Missing Pensions

[littlesally]

Hi,

Sorry this is so long but I am getting really tangled up with my pensions.
Trying to track them down has become frustrating and I don't know where to turn.
From age 16 I worked in a shop (A) for around a year. Unlikely I paid into a pension to be honest.
At age 17 I worked for one company (B) for four years. I contacted their pension company who say they have no record of me, which I was inclined to believe. At age 17, pension age seemed way too far away to think about.
From age 21 until around age 40 I didn't work.
Then worked in a shop (C) for four years. Their pension company say they've nothing from me.
I worked for a company 'D' for about ten years, where I am 99% sure I had a pension. Their pension company say there is nothing showing.
Since then I was tuped to another company (E) and then again to yet another company (F)

A - I can't find any record of the company anywhere.
B - their pension company have no record of me.
C - their pension company have no record of me but I'd be surprised if i didn't join their pension. The company itself has gone bankrupt.
D - I have two pension companies as D changed pension companies while I was there. Both say they have knowledge of me.
E - their pension company has no knowledge of me.
F - my present work place which agree I do have a pension with them.

I have sent a SAR to D and E, as although they will have got rid of all my personal information after six years they have to keep all the pension information. I am hoping they will give me my reference/ID numbers and proof I paid in.
Neither have acknowledged my request.

I don't have any reference numbers, threw out all my previous wage slips etc.
I know my work ID number with D but not E.

How do I go about proving I do have pensions with D and E?
And going by the denial of D and E, I'm now wondering about B and C.

It seems I've paid into work pensions for twenty years, maybe more, but can only prove seven years. That's a lot of money gone missing.

I was really naive and just thought the pension companies would start paying when I reached pension age. I do recognise that was not wise.

What else can I do?

[PallasAthena]

Have you tried the government 'Find a pension' service to see if throws up any additional information?

Declaration - Find pension contact details - GOV.UK

In the past it was common that employees under 18 were not put into the pension scheme so for the employments A and B before you stopped working at 21 it's entirely possible that either you were never enrolled in their pension scheme or that you had to work for a minimum number of years before you accrued any pension rights. If you left before reaching the minimum years most likely your contributions would have been returned to you when your employment ceased.

[littlesally]

Hi Pallas,
Two years ago I contacted the pension companies directly with no luck. This time I went through that link and emailed that way. Same reply.
To be honest, it is highly unlikely I would have chosen to pay into a pension in my teens. I was just fishing with A and B.
C I would be surprised if I hadn't paid in.
The rest I am pretty certain I would have.

D has just emailed (coincidence) to say they don't hold any details of mine at all. I thought they would as they are the same type of service I presently work for and my contract says they keep them. Different company so obviously different policies.
E, if they reply, will probably be the same.

I feel like I'm going nuts with nowhere to turn.
Are there any reputable 'pension hunting' companies?

[echat11]

Posted for info only - https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information...-old-pensions/

You might have to use your personal details including NI Number and contact individual pension companies.

[littlesally]

I've done this.
I've sent them my NiN, date of birth, year of start and finish and addresses.
D and E pension companies, which are Scottish Widows and Aegon, both say they can only proceed with my reference/ID number.

[echat11]

I've done this.
I've sent them my NiN, date of birth, year of start and finish and addresses.
D and E pension companies, which are Scottish Widows and Aegon, both say they can only proceed with my reference/ID number.

Send them a Subject Access Request - https://legalbeagles.info/library/gu...ccess-request/

[littlesally]

I sent one last week.
D has replied saying they have nothing as I left over six years ago so subject to GDPR its destroyed.
E have yet to reply, even to acknowledge the request. I emailed again yesterday asking for an acknowledgement but still nothing.