching on the Companies House website for the names of all closed and existing UK companies.

What should I do when I find my lost pension pots?

Congratulations on finding all your pensions. Now you need to do some research and discover how to make the most of your pots.

This will be different for everyone and can have a big impact on your future, so follow these steps and don’t rush into anything.

Get key details from your pension provider(s)

Gather your personal information together (past and present addresses, National Insurance (NI) number and employment timeframes) and contact your pension provider.

If they can confirm your details, they should be able to tell you:

How much your pension is worth now
An estimate of how much your pension will be worth when you retire
What type of pension it is
Your pension management charges
Any exit charges if you decide to transfer
Any benefits or guarantees you could lose if you transfer

Should I consolidate my pensions?

After researching your individual pension pots, you should know if leaving them or combining them is best for you.

There is plenty to consider before you decide to transfer.

You may want to leave a pot that benefits from a protected pension age or has a high transfer fee. However, if you want to track your pensions easily, you may want to combine them into one pot.
Whether to consolidate or not is a personal choice depending on your circumstances.

Please consider independent authorised advice if you are still unsure.

FAQs: Lost pension

For more detailed information, see our help and support section.

Can I find old pensions using my NI number?

Knowing your NI number will make finding your lost pensions a lot easier. However, you will also need the name of the pension provider.

If you don’t know who the provider is, you can search for them by putting your former employer’s name into the Pension Tracing Service.

How many unclaimed pensions are there in the UK?

Research by the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) shows there are an estimated 3.3 million lost pension pots, containing £31.1 billion worth of assets.

Our ‘Lost pension pots’ report revealed that 1 in 5 people have lost track of a pension. It also showed that 3 in 5 people don’t know where all their pension details are.

How do I find my old pensions for free?

You can use the government Pension Tracing Service to help track down your lost pensions for free. Simply search for your previous employer and the service will provide you details of their pension provider.

If you’ve found your lost pension pots, you might want to know more about transferring your pension.

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