--- title: "Find Lost Pensions: Pension Tracing Options | Pensions Advice UK" url: https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-service/ description: "Find old and lost pensions from past jobs. How the free government Pension Tracing Service works, what it can’t do, and how to have the tracing done for you." last_updated: 2026-10-21 publisher: "Pensions Advice UK (a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd)" language: en-GB --- Find lost pensions # Pension tracing: find your lost pensions Find pensions from old jobs, even if the employer has closed or the provider has changed its name. Trace them yourself for free, or have it done for you. [Trace my pensions](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) Free to enquire. We are an introducer, not an adviser. Important information - Introductions to FCA-authorised advisers - Free to enquire - We call back within the hour, 9am to 5pm weekdays - Details passed on only with your consent **At Pensions Advice UK, we help connect individuals with services that can assist with pension tracing**. Depending on your preferences, you may be introduced to: - An FCA-authorised adviser who may assist with tracing as part of their service - A non-advisory pension tracing only service **£31.1 billion**The estimated value of lost pension pots in the UK. Source: Pensions Policy Institute, 2024. ## Two ways to trace your pensions Which route is right depends on what you want once your pensions are found. Route 1 ### Through an FCA-authorised adviser - **Who it suits:** people who want advice on what to do with their pensions once they are found. - **Cost:** free to enquire. The adviser firm explains any fees before you proceed. - **Tracing:** the firm may trace your pensions as part of its advice service, typically where they total £75,000 or more. [Apply to trace my pensions](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) Route 2 ### Tracing only, with Pension Pie - **Who it suits:** people who simply want their old pensions found, whatever their size. - **Cost:** a paid service. Pension Pie currently charges £249 to trace up to five pensions. - **Advice:** none. Pension Pie tells you what you have and where it is held. [How tracing works and what it costs](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/why-pay-for-pension-tracing/) Book a call with our team Looking for the government’s free Pension Tracing Service? Pensions Advice UK is not the government service. The government’s Pension Tracing Service is free and gives you the contact details for a workplace or personal pension scheme. You then contact each scheme yourself. Find it at [gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details). ## What pensions can be traced? - **Workplace pensions from old jobs**, including final salary schemes and pots from automatic enrolment - **Pensions from employers that no longer exist**, or that merged or were taken over - **Personal pensions** with providers that have since changed their name - **Contracted-out SERPS pensions** from the 1980s and 1990s - **Pensions you have forgotten even after retiring** ## What you’ll need to start You don’t need paperwork to enquire. The more you remember, the quicker it goes: - Names of past employers, roughly when you worked there and where - Any pension providers you remember - Your National Insurance number and date of birth, which providers use to find your records - Previous names and addresses [Start a tracing enquiry](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) Submitting your enquiry is free. Any fees for advice or services will be explained to you directly before you proceed. We do not provide financial advice. We act solely as an introducer. ## Frequently asked questions ### Are you the government’s Pension Tracing Service? No. Pensions Advice UK is an introducer, not a government service. The government’s [Pension Tracing Service](https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details) is free and gives you contact details for pension schemes. We introduce people to services that do the tracing work for them. ### How much does pension tracing cost? Enquiring with us is free. Pension Pie charges a fixed £249 including VAT and never takes a percentage of what it finds. Where pensions total £75,000 or more, an FCA-authorised adviser may trace them as part of an advice service and will explain any fees first. ### Can a pension be found if the company no longer exists? Usually, yes. Pension money is held separately from the employer, normally by an insurer or the scheme’s trustees, so it is still there when a company closes or is taken over. ### Can I find my pension with my National Insurance number? Not on its own. Providers use it to match you to their records once you contact them. Our guide explains [how to use your NI number to find a pension](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-with-national-insurance-number/). ### How long does pension tracing take? It depends on the providers. Many reply by post, so expect it to take weeks rather than days, and longer for old schemes that have moved more than once. ## More on finding lost pensions - [How do I find out what pensions I have?](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/how-to-find-out-what-pensions-i-have/) - [Can I find my pension with my National Insurance number?](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-with-national-insurance-number/) - [How to find a pension from an old job](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-from-old-employer/) - [Finding a pension with a provider that changed its name](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-with-provider/) - [Finding a pension from years ago](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/find-pension-from-years-ago/) - [How to check your pensions online](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/check-my-pension/) - [Pensions dashboards: when can I see all my pensions?](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pensions-dashboard/) - [SERPS: how to check and find yours](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/serps-state-earnings-related-pension-scheme/) - [The government Pension Tracing Service or paid tracing?](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/free-or-paid-pension-tracing/) - [What could an old pension be worth?](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-value-calculator/) ### Important information Pensions Advice UK is a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd. We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and we do not provide financial, investment, pension or tax advice. We act solely as an introducer. The information on this page is general information only. It is not a personal recommendation and should not be relied upon when making decisions about your pension. Whether any course of action is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. When you make an enquiry, we may introduce you to an FCA-authorised financial adviser. Any advice, recommendation or regulated service will be provided by that authorised firm, not by Pensions Advice UK. The authorised firm will explain its services and any fees to you directly before you decide to proceed. FCA-authorised firms may have their own criteria for accepting clients, over which we have no control. The value of pensions and investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you put in. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. Transferring or combining pensions is not right for everyone and may mean giving up valuable benefits or guarantees. Free and impartial guidance about your pension options is available from the government’s MoneyHelper service, and if you are aged 50 or over from Pension Wise, at moneyhelper.org.uk. ## Speak to an FCA-authorised adviser Tell us what you need help with and we’ll introduce you to a qualified specialist. Start your enquiry 020 3778 0939 We’re an introducer, not an adviser. ## Want to talk it through? Start online, or call us. We call back within the hour between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, or the next working day. [Start your enquiry](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) [020 3778 0939](tel:+442037780939) [Call us](tel:+442037780939) [Enquire](https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-application/) --- Pensions Advice UK (a trading name of GAP-GNX Ltd) connects UK residents with FCA-authorised pension advisers and pension tracing services. It is not FCA-authorised and does not give financial or tax advice. It acts solely as an introducer to FCA-authorised firms, who provide any advice and explain any fees before you proceed. This is the text version of https://pensionsadviceuk.com/pension-tracing-service/. More pages: https://pensionsadviceuk.com/llms.txt