Pension guide

Do I have a pension I forgot about?

A short stint, overseas posting or graduate-scheme job is worth checking, but a pension was not necessarily opened. In the UK, automatic enrolment depends on age, annual earnings, ordinarily working in the UK, dates and any postponement or opt-out. See https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions/joining-a-workplace-pension for the eligibility rules.

Find my pensions

Full refund if we find nothing material.

Steps

1. List every job, including the short ones

Include short jobs in your search, but do not assume they started a pension. UK automatic enrolment required being 22 or over and under State Pension age, earning at least 10,000 pounds a year and ordinarily working in the UK. Employers could postpone enrolment for up to three months. Source: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions/joining-a-workplace-pension

2. Check the country's central register or portal

AU MyGov consolidates super; NL mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl consolidates every second-pillar fund; UK requires per-scheme identification because there is no single consumer portal.

3. Don't rely on memory of the provider name

Providers rebrand, schemes get bulk-bought, and a 1990s contribution can land today in a scheme with an entirely different name. The identification work is precisely about reading that history.

Frequently asked questions

How many people have a forgotten pension?

In the UK alone, the ABI and Pensions Policy Institute estimate billions in forgotten pots, see our Lost Pensions Index for the official figures. In Australia, the ATO publishes a similar annual lost-super figure.

Do small or short-job pensions still exist?

Only if a pension was started. A worker opting out within the first month gets their payments back. If they leave later, payments usually remain in the pension until retirement. Source: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions/if-you-want-to-leave-your-workplace-pension-scheme

I don't remember opening any pension. Could I still have one?

Possibly. A short UK job did not always start a workplace pension. Eligibility depended on being at least 22 and under State Pension age, earning at least 10,000 pounds a year and ordinarily working in the UK. Employers could postpone enrolment for up to three months, and an opt-out within one month returned payments. Check your records rather than assume. Source: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions/joining-a-workplace-pension

Primary sources

• abi.org.uk (Association of British Insurers)
• pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk
• ato.gov.au