When someone passes away, it isn’t always obvious what pensions or insurance policies they held. Even serious correspondence is increasingly sent exclusively by email. Therefore, some responsibility also lies with individuals to keep a record of their assets. Here’s a straightforward guide Executors can use right away. Please keep it simple, keep a paper trail, and remember, the goal is to locate and claim all possible policies or pensions.
At‑a‑glance steps
- Collect clues: bank/credit‑card statements, emails, paperwork, payslips, P60s/P45s, old policy schedules, employer handbooks.
- Tell the banks (to discover accounts/standing orders you didn’t know about).
- Trace pensions (via the free government Pension Tracing Service and employer HR/payroll).
- Check life cover (personal policies and any death‑in‑service through an employer).
- Search for lost products (free tracing services for dormant accounts, NS&I/Premium Bonds, and unclaimed policies).
As the executor or administrator, your role is to write to providers with proof of death and your authority; keep a log of requests and responses. This will help you keep track of your progress and ensure you follow up on any outstanding requests.
Start here: gather information.
- Paper & digital: Look through files, email inboxes, password manager entries, and post. Search for words like pension, policy, life, premium, insurer, annuity.
- Bank statements: Standing orders or direct debits often reveal pension or insurance providers.
- Employer records: HR/payroll can confirm workplace pension details and verify whether death-in-service cover is in place.
Tip: Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for Provider, What we asked for, date sent, Contact name, Chaser due, and Outcome.
Tracing pensions (workplace and personal)
- Pension Tracing Service (free): Finds contact details for pension schemes based on the person’s past employers or known scheme names. It doesn’t confirm balances, but it tells you who to write to.
- Write to each provider: Include the deceased’s full name, previous names, date of birth, NI number, last known address(es), and the National Insurance number if you have it. Ask for confirmation of:
- Whether the deceased was a member;
- Any death benefits or survivor’s pension due;
- What documents do they need to process a claim?
- Exceptional cases: Armed Forces pensions are handled through Veterans UK. Some public-sector schemes (NHS, Teachers, Civil Service, Local Government, Police, and Fire) have their bereavement teams; contact them directly.
Checking life insurance
Life cover may exist in several forms—don’t assume there’s only one policy.
- Employer benefits: Many employees have death-in-service coverage worth a multiple of their salary. HR can confirm and explain how to claim (often via trustees).
- Personal policies: Look for terms such as level term, decreasing term, whole-of-life, over-50s plan, or mortgage protection. Premium payments on bank statements are a strong clue.
- Trusts & Nominees: Some policies are written in trust, so proceeds bypass the estate and are paid out faster. Ask the insurer whether a trust or nomination exists and request the correct claim forms.
Banking & savings clues (often uncover policies/pensions)
- Death Notification Service (free): Notify multiple banks/building societies at once. They’ll inform you about what the deceased held and what they require from you. This can reveal standing orders to pension or insurance providers.
- My Lost Account (free): Searches for dormant bank/building society accounts and some National Savings products.
- NS&I / Premium Bonds: Use NS&I’s bereavement team to trace holdings and claim. Premium Bonds can continue to be entered into the prize draw for a limited period after death (on request) before being cashed in.
Using a policy‑tracing service
- Gretel (free): Helps trace lost or forgotten products (including some insurance and pension plans) across a wide range of providers. It’s not a government service, but it can speed up searches. Gretel is a relatively new service that is allegedly funded by financial institutions holding lost assets. Please do your research in this case. We will never use this service without express authority from the Executors.
Watch out: Avoid any site that charges to “check if a policy exists.” Legitimate services listed above are free.
What providers will usually ask for
Have digital copies ready to speed things up:
- Death certificate (a scanned copy or photo is acceptable initially).
- Proof of authority: Grant of Probate (if there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (if not). Early on, providers may share limited information with the named executor/administrator before the grant is issued.
- Identity & address for the personal representative.
- Key facts: full name, any previous names, date of birth, National Insurance number, past addresses, employer names, and policy/scheme references if known.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Only checking current employer/insurer: People often have multiple older pensions or small policies. Trace by every employer.
- Assuming there’s no payout: Workplace death‑in‑service can exist even if there’s no personal policy.
- Phishing risks: If an insurer contacts you unexpectedly, verify the number and call back on a published line.
- Missing small pots: Auto‑enrolment means many small workplace pensions—write to them all.
- Tax & Timing: Some death benefits are taxable, depending on the policy structure and age at death—get advice before distributing funds.
How JJ Taylor & Co can help
We handle this every day. We can:
- Review paperwork and statements for hidden clues.
- Contact pension providers, insurers, banks and NS&I on your behalf.
- Prepare and track all enquiries, chasers and claim forms.
- Advice on how benefits interact with the estate and Inheritance Tax.
- Coordinate with executors/trustees to ensure that money is paid to the correct individuals promptly.
Need help fast?
If you’re dealing with a bereavement and need to locate pensions or insurance, contact JJ Taylor & Co and ask for the Probate Team.