Pensions never seem to stand still. From the increase in state age to the growing number of schemes individuals may be enrolled in, people increasingly have a range of queries
State pension ages have been undergoing changes since April 2010. These changes have seen the state pension age rise to 65 for women between 2010 and 2018. Following 2018 this will gradually increase further until the state pension age is 68 for both men and women.
You can check the state pension age timetables online; you can also calculate how much state pension a person is eligible for and a person can obtain a forecast of their state pension entitlement.
The Pension Tracing Service explains how to trace a pension and request a pension forecast. It can also be used to find contact details of various employers and pension scheme administrators.
These may be pensions that were related to a current or previous employment or a personal pension scheme which the person is currently making contributions into or for those where contributions ceased to be made some time ago.
To trace a workplace pension the following could be contacted:
- The employer who was responsible for the pension scheme
- The pension scheme administrator (or pension provider); the employer may be able to provide the details
- If unable to contact the relevant employer or pension scheme, then the Pension Tracing Service may be helpful.
The following information can help the pension scheme administrator trace a particular person’s pension scheme:
- Name and address of person
- National Insurance number
- Date of birth
- Name of employer (or previous employer)
- Pension scheme plan number
- The dates when contributions were made into the scheme.
The person may not know all this information, but the more information which can be provided the easier it will be to trace a pension.
Article from ACCA In Practice