Access to my job history...?

[Amilcar]

I've recently taken advantage of the government service which helps people track down their pension entitlement from previous jobs. You tell them when and for whom you worked and they give you leads to the organisations currently in charge of the pension funds of companies where you once worked. So far, all my replies have said that there is no trace of my membership of the schemes on the databases of the pension providers. Respondents have asked me to prove that I belonged to the schemes. I am talking about companies where I worked, maybe, 45 years ago. So, I can barely recall the dates let alone details of the schemes. I do recall that membership of the occupational schemes was compulsory in the two schemes in question. So, I'd have belonged and paid. My question is: since I paid NI, would the Ministry of Works & Pensions (or whatever they call themselves these days) be willing and able to confirm for me from their records where I used to work and during which periods so that I can quote these facts back to the pension schemes in an effort to claim any pension due? If anyone has experience, I'd be glad to know... TNX.

[woofgang]

why don't you ask them?

[buildersmate]

The Pensions Service will tell you from your NI contribution record for each year of employement who the employer was and whether you were contracted-in or contracted out from the Government scheme.
If you were contracted-in, it means that all your pension from that employment accrues from the various Government schemes (Graduated Pension, SERPS or S2P as appropriate, depending on the year).
It is only if you were contracted-out into a company pension scheme that you would have an entitlement to a company (one or more) pension element.

[mokane002]

Its unlikely that you do; until 1975 there was no legislation protecting members of Schemes who left before their normal retirement age, and so even though you may have been a member, you would have lost any pension built up on leaving. In the vast majority of cases, you have have had a refund of any contributions that you paid in refunded.