Martin Lewis warns millions could have lost pensions worth £10,000 on average

An average of just under £10,000 each,” Mr Lewis said. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say He directed the warning particularly at people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who may have worked for several employers over the years, noting that workers who changed jobs multiple times are among those most likely to have unclaimed pension pots.Many pensions become lost because providers lose contact with customers after they move house without updating their details.Changing surname after marriage can also make it harder for firms to reconnect savers with old accounts.Mr Lewis said many people simply forget about smaller workplace pensions over time.“You might have changed jobs and forgotten it. It’s so common,” he said.He also warned that pension providers themselves may have merged or rebranded, making older schemes more difficult to trace.Mr Lewis advised people to start by checking any old paperwork or employment documents they still have, and to contact former employers directly for details of historic schemes.If records cannot be found, he recommended using the Government’s Pension Tracing Service on GOV.UK, which contains information on around 200,000 schemes.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMartin Lewis shares 'rule of thumb' for how much you should pay into your pensionMartin Lewis warns holidaymakers over booking mistake that could cost thousandsMartin Lewis warns gifting money to family could trigger inheritance tax hit“It contains 200,000 pension schemes Who’s taken on its assets? Where’s it gone? They’ll be able to find that for you,” he said.Once a provider is identified, savers can contact the company directly to reconnect with the account, though ID documents may be required.For those still unable to locate missing pensions, Mr Lewis highlighted the free tracing service Gretel, which performs a soft search using credit‑file information to match previous addresses with disconnected financial products.The service is funded by firms required to help reunite customers with lost assets.Users who register are automatically rechecked every fortnight for newly identified accounts.Mr Lewis said some viewers had uncovered substantial sums, including one who found £45,000 in forgotten savings and another who discovered more than £100,000 sitting unclaimed. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter