Mission briefing
Could some of it belong to you?
Your mission starts here.
Join #LicenceToTrace and see what you could uncover.
Examine the evidence
A lost pension could be worth more than you think. Here are six important reasons to investigate, uncover the facts and take control of your retirement savings.
Recover missing retirement savings
Tracing a lost pension could reunite you with money you have built up during your working life and increase the savings available for your retirement.
Get the complete picture
Uncovering all your pensions can give you a clearer understanding of how much you have saved and whether you are on track for the retirement you want.
Review the evidence
Once you have located a pension, you can investigate where your money is invested and whether it still suits your plans.
Inspect the finer details
Older pensions can have different charges, features or valuable benefits. Finding yours means you can check the details and understand exactly what you have.
Bring your files together
You may decide to explore combining your pensions, making them easier to keep track of and manage. This will not be suitable for everyone.
Update your vital information
Tracing an old pension gives you the opportunity to update your contact details and make sure your provider knows who you would like to receive any benefits when you die.
This tool is designed to give a broad guide to what an old workplace pension could be worth today, if you were a member of a workplace pension during a previous period of employment and contributions were paid. It is not a personal pension projection.
This guide is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice or a personalised recommendation. It uses broad assumptions and does not reflect your actual pension value. The actual value could be higher or lower, or there may not be a pension at all. It is based on our understanding of current legislation, which may change.
This guide uses broad assumptions, including an estimated contribution of 8% of pensionable earnings, annual growth of 5% and an annual charge of 0.5%. The final figure is rounded to the nearest £100.
Workplace pension rules have changed over time. This tool assumes you were a member of a workplace pension and that contributions were paid during the period of employment.
Trusted support
You do not have to continue the investigation alone. Whether you need help tracing an old pension, understanding your options or checking that a firm is authorised, these trusted organisations can help.
Explore the services below to find the right support for your search.
A government service designed to help you find contact details for old workplace or personal pension schemes. You’ll need the name of an employer or a pension provider to use it. This service can’t tell you whether you have a pension, or what its value is.
Beware: there is a commercial organisation called The Pension Tracing Service, which isn’t linked to the government service.
A government service from MoneyHelper that offers free, impartial guidance about your defined contribution (DC) pension options. If you’re aged 50 or over you can get a free appointment with a Pension Wise adviser to help you understand the options you have for taking retirement benefits. They can talk you through all the options and explain the good and bad things about each one. This isn’t financial advice, though. Pension Wise won’t recommend which of the options would work best for you.
MoneyHelper has lots of useful information about pensions on its website including pension basics, auto enrolment, building a retirement pot and problems with pensions.
If you’re worried you might have been approached by a scammer – or are already dealing with one – get on the Financial Conduct Authority’s ScamSmart website. It has a list of unauthorised firms to avoid, a form for reporting potential scams and guidance on what to do if you have been scammed.
Mission partners
National Pension Tracing Day is supported by leading organisations from across the pensions industry, all working towards one shared objective: helping more people track down their lost pension savings.
Together, they provide expert insight, practical support and vital intelligence to help people start their search and take control of their retirement savings.
Mission debrief
Have you uncovered a lost pension?
Whether you’ve traced a pension from a previous job or discovered a pot you’d completely forgotten about, we’d love to hear your story.
Follow National Pension Tracing Day for expert briefings, practical tracing tips, campaign updates and the latest intelligence to help you track down your lost pensions.
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