Does your pension provider know how to contact you?

If you lose track of old pensions, you could end up missing out on thousands of pounds worth of savings when you come to retire.

Your pension provider has a responsibility to make sure the data it holds on you is accurate and up to date. If you have a defined contribution pension, it should also send you a statement at least once a year.

But a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request by pension-finding platform Raindrop has found that thousands of UK pension schemes aren’t carrying out the necessary checks to ensure their member information is accurate.

Take charge of your retirement planning

Check your retirement income plans are ready with the specialists at Destination Retirement

Get started

Which? earns a commission to fund its not-for-profit mission if you buy a product via this service

Less than half of the schemes are carrying out data checks

The Pensions Regulator requires pensions schemes to carry out two types of data assessment at least annually:

• Common data assessments These measure the accuracy of information such as your contact details, date of birth and National Insurance number
• Scheme-specific data assessments These measure the quality of data needed to administer pension benefits, such as your salary and contributions.

But last year, just 48% of the 5,686 workplace defined contribution (DC) non-micro schemes and workplace defined benefit (DB) schemes assessed by The Pensions Regulator had completed both data assessments.

Raindrop’s FOI request revealed that this is a longstanding issue, with less than four in 10 carrying out the checks in recent years. 

This table shows the proportion of workplace DC non-micro schemes and workplace DB schemes that completed both assessments between 2022 and 2025.

Millions of lost pension pots across the UK

Raindrop warns that pension schemes failing to keep accurate member records increase the risk of savers losing track of their pension pots.

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) estimates that £31.1bn is sitting in 3.3m lost pension pots across the UK, with the average lost pension worth £9,470.

It's common to accumulate multiple pensions as you move between jobs. But if your pension scheme doesn’t have accurate contact details for you, you might not get important documents and updates, such as your annual statement, making it harder to keep track of them.

Vivan Shridharani, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Raindrop, said: 'Dormant pots remain a huge problem in the UK and savers need greater support from schemes to help them keep track of all their retirement savings.

'Pension schemes have a key role to play in helping savers keep track of their pensions. Too often, member data is inaccurate, which impacts pension engagement and increases the risk of members losing track of their pots. 

'Providers should be regularly updating their members’ contact details as well as ensuring they have accurate insight into risk appetite and planned retirement age – this will boost member outcomes and engagement as well as tackle the lost pots issue.'

• Find out more: should I combine my pensions?

Make money make sense

Make every penny count. Get the best deals, avoid scams and grow your savings with expert guidance for only £49 a year.

Join Which? Money

Five reasons you might need to update your details

While your pension scheme should check that the information it holds about you is accurate, regularly updating your details will help ensure you don't lose touch. 

1. You've moved house

Pensions paperwork probably isn’t the first thing on your mind when you're moving, but if your provider doesn’t have your correct address, you might miss out on important forms and documents sent by post. 

You can usually update your details online or over the phone. Your provider will need information about you and your pension, and you may need to provide evidence of your new address, such as a bank statement or utility bill.

• Find out more: moving home checklist.​​​

2. You're leaving a job

If your pension provider only has your workplace email, you could miss out on updates once you lose access to the account. 

Before you leave a job, always check that your pension provider has your personal email address. 

3. Your email or phone number has changed

Similarly, you should update your contact details if you change your email address or phone number. 

You can usually do this via your provider’s online portal or by phone.

4. You've changed your name

It’s important to update your pension provider if your name changes. Your provider will normally ask for some evidence, such as an enrolled deed poll, marriage certificate, divorce certificate or final order. 

Speak to your employer if you need to update your details with your current workplace pension, as they may contact the scheme on your behalf.

5. Your retirement plans or beneficiaries have changed

Nominating a beneficiary helps make sure your pension is passed on in line with your wishes when you die. You should regularly review your beneficiaries, especially after marriage or divorce, the birth or adoption of children or the death of a beneficiary. 

Your pension provider will use your planned retirement age to decide how your funds are invested and calculate your pension forecasts, so it’s crucial that you update your provider if you decide to retire earlier or later than planned.

• Find out more: what happens to my pensions when I die?