Pension contributions

Cressbrook

Hi does anyone know if it is possible to find out how much has been contributed into pensions in a lifetime without contacting existing provider as there have been several providers after transferring from various pension schemes over the last 47 years!

Silvertabby

Why do you need to know?  

Albermarle

Probably not, as not much call for that sort of historical info.

Exodi

Are you referring to employer contributions, employee contributions, or both?

Unfortunately, AFAIK, there is no central database recording pension contributions (if there was, it probably wouldn't be as difficult to locate old pensions as it is now).

The two obvious ways that spring to mind:

1. Adding the pension contributions from past payslips.
2. Requesting contribution data from past providers.

I think however you do it, it will be an absolute mountain of work (47 years!).

As @Silvertabby asked, why do you need to know? Is it just curiosity on how your contributions have paid off?

dunstonh

Cressbrook said:

Hi does anyone know if it is possible to find out how much has been contributed into pensions in a lifetime without contacting existing provider as there have been several providers after transferring from various pension schemes over the last 47 years!

No.
Once you leave a provider, that old data is borrowed time.   It usually gets destroyed in accordance with data protection requirements.   

You will have the data if you retained it.   However, most people wouldn't.    

Exodi

dunstonh said:

Cressbrook said:

Hi does anyone know if it is possible to find out how much has been contributed into pensions in a lifetime without contacting existing provider as there have been several providers after transferring from various pension schemes over the last 47 years!

No.
Once you leave a provider, that old data is borrowed time.   It usually gets destroyed in accordance with data protection requirements.   

You will have the data if you retained it.   However, most people wouldn't.    

To reinforce what dunstonh says, I transferred out of NEST a while ago, and during the transfer they spammed me with big bold warnings about backing up my data as the account would no longer be accessible after the transfer.

I'm pretty sure I contacted them less than a year later for a copy of the contribution data, and they told me they no longer had it (they seem to keep personal details, but not contribution).

As to whether a past provider is holding information from ex-members decades in the past, virtually zero.

LHW99

Past payslips / pension statements are the best place to look - if you still have them