Difficulty tracing old pensions

thecornflake

Hi,
I'm having problems tracing a couple of old company pensions (my own fault not updating addresses over several moves a few years ago). I tried the free tracing service, plus actually calling both companies and have written to everyone suggested from both but no luck. If I search online all I really come across is the tracing service. Are there IFA type people who specialize in pensions and might be able to help or would they likely do no better than me? My last resort is to actually go to (or write to given tier restrictions) all the old addresses and ask people to forward anything if they receive it around April time in case annual statements are still being sent out. 

Brynsam

thecornflake said:

Hi,
I'm having problems tracing a couple of old company pensions (my own fault not updating addresses over several moves a few years ago). I tried the free tracing service, plus actually calling both companies and have written to everyone suggested from both but no luck. If I search online all I really come across is the tracing service. Are there IFA type people who specialize in pensions and might be able to help or would they likely do no better than me? My last resort is to actually go to (or write to given tier restrictions) all the old addresses and ask people to forward anything if they receive it around April time in case annual statements are still being sent out. 

No need to go traipsing round/writing to former addresses! If both companies are still in business, have you asked them who is currently handling the day to day administration of the  pension schemes which would have been operational while you were an employee? 

Can you remember your dates of employment/scheme membership (the two many not be the same) and what type of pension schemes these were: defined benefit (aka final salary) or defined contribution (aka money purchase)? It could be there is no pension to trace if you didn't mean the minimum periods of pension scheme membership to qualify for a 'deferred' pension. For more information/help - free, don't even think of paying someone - see https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/pension-problems/making-a-complaint/common-concerns/lost-pensions

Dox

Did you follow up the suggestions made when you asked the same question in 2018: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5923609/tracing-old-pension#latest

Are you sure both of these were actually 'company' schemes (trust based schemes run by your employer purely for employees), and not some sort of group stakeholder/personal pension arrangement? If they were personal pensions of some description, your former employers won't have any details of your membership and probably no details of your employment, given it was over a decade ago. What they should be able to tell you was what sort of pension provision was in place at the time you were employed by them, and who ran the pension scheme.

thecornflake

Brynsam said:

No need to go traipsing round/writing to former addresses! If both companies are still in business, have you asked them who is currently handling the day to day administration of the  pension schemes which would have been operational while you were an employee? 

Can you remember your dates of employment/scheme membership (the two many not be the same) and what type of pension schemes these were: defined benefit (aka final salary) or defined contribution (aka money purchase)? It could be there is no pension to trace if you didn't mean the minimum periods of pension scheme membership to qualify for a 'deferred' pension. For more information/help - free, don't even think of paying someone - see https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/pension-problems/making-a-complaint/common-concerns/lost-pensions

Both companies are still in business, although under different names now. I've written to or spoken to both and in both cases they suggested the most likely providers to ask. In neither case was the specific person I dealt with working for the company when I was so I couldn't ask them directly where theirs was now. Suggested companies had no records, a couple more suggestions but still no luck. In total I think I wrote to and got responses from around 8 different companies. I do have dates of employment and in one case (the earlier one which was from the early 2000s) I have the original scheme documentation from joining, and for the other I remember you had to work there for 6 months before membership. Worked at both companies for at least 5 years. Both would have been DC pensions.

Brynsam

Could you give the names of the companies as they were at the time you worked for them? Just a possibility someone reading this might also have worked there.

What does the original scheme documentation say - for example, does it ask you which funds you'd like to invest in and list the funds? That could help identify the scheme. 

bermudianmark

Presumably HMRC's NI keeps track of which pension you were opted out of SERPS into (assuming you were) I recently sent off for my payment record and got back data covering the tax years 1986/87 onwards.

Not sure how helpful they are but worth a go.

thecornflake

Brynsam said:

Could you give the names of the companies as they were at the time you worked for them? Just a possibility someone reading this might also have worked there.

What does the original scheme documentation say - for example, does it ask you which funds you'd like to invest in and list the funds? That could help identify the scheme. 

O'Rourke construction (now Laing O'Rourke) - Original docs are from RSM Robson Rhodes. Would have to dig it out to see what's mentioned in terms of funds. RSM recommended Blue Sky and L&G but no luck from both of them.
Claybrook Computing, now I believe Equiniti - Again was recommended a few companies to check with but no luck with them.

Brynsam

bermudianmark said:

Presumably HMRC's NI keeps track of which pension you were opted out of SERPS into (assuming you were) I recently sent off for my payment record and got back data covering the tax years 1986/87 onwards.

Not sure how helpful they are but worth a go.

They do if it's an occupational scheme, but as many have found to their cost, if you contracted out (of SERPS, or its successor the State Second Pension) using a personal pension to do so, they don't have any details of which one you used. This is a particular problem where someone set up the pension purely to receive NI rebates, which were paid direct from the DSS or DWP to the pension provider, so can't be traced even if you do have a lifetime of old bank statements handily kicking around. 

bermudianmark

Claybrook Computing is it https://www.reportingaccounts.com/uk/01287205/claybrook-computing-limited/ this company?

Seems to have been registered in 1976

Incorporation Date 19/11/1976

Their address is now

SUTHERLAND HOUSE
RUSSELL WAY
CRAWLEY
WEST SUSSEX
RH10 1UH

If so https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01287205/officers shows the names and addresses of former directors e.g Keith Burgess who resigned in July 2005, maybe write the previous directors a polite letter asking if they can help with more details etc?

Brynsam

thecornflake said:

Brynsam said:

Could you give the names of the companies as they were at the time you worked for them? Just a possibility someone reading this might also have worked there.

What does the original scheme documentation say - for example, does it ask you which funds you'd like to invest in and list the funds? That could help identify the scheme. 

O'Rourke construction (now Laing O'Rourke) - Original docs are from RSM Robson Rhodes. Would have to dig it out to see what's mentioned in terms of funds. RSM recommended Blue Sky and L&G but no luck from both of them.
Claybrook Computing, now I believe Equiniti - Again was recommended a few companies to check with but no luck with them.

I think light might be dawning, at least a bit! Could you give some rough dates of employment with each of those, please?

thecornflake

Dox said:

Did you follow up the suggestions made when you asked the same question in 2018: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5923609/tracing-old-pension#latest

Are you sure both of these were actually 'company' schemes (trust based schemes run by your employer purely for employees), and not some sort of group stakeholder/personal pension arrangement? If they were personal pensions of some description, your former employers won't have any details of your membership and probably no details of your employment, given it was over a decade ago. What they should be able to tell you was what sort of pension provision was in place at the time you were employed by them, and who ran the pension scheme.

In terms of following up suggestions, all it recommends is to use the pension tracing service which I'd already tried. But I'll try the other link posted which has an option to ask a pension specialist.
As far as I know they were company schemes. Both companies did have records of my employment at the time I contacted them (around 2017-2018).