How to trace a lost pension.
The most common reason for a lost pension is a change of address without updating the pension provider. The good news: most lost pensions can be found.
- ▸The government's Pension Tracing Service is a free tool that searches a database of over 200,000 workplace and personal pension schemes. It provides contact details for the scheme, not the pot value.
- ▸Old employer records — payslips, P60s, contracts of employment — often contain the name of the pension provider, which is enough to start a trace.
- ▸The government's pension dashboard, expected to launch in 2027, will show all pension pots in one place for the first time.
- ▸Once a lost pension is found, the options are: leave it where it is, consolidate it into another pension, or (if eligible) take it as a small pot lump sum.
The Pension Tracing Service
The Pension Tracing Service is run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is free to use and available online at gov.uk or by phone.
The service works by searching a database of over 200,000 pension schemes. The user provides the name of a former employer, and the service returns the contact details of the pension scheme associated with that employer. It does not provide pot values, fund performance, or any personal data — only the scheme's name and contact information.
Once the scheme is identified, the user contacts the pension provider directly to confirm membership, request a current valuation, and explore options (leave it, transfer it, or take benefits).
The service is particularly useful for:
- Pensions from employers who have since been acquired, merged, or gone into administration
- Schemes where the provider has changed name or been bought by another company
- Workplace pensions from temporary or short-term employment
The limitation: the database relies on schemes registering voluntarily. Most do, but some smaller or older schemes may not be listed.
Using old employer records
Before using the Pension Tracing Service, it is worth checking personal records. The pension provider's name appears on:
- Payslips: Many payslips show pension deductions and the name of the scheme or provider.
- P60 end-of-year certificates: These confirm total pay and deductions, including pension contributions.
- Joining paperwork: The pension scheme booklet or welcome letter, typically provided during induction.
- Annual benefit statements: If the provider ever sent a statement, it will contain the scheme name, policy number, and contact details.
- Email archives: Some providers send correspondence by email, which may be searchable.
If the employer still exists, their HR department can confirm which pension provider was used during the relevant period.
If the employer has gone into administration, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) or the Insolvency Service may hold records. The PPF protects members of eligible defined benefit schemes where the sponsoring employer has become insolvent.
The government pension dashboard (coming 2027)
The pension dashboard is a government-mandated digital platform that will, for the first time, allow individuals to see all their pension pots — state pension, workplace pensions, and personal pensions — in one place.
The Pension Schemes Act 2021 requires all pension schemes to connect to the dashboard. Large schemes are connecting first, with smaller schemes following over subsequent years.
The dashboard will show:
- The current value of each pension pot
- The scheme name and provider
- Estimated retirement income projections
- Contact details for each scheme
This will effectively automate the pension tracing process. Instead of searching for each pot individually, the dashboard will display them all. However, the service is not yet live — the current target for public access is 2027.
Until the dashboard launches, the Pension Tracing Service and direct provider contact remain the primary methods.
What to do once you've found it
After locating a lost pension, several options are available:
1. Request a valuation. Contact the provider and ask for a current fund value, a breakdown of charges, and details of any guaranteed benefits (guaranteed annuity rates, protected tax-free cash).
2. Leave it invested. If the pension is in a reasonable fund with competitive charges, there may be no urgency to move it. The pot will continue to grow (or decline) according to its investment allocation.
3. Consolidate it. Transfer the pot into a current pension — either the active workplace pension or a SIPP. This simplifies management and may reduce fees. The pension consolidation calculator models the potential saving.
4. Take it as a small pot lump sum. If the pot is under £10,000 and the member has reached minimum pension age (currently 55), it may be possible to take the entire pot as a lump sum under the small pot rules. 25% is tax-free; 75% is taxed as income.
5. Check for safeguarded benefits. Before transferring, confirm whether the pension has any guaranteed benefits. If it does, and the transfer value exceeds £30,000 (for DB schemes), regulated financial advice is required by law.
- ▸The Pension Tracing Service is a free service run by the DWP. It searches a database of over 200,000 workplace and personal pension schemes to help locate lost pensions. [GOV.UK]
- ▸An estimated £26.6 billion is held in lost or forgotten pension pots across the UK, according to the Pensions Policy Institute. [Pensions Policy Institute]
- ▸The Pension Schemes Act 2021 requires all UK pension schemes to connect to the pension dashboard, with large schemes connecting first and a target public launch in 2027. [GOV.UK]