Find and combine your pensions

If you've lost track of old pensions, our free Find and Combine service can help you locate them and bring them into one manageable place.

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Lost track of all the pensions?

By the time you're getting to the end of your working life, you might have paid into several different pensions. And whether it's going from job to job, moving addresses or changing names, it can be easy to lose track of them over time. 

That's where our Find and Combine service can help. 

Pension tracing is an easy way to find your old or lost pensions. Our Find and Combine service takes whatever information you might have, from old pension numbers to your employment history, and uses it to track your pensions down. 

Once we've found them, we'll check to see if they have any charges and valuable benefits and share what we've found with you. That way, you have all the information you need to decide whether bringing your pensions together in one place is the right choice for you.

The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may get back less than has been paid in.

How does our Find and Combine service work?

With the information you give us, we can help you find any lost UK pensions or confirm details of ones you already know about in three simple steps.

Apply online Step 1 of 3

Give us as much information as you can about where you’ve worked and/or any pensions you might have had. Then we’ll start the hard work to track them down.

Get the details Step 2 of 3

We'll check for certain benefits, or if there are any charges for moving your pensions. You can see what we check for here. You may need to check for loss of benefits that we don't check for. You'll usually be able to view information online as we receive it.

Decide what to do Step 3 of 3

Once you've considered all the information, you can decide if bringing your pensions together is right for you. We can combine some or all of your eligible pensions into your existing Aviva Workplace pension.

Ready to use the Find and Combine service?

Things to think about when using our Find and Combine service

You don’t have to combine your pensions when you use this service. But if you’re thinking about it, there are a few things to consider.

The benefits

  • There's only one fee
    Keeping track of lots of pensions can cost you time and money. Combining your pensions means there's only one fee to pay, which might be less than the combined fees from having several pensions.
  • You could lower your percentage charge
    Some pensions may lower the percentage of the fee they charge when more money is invested in them.
  • Simpler to manage
    Keep tabs on your progress and gain access to just one set of documents to manage your pension.
  • Planning for the future
    A single pension could give you a clearer view of your retirement options and make decisions easier.

Things to be aware of

  • Charges and exit costs
    Before you decide on transferring, we'll let you know about any charges and exit costs we find. So, you can look at how much your current provider charges and compare it with those of the pension you're transferring to.
  • Pension benefits and guarantees
    We'll also look out for any safeguarded benefits in the pensions we find, like guaranteed income, higher tax-free lump sums, loyalty bonuses, life insurance, and early access to savings. You might lose these by transferring.
  • You're not guaranteed to be better off
    Although bringing all your pensions together can have many benefits, there's no guarantee that you'll be better off in retirement.
  • Employer contributions
    If your employer pays into your pension, you'll need to talk to them before transferring, as a transfer may mean they stop paying into it.
  • Capital at risk
    The value of your pensions can go down as well as up, and combining your pensions means taking them out of established investments.

Already have all the details of your past pensions?

If you don't need help finding and checking the details of your previous pensions, you can choose to transfer them yourself. Learn more about consolidating your pensions.

Workplace pension transfers  Go to workplace pensions transfers page

Find and Combine FAQs

Is this service just to find lost pensions? Show more Show less

No, you can also use the service to get more details about pensions you already know about too. Just provide your policy number and pension provider and we’ll check them for you.

What do you need to get started? Show more Show less

You'll need a MyAviva account to use our Find and Combine service.

For security, you might have to verify your identity. You'll need a passport or driving licence as photo ID, plus your mobile phone (to take a selfie) to do this. 

To find your lost pensions, you'll also need your previous addresses and name (if you've changed your name), plus employment or provider details for any pensions you think you might have. 

If you want to check pensions you already know about, you'll need the provider name, your policy number, and any name and address details you may have given them.

How long does it take to find and combine my pensions? Show more Show less

Not all providers are quick to respond to a request for information about pensions. So, it may take from four to twelve weeks from you applying until we can give you information on your pensions. 

If you decide to combine your pensions with us, it can take another three to six weeks until your money's with Aviva.

Does it check for all pension benefits and charges? Show more Show less

When we contact your pension providers, we’ll check for all safeguarded and certain valuable benefits you may lose by consolidating your pensions, or any charges for transferring. You can see which ones we check for here.

Will you always find my lost pensions? Show more Show less

Sometimes we can't find a pension. This could be for a number of reasons including things like not being able to locate who your employer's pension scheme was looked after by. We'll always try and find a pension but if we can't, we'll contact you to let you know.

How will you tell me about the pensions you have found? Show more Show less

When we've checked your pensions, we'll either email your results or present them in an online dashboard. You'll be emailed a link to access your individual dashboard.

Can you check defined benefit (final salary) pensions? Show more Show less

No. But if we find a defined benefit pension for you, we'll email you to let you know.

Can I transfer into my existing Aviva Workplace pension? Show more Show less

Yes, for some Aviva Workplace pensions. If you can transfer into an existing product with us, we'll explain how to do this when we share your pension results.

Does this service offer financial advice? Show more Show less

Our Find and Combine service doesn't offer financial advice. But if you want more help thinking about pensions and retirement, MoneyHelper is a good place to start. 

It's a free, government-backed guidance service with a range of information on finances, pensions, and retirement that can help you understand your options. 

If you need advice and don't have an adviser, you can also find an up-to-date list of regulated advisers at MoneyHelper, too. However, you'll have to pay for this advice.

Can I save my application and return to it? Show more Show less

We're afraid not, so it's important to have all the information you need to hand.

Why do you need to verify my identity? Show more Show less

We have to verify your identity to make sure we're sharing your pension details with the right person - and protect you from potential fraud.

To do that, we’ll need photo ID - either your passport or driving licence. You’ll then need to take a selfie with your phone. We’ll check your selfie against your photo ID to verify your identity. If you can’t do this, you won’t be able to use the service.

Will my investments remain invested throughout the transfer process? Show more Show less

Your provider may be able to transfer some or all of the funds directly from existing pensions, meaning they stay invested throughout the process. When this isn't possible, existing investments will have to be sold and the value transferred as cash - this means there may be a period when your money is out of the market and will not benefit from any investment gains or suffer any losses from market movements. We'll send you reminders about the impact of leaving any monies in cash.

Can any type of pension be transferred? Show more Show less

There are some pensions you may not be able to move, which we'll confirm to you. We always recommend checking with your pension provider before taking any action. Those we can't transfer with our digital service include:
  1. defined contribution pensions with a guaranteed annuity rate, safeguarded benefits or guaranteed income
  2. defined benefit pensions, which pay you an income based on how long you've been in that employer's scheme and how much you earned when you left or retired
  3. pensions you’ve already taken money from.

Comparing charges Show more Show less

Nearly all pensions have ongoing management charges, which differ from pension to pension.

You could benefit from better growth in the long term by transferring to a pension with lower overall charges, so it's important to know what they are on all of your pensions. Charges information should be on annual statements or set-up documents, but otherwise your provider can tell you what yours are.

Not all charges have the same names, so look out for things like:

  • annual management or maintenance charges - these are most common
  • yearly fund charges - these may apply to specific funds you're invested in rather than the whole policy 
  • exit fees - some providers may charge you for transferring away.

Your current Aviva charges Show more Show less

To help you compare your pensions, check your Aviva charges on each Aviva policy. Your policy documents, annual statements and set-up documents will contain details about your charges.

You can access your Aviva policy documents in the Document library once you log in to MyAviva.

If you don't have documents for your other pensions or are waiting for pension results from us, contact your provider who will be able to tell you more.

Important documents

Before you apply, please read the below documents. We’ll ask you to accept our Terms of Use as part of your application.

Find and Combine Privacy Notice (PDF 64.6KB)

Find and Combine Terms of Use (PDF 147.3KB)

Aviva Administration Limited. Registered in England and Wales No 03424940. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 185746.

Platform provider: Aviva Wrap UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 4470008. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 231530.

Pension product provided by: Aviva Pension Trustees UK Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 2407799. Aviva, Wellington Row, York, YO90 1WR. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Firm reference number 465132.

MyAviva is owned and operated by Aviva Insurance Limited.