Quick answer: Check your State Pension with the free State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. Check a workplace or personal pension by logging in to the provider’s own website or app. For pensions you have lost touch with, use the free government Pension Tracing Service to find who to contact. There is no single “pension checker” that shows everything yet.
Checking your State Pension
Your State Pension forecast shows how much State Pension you could get, when you can claim it, and whether you can improve it. It is free and uses your Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login account. Your National Insurance record shows any gaps in your contributions.
Checking a workplace or personal pension
Most providers let you set up an online account with your policy or member number, National Insurance number and date of birth. You will see your current value, contributions and where your money is invested. Your provider’s name should be on your payslip or annual statement.
Use the website address from your statement or the provider’s own site, not a link in a search advert or a text message, to avoid lookalike sites.
Checking pensions you’ve lost touch with
If you no longer get statements, you need to find the scheme first. Search for the employer or provider on the Pension Tracing Service, then ask the scheme to confirm whether it holds a pension for you and what it is worth. Our step-by-step guide covers this.
What about HMRC?
Searches for “HMRC find my pension” are common, but HMRC does not hold a list of your private or workplace pensions and has no pension checker. Your HMRC online account can show your recent employers, which tells you where to look. HMRC also does not run a SERPS checker: SERPS is part of your State Pension forecast.
Pensions dashboards
Pensions dashboards will let you check all your pensions in one place online. They are not open to the public yet. More about dashboards.
If you would rather someone did it for you
Tracing pensions yourself costs nothing but time. If you don’t have the time, or the letters and ID checks are putting you off, tell us what you remember and we’ll put you in touch with the right service:
- Pension Pie, our sister company, traces pensions of any size for one fixed fee of £249 including VAT. It never takes a percentage of what it finds and never moves your money.
- An FCA-authorised adviser may trace your pensions as part of an advice service, typically where they total £75,000 or more. The adviser explains any fees before you go ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free pension checker?
There is no single checker for every pension yet. The State Pension forecast on GOV.UK is free, the government Pension Tracing Service is free, and providers let you check your pension online for free.
Can I check my pension with my National Insurance number?
You need your NI number to set up most online pension accounts and to ask a provider about your records, but there is no website that lists your pensions from your NI number alone.
How do I check my State Pension?
Use the free State Pension forecast on GOV.UK. It shows how much you could get, when, and whether you can improve it.
Does HMRC have a pension checker?
No. HMRC does not keep a list of your private or workplace pensions. Your HMRC account can show recent employers, which helps you work out where you might have a pension.
How do I check how much is in my workplace pension?
Log in to your pension provider’s website or app, or check your annual statement. Your provider’s name should be on your payslip.
More on finding lost pensions
- How do I find out what pensions I have?
- Can I find my pension with my National Insurance number?
- How to find a pension from an old job
- Finding a pension with a provider that changed its name
- Finding a pension from years ago
- Pensions dashboards: when can I see all my pensions?
- SERPS: how to check and find yours
- The government Pension Tracing Service or paid tracing?
- What could an old pension be worth?