Some £26.6bn worth of pension funds has 'gone missing' since 2018 according to new research from the Pensions Policy Institute.
Around 2.8mln pensions can't be matched with the recipient meaning they are considered ‘lost,’ according to the report.
Since 2018, the value of these lost pensions has increased by 37%, or £7.2bn, with the number of unclaimed pots jumping by 75%, the report outlined.
Averaging it out means each lost pot is worth £9,470, Helen Morrissey, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said, adding that with investment growth the lost money could “have a major impact on retirement planning decisions”.
Even though a rise in the number of lost pensions had been anticipated, the numbers are increasing at an “alarming rate,” Morrissey added, a sentiment echoed by the Association of British Insurers, which partnered with the PPI on the research.
“These lost pots could make a real difference to people’s retirement if they were reunited with their owner,” it said.
“Despite action by the industry, problems usually arise because people forget about pots built up in previous jobs, or they change their name or move house without telling their pension provider.”
With National Pension Tracing Day taking place on 30 October, the industry is boosting efforts to reunite people with their unclaimed savings, urging them to take action in tracing their pensions.