Finding old pensions - surely NI should suffice?

SarahB16

@Josie_Flo What years are you referring to?

Are you certain that your employer at the time offered a pension scheme and that you joined it? It could be that this was not offered by your employer?

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156573#Comment_82156573

You'd think so wouldn't you?

Case - I worked for a very large US insurance company, in the UK, for five years. They were unable to supply me with the details of the pension that they/I had contributed to, some 25 years after employment.

The company had/has dozens of different funds, the subsidiary I worked for no longer existed, and it was just too hard.

Eventually tracked it down by writing to HMRC and asking for details of the scheme that was taking deductions from my salary at the time.

Good - found pension.

Not so good - administered by Capita.

MSE_James

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156340#Comment_82156340

I've made the Pensions Dashboard thread a sticky thread / announcement on this board. (I'd spotted the thread earlier in the week and flagged it to our colleagues who look after MSE's pensions content, and they have been looking at everyone's comments with interest.)

Josie_Flo

The money helper link has been very helpful, thanks.

poseidon1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156625#Comment_82156625

Much appreciated, will make it far easier to direct new enquirers looking for a way to track down old pensions, and hopefully drive more 'traffic' in the direction of Moneyhelper's Beta testing efforts.

dunstonh

sadly I think there are many like me who after months of chasing the rabbit down the hole just give up - hence why there is about 30billion quid in unallocated pensions floating around with no claimers. I just do not understand why the powers that be cannot sort it out, especially when we are in the financial crisis that we are these days - and it does not look much better in the near future either.

it is being sorted out with the pensions dashboard.

However, it just shows how careless people can be with their money.

Marcon

However, it just shows how careless people can be with their money.

It certainly makes you wonder what other savings/investments people have forgotten they ever had/lost track of - an interesting problem not just for them, but for anyone trying to administer their estate when they die.

StewedApple

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156548#Comment_82156548

You can also add temporary NI numbers to the list of reasons why a unique number isn't unique:-

https://www.protaxaccountant.co.uk/post/temporary-national-insurance-number

Marcon

I think there are many like me who after months of chasing the rabbit down the hole just give up - hence why there is about 30billion quid in unallocated pensions floating around with no claimers. I just do not understand why the powers that be cannot sort it out,

You make it sound so simple, but it's a massive, expensive and ridiculously complex exercise - and when did you see any government project involving any form of IT/data go smoothly and to plan…?

Hopefully people will start to accept that they have some responsibility for keeping their own records of things which are important to them. That includes - as every pension scheme in land pleads on just about every communication they send to members - keeping your contact details up to date when you move, get married and so on.

sheramber

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82157473#Comment_82157473

My husband had details of his old pension but the employer had ceased and the pension scheme had changed hands.

He found out who had it by asking on Facebook if any exemployees knew who was handling it.

Fortunately, he got details from someone had tracked it down n.