The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has launched its Lost Pensions 2026 survey, with defined benefit (DB) schemes included for the first time.
Supported by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), the research builds on the PPI’s 2024 findings that 3.3 million pension pots, worth £31.1bn, are currently lost. The latest study will track how the ‘lost pots’ landscape has changed, examining the number of missing pots, their value and age distribution, while also exploring the underlying causes and the implications for savers and policymakers.
The survey comes as the Pension Schemes Bill continues its passage through parliament. The bill includes measures to introduce multiple default consolidators for dormant defined contribution pots worth up to £1,000.
“The existing scale of lost pensions across the UK demonstrates the importance of the upcoming pensions dashboard as a tool that will help reconnect people with lost pensions and strengthen people’s engagement with their pensions.”
Anna Sharkey, Money and Pensions Service
Danielle Elliott, head of external relations and project lead at the PPI, said: “By broadening the research in 2026, we aim to build a more complete picture of the pensions landscape and strengthen the evidence base across the industry.”
Anna Sharkey, head of money and pensions policy at MaPS, said the inclusion of DB pensions would help improve understanding of the lost pensions landscape.
She said: “The existing scale of lost pensions across the UK demonstrates the importance of the upcoming pensions dashboard as a tool that will help reconnect people with lost pensions and strengthen people’s engagement with their pensions.”
Separate figures from pension-finding platform Raindrop suggest demand for tracing tools is also increasing. The company said it reunited savers with £447m in lost pension savings during the first quarter of 2026, up from £109m in the same period last year.
Raindrop said it traced 61,858 lost pots during the quarter, compared with 10,361 a year earlier. Since launch, it said it has located £1.6bn from more than 166,000 lost or forgotten pots.
Vivan Shridharani, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Raindrop, said: “Lost pots remain a major issue in the UK, and locating lost pensions by yourself can often be a difficult and complex process requiring a great deal of time and effort.”
He added that pension providers and financial institutions are increasingly working with specialist fintechs who can find misplaced pension pots quickly and efficiently for savers.
In 2024, Aviva launched a “find and combine” pension tracing service that also incorporates information about additional features of pension pots, so users are aware of any benefits they may be giving up by transferring.
