Do you have a lost pension pot — and how will the new Pensions Dashboard help you find it?

Why do so many pension pots go missing?

It’s easier than it sounds. Each time you change jobs, you typically build up a new workplace pension with a different provider. Over a working life, that can easily add up to five, six, or more separate pots — and keeping track of all of them, especially after address changes or the passage of decades, is genuinely difficult.

Research shows that 79% of people aged 55 to 64 don’t know how much is in their pension pot. With the average worker now changing jobs many times over their career, the UK’s pension system has created a paperwork trail that’s almost impossible to follow manually. The Pension Policy Institute estimates those 3.3 million lost pots contain around £31 billion — money that belongs to real people who simply don’t know it’s there.

What is the Pensions Dashboard — and what will it show you?

The Pensions Dashboard is a new digital service backed by the government that will let you log in and see all your pension information in one place. You’ll access it through the MoneyHelper website (the government’s free money guidance service), using GOV.UK One Login — the same system used to access HMRC, your personal tax account, and other government services online.

Once you’re logged in, you enter your name, date of birth, and National Insurance number. The system then searches across almost all UK pension providers to find any pensions linked to you. Here’s what it will show:

• Workplace pensions you’ve built up but are not yet drawing
• Personal pensions you’ve set up yourself
• Your State Pension entitlement — how much you’re on track to receive
• Contact details for each pension provider, so you can get in touch directly

It will not show pensions you’re already drawing income from — those are already in payment and not considered lost. It also won’t show very old small-pot pensions where records are incomplete, though providers are working to include as much historical data as possible.

When will the Pensions Dashboard actually be available to use?

There’s no confirmed public launch date yet, but the picture is becoming much clearer. Under the Pension Schemes Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April 2026, all pension providers must be connected to the national dashboard by 31 October 2026. The largest schemes were required to connect earlier — from late 2025 — with medium-sized schemes following by September 2026.

Once the final providers connect at the end of October, the government-backed MoneyHelper dashboard is expected to open to the public in late 2026 or early 2027. There may also be private regulated versions — apps and financial services approved by the FCA as Qualifying Pensions Dashboard Services — launching around the same time.

What can you do right now to find a lost pension?

You don’t have to wait for the dashboard. The government already runs a free Pension Tracing Service on GOV.UK that can help you track down old workplace or personal pensions today. You just need to remember the name of the employer or pension provider — it won’t tell you whether there’s money waiting for you, but it gives you the contact details so you can check directly.

To use it, search for “Pension Tracing Service” on GOV.UK. You’ll need:

• The name of your old employer or pension provider
• Roughly when you worked there — even approximate years will help
• Your National Insurance number

How do you get ready for the dashboard before it launches?

The dashboard matches your pensions using your personal details — your name, date of birth, and National Insurance number. If these don’t match what pension providers have on file for you, your pots may not appear. So one of the most useful things you can do right now is make sure your details are up to date with every pension provider you can remember.

You should also set up a GOV.UK One Login account if you haven’t already — it’s the same login used for HMRC’s personal tax account, and having it ready means you can access the dashboard the moment it goes live. You can create one at account.gov.uk. It takes about ten minutes and just requires an email address and a form of ID.

Will the dashboard tell you what to do with your pensions?

No — and this is an important point to understand. The dashboard is an information tool, not a financial advice service. It will show you what you have, but it won’t tell you whether to consolidate your pots, how to draw them down, or whether your investments are right for your situation.

If you discover you have several old pots and you’re wondering whether to combine them, or if you have a defined benefit (final salary) pension that may be worth considerably more than you realise, it’s worth getting proper guidance before taking any action. MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk) offers free, impartial guidance from pension specialists — not full financial advice, but enough to help you understand your options clearly before you decide what to do.