How to Find Out What Pensions I Have

Not sure what pensions you have? Learn how to find, check and trace your pensions in the UK using simple steps and free tools.

How to Find Out What Pensions I Have

If you're not sure what pensions you have — or even whether you have any at all — you're not alone. With auto-enrolment, career changes, and different pension providers across jobs, it’s easy to lose track. The good news? There are clear steps you can take to find out what pensions are in your name, how much they’re worth, and what to do next.

This guide walks you through how to check for existing pensions, whether personal or workplace-based, and how to recover or trace any you may have forgotten about.

Why you might not know what pensions you have

Many people don’t have a complete picture of their pensions for good reason:

  • You’ve changed jobs frequently and lost track of workplace pensions

  • You don’t remember if you were opted in or opted out

  • You started a personal pension years ago but haven’t paid into it recently

  • You moved house and didn’t update your pension provider

  • You never actively checked your pensions or registered online

With millions of small pension pots sitting unclaimed across the UK, it’s worth checking — even if you think the value might be small.

Step 1: Check your current workplace pension

If you’re employed, your employer must automatically enrol you into a workplace pension if you:

  • Are aged between 22 and State Pension age

  • Earn at least £10,000 a year

  • Work in the UK

Ask your HR or payroll department:

  • The name of your pension provider

  • How much you and your employer are contributing

  • How to access your online pension account

This gives you visibility over your most recent pension — and it’s the one you’re likely still contributing to.

Step 2: Review payslips and P60s

Older payslips or annual P60 forms often show:

  • Pension contributions (employee and employer)

  • The name of the pension provider

  • A reference or policy number

Check any printed or digital payslips you have — even for jobs from several years ago. If you see deductions marked “Pension” or “AVC,” that’s a strong sign you had a scheme in place.

Step 3: List all your previous employers

Make a list of every company you’ve worked for — especially if you were employed after 2012, when auto-enrolment began. Include:

  • Company name and location

  • Approximate start and end dates

  • Any pension paperwork, emails, or payslips from that time

Even short-term jobs may have included a pension if you met the auto-enrolment criteria.

Once you’ve made your list, contact your old employers’ HR departments and ask:

  • Did you run a workplace pension during my time there?

  • Was I enrolled in it?

  • Who was the provider?

  • What are their contact details?

Step 4: Use the Government’s Pension Tracing Service

If you can’t reach your old employer or they no longer exist, use the free Pension Tracing Service on gov.uk.

What it does:

  • Helps you find the contact details of your pension scheme

  • Works for both workplace and personal pensions

  • Covers closed or merged companies

You’ll need to enter either:

  • Your old employer’s name, or

  • The name of the pension provider (if known)

It won’t tell you whether you have a pension or how much is in it — but it gives you the contact details so you can find out.

Step 5: Contact pension providers directly

Once you have the provider’s contact details, get in touch and ask:

  • Am I a member of this pension scheme?

  • What is my current pension value?

  • What are the scheme details (charges, investment options)?

  • Can I register for an online account?

You’ll usually need to provide:

  • Your full name and date of birth

  • Your National Insurance number

  • Any previous names or addresses

  • Employment dates or policy numbers (if available)

Most providers will send you a statement or help you register for online access, where you can track your balance, change investments, and update contact details.

Step 6: Check for personal pensions or SIPPs

You may have opened a personal pension, stakeholder pension or SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension) with a provider such as:

  • Standard Life

  • Aviva

  • Legal & General

  • Fidelity

  • Scottish Widows

  • Hargreaves Lansdown

  • PensionBee

If you think you opened one, try:

  • Searching your emails or bank statements for direct debit payments

  • Looking through your post for annual statements

  • Contacting the provider with your details to check if an account exists

Step 7: Check your State Pension record

While not the same as a private pension, the State Pension forms a key part of your retirement income. You can check your record at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension to see:

  • How much you’re likely to receive

  • When you’ll reach State Pension age

  • Any gaps in your National Insurance record

This helps complete the picture of what you can expect in retirement.

What to do once you've found your pensions

Once you’ve gathered all your pension pots, consider:

  • Keeping track with a spreadsheet or pension dashboard

  • Registering online with each provider

  • Reviewing fees and performance

  • Considering pension consolidation (combining old pensions into one)

  • Seeking advice on how best to grow or access your pensions

If you’re unsure how best to manage multiple pensions, a regulated financial adviser can help assess whether combining them or adjusting your contributions is in your best interest.

Final thoughts

Finding out what pensions you have doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re years from retirement or just starting to take it seriously, getting a clear view of your pensions is one of the most empowering steps you can take for your financial future.

Start with what you know — your current employer — then work backwards, using tools like the Pension Tracing Service and your own records. Every pension you find is money you've already saved — and it could make a meaningful difference when you retire.