How to find old pension pots in the UK

The average UK adult has worked for 11 different employers over their career, leaving behind a trail of workplace pension pots. The average unclaimed pension is worth approximately £13,000 (PensionBee, 2024), and an estimated 3 to 5 million pension pots are currently lost or dormant. Finding them is straightforward if you know where to look.

Step-by-step: how to trace old pensions

• Step 1 — List your old employers — check old payslips, P60s, LinkedIn history, or your memory for employer names and approximate dates
• Step 2 — Use the Pension Tracing Service — visit gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details and search by employer or pension scheme name
• Step 3 — Contact the pension scheme — the tracing service gives you contact details; call or write with your name, date of birth, NI number, and approximate employment dates
• Step 4 — Verify your identity — the scheme will ask for proof of identity before disclosing your pension details
• Step 5 — Request a current value statement — once identified, ask for an up-to-date pension statement showing the current value and provider
• Step 6 — Decide whether to transfer or leave — consider consolidating into a single SIPP if the pot has no valuable guarantees

Other ways to find old pensions

• MoneyHelper Pension Tracing Service — moneyhelper.org.uk offers the same search in a more user-friendly interface
• Old payslips and P60s — will show whether pension contributions were deducted and the scheme name
• Old employer HR departments — even if the company no longer exists, HR records may have been transferred to an administrator
• PensionBee Find and Combine — PensionBee searches for old pensions on your behalf and consolidates them (commercial service; charges apply)
• HMRC — can confirm NI contributions paid to previous employers, which may indicate pension membership

What if the employer no longer exists?

If your old employer has closed or been taken over, the pension scheme usually continues independently. The Pension Tracing Service can still find the scheme using the old employer name. If the scheme itself has wound up, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) may have taken it over — check ppf.co.uk.

What to check once you find an old pension

• Current value — request an up-to-date statement
• Guaranteed annuity rate (GAR) — some older schemes have valuable guaranteed income promises; do not transfer these without advice
• Annual charges — if the old provider charges over 0.75 to 1%, consolidating to a cheaper SIPP saves money long-term
• Defined benefit status — if it is a final salary pension, take regulated advice before any transfer
• Beneficiary nominations — update them to ensure the right people inherit