Over 3 Million Lost Pension Pots Worth £6,000 On Average – Here’s How To Claim Yours

There are over 3 million lost pension pots in the UK worth an average of over £6,000, new data from the Pension Policy Institute (PPI) Lost Pensions Report revealed. But how do you find one and can you claim the money?

Most lost pension pots (81.88%) are held by people under the age of 55 who make up around 2.5 million forgotten retirement funds, the study shows.

People lose touch with pension pots for a variety of reasons, including moving home, changing their name, when companies merge or shut down completely.

With careers evolving and recent government estimates showing people have around 11 jobs in their lifetime, the chances of losing touch with a workplace pension also increase.

How much money is sitting in lost pension pots?

Around £18.7bn is held in lost pension pots in the UK according to the PPI’s latest study.

The majority of this wealth, which stands at £12.9m, is held in pots owned by people under the age of 55.

Those aged 55-74 years old hold the second largest sum in lost pots, totalling £5.75bn, while those over 75 years of age hold £0.3bn.

The table below shows a breakdown of how much each age group holds in lost pension pots in the UK.

Mind the gender pension pay gap

Women’s lost pension wealth is over 20% lower on average than men’s. The mean lost pension pot size for women stands at £5,370 compared to £6,830.

This can largely be attributed to the gender pay gap, as men in full-time employment earn around 6.7% more than women in full-time employment according to the ONS.

Caring responsibilities and becoming a parent also play a significant role. The ‘motherhood penalty’, for instance, means that mothers face a £65,618 loss in earnings on average over five years after having their first child, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This affects how much they can reasonably put into a pension and affects the growth potential of their retirement fund over time.

The table below shows the gender split of lost pensions in 2026.

For more support on how to beat the gender pension pay gap, check out our Investing Insiders Podcast Episode: The Hidden Cost of Motherhood.

Tracking down a lost pension pot

With an average of £6,000 sitting in each lost pension, it’s essential to claim your wealth to ensure you build enough for a comfortable retirement.

It’s possible to find a lost pension pot using the following steps:

Find your documents: gather your National Insurance (NI) number, old employer names, addresses and where possible, previous pension provider names to help make the search simpler.

1. Free pension tracker: using a free pension tracing service can help you track down your lost pots quickly. Investing Insiders have partnered with Gretel to offer a free Pension Finder. Once signed up Gretel runs a comprehensive search of any pension pots in your name. There’s also a free pension service available on GOV.UK.

2. Contact the pension company: get in touch with the pension companies to claim your pot. Each provider might have a slightly different process and timeline for receiving the money.

3. Update your details: if you want to keep the lost pot open with that pension provider, be sure to update your personal information to ensure you receive updates from the pension company.

4. Update your details: if you want to keep the lost pot open with that pension provider, be sure to update your personal information to ensure you receive updates from the pension company.

For more tips, check out our guide on how to track down a lost pension pot.