How to find a pension number

A pension number is a unique number that’s used to identify your pension and can usually be found at the top of your pension paperwork. If you can’t find your pension number in your records, you should contact your pension provider for assistance.

It can sometimes be called a customer number, policy number, reference number or employer pension scheme reference number and is given to you by your pension provider when you join a new pension scheme. Each pension you have will come with a unique number that can be used to help keep track of your pension.

You can find your pension number at the top of any correspondence you’ve received from your pension provider. If you manage your pension online, it should be visible whenever you login to check your pension statement online.

If you have a pension, but can’t locate your pension number, you should contact your provider who will be able to assist you. If you can’t remember your pension number, or who it’s with, you’ll need to go through the process of finding a lost pension.

What is a PSTR number?

A Pension Scheme Tax Reference (PSTR) number is given to pension schemes when they’re registered for tax relief and exemptions. It’s usually used by employers (rather than employees) for administrative purposes and when dealing with HMRC.

Finding a lost pension

It’s not unusual to have several pension pots and unless you are actively managing your pensions it can be easy to lose track. If you have a workplace pension that’s been set up by a current or former employer, it should be relatively straightforward to find a pension. You can start by contacting the workplace directly to find out which provider manages the scheme.

You can also try to find old pensions that you set up yourself. The government’s Pension Tracing Service is a useful database you can check, but you’ll need to remember some basic details about your pension.

Another way to find a lost pension is to consolidate all of your old pensions into one. Each pension provider and scheme has different rules for pension transfers and you may not be able to move everything into an existing pension. If this is the case, a new pension provider, such as PensionBee, can help. We’ll manage the transfer process from beginning to end and will help you find and locate those pensions from your old pension provider. We just need some basic pension details, like a policy number.

Managing your pension

It’s important to keep track of your pension and check how your savings are being invested. Consolidating your pensions into one will make this process easier and, if you choose PensionBee, you can manage your pension online 24/7. Plus, you’ll be assigned a personal account manager, or BeeKeeper, who is on hand to answer any queries you may have.

Risk warning

As always with investments, your capital is at risk. The value of your investment can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you invest. This information should not be regarded as financial advice.

Last edited: 01-09-2023

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