Pension can be one of the largest matrimonial assets and failing to include them in your settlement means you may miss out on potential long-term income and future financial security. However, finding lost details of workplace pensions amid years of accumulated emails and paperwork in not easy and can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

How to trace your pensions 

Since 2012 all employers are required by law to provide a workplace pension plan, also known as ‘automatic enrollment’, if all of the following apply:

• You are classed as a ‘worker’
• You are aged between 22 and State Pension age
• You earn at least £10,000 per year
• You usually (‘ordinarily’) work in the UK

This means that if you have worked in a number of organisations you are likely to have multiple pension pots. Keeping track of them all can become difficult as time moves on.

Contacting the pension provider 

Finding an old email or paperwork from your pension provider makes things simpler as you will know who to contact to find out more about your pension.

Give them a call directly. You are likely to be asked for some key information such as your full name; your National Insurance number; your Date of birth; and the date you set up your pension if you know it.

It is worthwhile asking them the following questions:

• What is the valuat of tyour pension pot?
• How much has been paid into the pot?
• Would thre be any charges if you transferred your pension pot to another provider? How much are they charging to manage your pension pot?

Keep this information to hand!

Contacting your previous employer 

If you cannot find any information about your old pensions or who the provider might be, contact your previous employer. They should be able to tell you about the pension plan they enrolled you in as well as the start and end dates of your employment.

You should also ask whether the scheme was defined contribution or defined benefit.

Contact the Pension Tracing Service 

If you are unable to find any details about your workplace pension or get any information from a previous employer, you can tray the pension tracing service. (add a link?)

The Pension Tracing Service is a free Government service that searches over 200,000 workplace and personal pension schemes to find the pension provider contact details you need.

Keep things up to date

Once you have traced your pension you should ensure that your provider has the correct contact details for you. Do not forget to update your name if it has changed since you joined the pension plan.

Pension schemes can change and close. You should be informed if this happens and how it affects your pension, so it is important to ensure your provider has up to date address and email for you, so that you receive important communications.