Traced pension but compnay ignoring me

curtis122

It took me a while to trace an old pension through a company I worked at, it was years ago and the company had changed hands 4 times since I worked there.

I found the company details for the company as it is now and called them and they said send the details which I did, I got told they will pass it onto their pension advisor, this was back in July, I have chased 5 times the first 2 I got told they still had not heard anything and will chase and now the last 3 times they have stopped replying or speaking to me.

What can I do if they won't now talk to me, surely someone has done something to locate it but I have not been told anything. This is my pension my money what can I do if they don't want to do anything or speak to me anymore?

In my last email to them I said can they give me the details of the pension advisor so I can talk to them as they now have my pension but still nothing.

Brynsam

Could you give an idea of how long ago you worked for them, when you left (please be as precise as you can, given it was years ago!) and how long you were actually there/your age at the time? It's possible that you don't actually have any pension entitlements, depending on the answers to these questions.

If you only asked in July, and someone is having to de-archive records/try and track you down (you have given your NI number, haven't you?), it's no real surprise that they are getting fed up with being chased 5 times in what is a relatively short space of time. You could well have been a member in pre-computerised days and that is a real pain to try and sort out.

If you are sure you do have pension entitlements (and even if you may not, I'm sure you'd like to check regardless), get in touch with TPAS for free, impartial assistance: https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk

xylophone

Could you give an idea of how long ago you worked for them,

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=75641579#post75641579

curtis122

I understand what your saying but just a message to say they are trying to locate it would have done, I have only chased as I have been told nothing.


I worked for them back in 1998 when I was 21 I was there a year to 18 months, I found an old payslip and could see I was making contributions of over £140 a month.


I traced the pension back to Aegon but due to GDPR they said they deleted it all off their system as it was so old. I got the scheme name/number etc from them and located the company details and forwarded this on along with my National Insurance number. Just to have been told they were looking into it and they had done X Y or Z even if it takes a while if that was the case would have done but nothing is frustrating.


Not being a pension expert I don't know what involved which is why it would be nice to have some feedback not silence.

JoeCrystal

curtis122 wrote: »

I understand what your saying but just a message to say they are trying to locate it would have done, I have only chased as I have been told nothing.


I worked for them back in 1998 when I was 21 I was there a year to 18 months, I found an old payslip and could see I was making contributions of over £140 a month.


I traced the pension back to Aegon but due to GDPR they said they deleted it all off their system as it was so old. I got the scheme name/number etc from them and located the company details and forwarded this on along with my National Insurance number. Just to have been told they were looking into it and they had done X Y or Z even if it takes a while if that was the case would have done but nothing is frustrating.


Not being a pension expert I don't know what involved which is why it would be nice to have some feedback not silence.

What kind of pension scheme was it? Was it a DB pension scheme or DC pension scheme? If the latter, would you have an annual statement sent to you from Aegon? Also, it might be a case of that the pension contributions were refunded back to you when you left work as well.

curtis122

Not sure what a DB or DC pension is it was a company pension scheme, the reason I had to trace the pension in the first place was because I had no paperwork other than a payslip I found.

I moved several times so must have forgotten to update it. Aegon mentioned that I may have had them refunded or the scheme has been transferred but I have never had any refund and if it was sent to an old address as a cheque then I would never have seen it anyhow.

Brynsam

xylophone wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=75641579#post75641579

That seems to confirm it was a group personal pension. Your former employer won't have any details (nor should they, given how long ago it was) - these will be with the pension provider.

If you'd remembered to update your address each time you moved, you would have been receiving annual statements. As it is, you just need to bide your time until they've excavated your records - assuming, of course, that you didn't transfer the pension to another scheme and forgotten you did that (very easy to do) in which case they'll have no record of you given how long ago it was.

curtis122

I have an update, I have spoken to the Company they have told me that they do not hold records going back that far so can no longer help me despite giving them the scheme name and other information. Aegon have said the scheme wound up in 2006 and I would have received the contributions back or its been transferred to another pension provider and hold no more information.


I have had no contributions back and have no idea if its been transferred if I did I would not be trying to find out where it is. I have had no paperwork as like I said before when I moved several times this must have not been changed to my new address.


So now what do I do the pension company are saying they have no information other than they gave me the details for the company, the company are telling me they have no details so can't help me. The scheme was kept updated for a certain amount of time as the scheme name was listed as the last company name and now it has changed again.


Who do I go to now to try and find it when the 2 main contacts I have say they hold nothing my money cannot have just have vanished?


What made it more frustrating Aegon said they could not tell me anything until I sent proof of who I am I had to spend £13 to get bank statements/passport etc approved by the post office to send to them to have them then say they have no information they can give me!!! All I want is my money.

SonOf

Aegon have said the scheme wound up in 2006 and I would have received the contributions back or its been transferred to another pension provider and hold no more information.

If it was a group personal pension that its likely the value would either still exist in your plan or it was transferred to another pension.

Once the pension has no value, it have data destroyed about it after a period. No less than 6 years but often more like 10. Data is not destroyed on plans that retain a value.

Have you checked your other pensions to see if they received a transfer in? They should have a record of contributions received.

curtis122

I don't have another pension with Aegon and I imagine they would not transfer it to a different provider, would this be right and could they do that without my permission?


and if they could add it to another pension with another provider how would they know what ones I have?

Dox

curtis122 wrote: »

I don't have another pension with Aegon and I imagine they would not transfer it to a different provider, would this be right and could they do that without my permission?


and if they could add it to another pension with another provider how would they know what ones I have?

They could if you asked them to - and it so easy to forget if that is what happened. Moving an old pension often isn't the most memorable event.

The other possibility, given the age of the scheme, is that the relatively modest contributions you made were simply eaten up in charges. Because you hadn't given the pension provider your new address(es), it sounds as if any attempts to contact you would have failed.

Have one more go, but with some free, expert assistance from TPAS: https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk