How to find old or lost pensions

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If you’ve moved house, changed jobs or ever had more than one pension plan, some of the estimated £31.1 billion currently lying in lost or dormant pension pots could be yours.

It’s easier to misplace a pension pot than you think, and it happens a lot. It's estimated that more than 3.3 million pension plans, worth an average of £9,470 (or £13,620 among 55 to 75-year-olds), are currently unclaimed. And that looks set to rise, with the government having predicted that there could be as many as 50 million misplaced pots by 2050.

So, how do all these plans get lost and forgotten? And what can you do about it?

Why are people losing track of pension plans from old jobs?

Since 2012, every employer has had to provide most of their workers with a pension plan that both they and their employees pay into. Meaning more than 11 million people have now been ‘auto-enrolled’.

The bad news is that many employees don’t pay much attention to their workplace pension, or what it’s worth. And then, when they leave or change jobs, many forget all about it. It’s estimated that the average person in the UK will change jobs every five years – which is a lot of pension pots to keep track of.

On top of that, studies have found that only one in 25 people would instinctively think to tell their pension provider when they move home. Even if your contact details are updated with your employer, that doesn’t necessarily pull through to your pension plan. And if your provider doesn’t have the correct details for you, it’ll be difficult for them to keep in touch with you about your plan. 

How to trace a pension with a National Insurance number

If you think one or possibly more of these lost or dormant pension pots could be yours, it can be quite straightforward to track them down.

With your National Insurance number, the names and addresses of your previous employers, and some help from the government’s Pension Tracing Service, you should be able to find out everything you need to know.

Consider bringing all your pension plans together

Once you’ve found your plans, you could consider moving them into your current plan, as this could make it easier to manage them all.

Having all your pensions savings in one place can cut down on admin time, as well as potentially reducing the charges you pay. 

It won’t be right for everyone; some older pension plans might have valuable benefits or guarantees, so check you won’t lose these if you transfer. For example, if you’re thinking about moving money out of a defined benefit plan (also known as a final salary or career average scheme) pension plan, or if you’re unsure about your options, you should seek financial advice.

If you don't have a financial adviser, the government-backed MoneyHelper service can help you decide if you need one, and has useful tools that can help you find one. 

You can learn more about the pros and cons of combining your pensions in our video. 

Bringing your pensions to Standard Life

Tracking down any old pension plans, combining them if that’s right for you, and keeping a regular eye on where you are with your retirement savings could help give you peace of mind about your financial future.

Why consider bringing your pensions together with Standard Life? 

• We won’t charge you to bring your pensions together
• Easily access your money from age 55 (age 57 from 6 April 2028)
• Start or stop your payments at any time
• Manage your money online or on our app

Transfer your pension plans

It's Pension Engagement Season 2025

We’re proud to sponsor Pension Engagement Season, which is all about getting people to pay their pension more attention. So use your Standard Life app or log in online and take these three steps to spend some time forming your feel-good pension fitness plan.

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The information here is based on our understanding in September 2025 and shouldn’t be taken as financial advice.

A pension is an investment. Its value can go down as well as up and could be worth less than was paid in.

Standard Life accepts no responsibility for information in external websites. These are provided for general information.

Transferring pensions will not be right for everyone. You need to consider all the facts and make sure it's right for you.