Find a lost pension

If you think you might have a pension from a previous employer or a personal pension arrangement that you’ve lost track of, you can use the government’s free pension tracing service to help you find it.

In the UK, it’s estimated that around £31.1 billion is lying in 3.3 million unclaimed, inactive or lost pension pots. This means the average lost pot is worth around £9,000, rising to around £13,000 for people in the 55–75 age group.

Pensions get lost for a number of reasons but mainly because over the course of a working life, people change jobs and move around. An individual may have an average of 11 different jobs during their career, with different employers and pension schemes. In this light, it’s not surprising that people can lose track of their pension pots.

Step one

Make a list of all the places you’ve worked.

Step two

Gather as much information as you can – find old paperwork if you have it to help you find the pension provider’s name.

Step three

Use the Pension Tracing Service to find the provider’s contact details.

Step four

Get in touch with the pension provider to track down your pension.

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Pension tracing service

The pension tracing service is free to use. It won’t tell you if you have a pension or what it’s worth, but it will help you track down the provider so you can check.

Pension tracing service