Tracing old and lost pensions – BLOG – Karen Last

March 3, 2023 11:57 am

Nearly half of pension holders have lost track of some of their pension pots

The lost pensions challenge in the UK has grown significantly in recent years, further exacerbated
by the pandemic, which resulted in a large proportion of people moving jobs. A recent Pension
Policy Institute research briefing calculated the total value of lost pension pots has grown to £26.6
billion in 2022[1].

If you’ve worked for several employers throughout your career, you might have accumulated
multiple pension plans.

You may also have set up personal pensions,  especially if you’ve been self-employed at some point.

Administrative burden

Owning multiple pensions can be an administrative burden, but it could also be costing you
financially – whether that’s through excessive fees or poor investment performance. Today, nearly
half (46%) of UK pension holders have lost track of some of their pension pots, according to new
research[2].

This means that – against the backdrop of the rising cost of living – millions of people across the
country could right now be missing out on pension pots that are sat with their previous employers.

Retirement plans

Nowadays, the average UK employee has 11 jobs over their lifetime, the research highlights. So
while it’s understandable that savers may forget how many pension pots they’ve accrued over the
years, they currently risk incurring unnecessary management fees – or even missing out on those
savings altogether – at a time when higher inflation threatens to spoil their retirement plans.
Moreover, savers who have kept track of their pension pots will be in a much better position to
make informed retirement decisions when they get older. 13% of people did not know how to track
down a pension pot from their previous job. And although savers currently have the option of
combining their pensions, 16% didn’t know how to go about tracing their lost money.

Multiple pensions

This lack of knowledge is particularly worrying. Having multiple pensions with different employers
or pension providers can create an unnecessary headache for retirees, and this will come at a time
in life when things should ideally be less challenging for them.

To complicate matters even further, the number of workers with small pension pots of under £1,000
has skyrocketed in recent years. The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has predicted that the problem
is only going to get worse, with the number of small pots set to triple to 27 million by 2035.

Better retirement

The recent PPI research on lost pension pots also indicated that the speed at which pension pots
were being classified as lost was increasing, with an extra 1.2 million pots having been ‘lost’ in the
four-year period between 2018 and 2022. That’s a 75% increase in lost pots in just four years.
While consolidation will not be the best option for all pots, for some people consolidating their
pensions into one pot would undoubtedly bring them much closer to their money, increasing their
sense of ownership and control, and potentially setting them up for a better retirement.

Looking to keep track of your finances more easily?

Consolidating your pensions into one pot could help you keep track of your finances more easily,
reduce charges and boost how much money you have in the future. But while there are
advantages to pension consolidation, there are potential drawbacks and it’s important to seek
advice on whether it’s right for you. If you would like to review your current plans, to meet your
financial goals now and in later life, please contact us.

Source data:
[1] Source: https://www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk/sponsor-research/research-reports/
2022/2022-10-27-briefing-note-134-lost-pensions-2022-what-s-the-scale-and-impact/
[2] https://adviser.scottishwidows.co.uk/assets/literature/docs/2022-10-pension-pots.pdf