Retirement Planning

SERPS Pension Check: How to Check Your SERPS Pension Online (2026)

If you worked in the UK between 1978 and 2002 as an employee earning above the National Insurance threshold, you almost certainly built up some SERPS (State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme) entitlement. This guide explains exactly how to check your SERPS pension — what's available online, what's only available by writing to HMRC, and what to do if you were contracted out at any point.

The two SERPS checks you need to do

There are actually two separate things people mean when they say "SERPS pension check":

State Pension entitlement based on SERPS — what the State will pay you at State Pension age, including any SERPS / Additional State Pension built up between 1978 and 2002. Held by the DWP.
Contracted-out SERPS records — if you were contracted out for some of those years, HMRC holds records of which scheme(s) received your redirected NI contributions. The actual money is held by the scheme administrator (Aviva, Standard Life, Phoenix, etc.).

Both checks are free. You'll likely want to do both, especially if you remember anything about being "contracted out".

Check 1: Your State Pension entitlement

Where: gov.uk/check-state-pension
Cost: Free
Time: ~5 minutes
Account needed: GOV.UK One Login (or Government Gateway)

This is the single most important pension check anyone in the UK can do, regardless of age. Your forecast shows:

Your current total State Pension entitlement
Your State Pension age (when you can start claiming)
Any gaps in your National Insurance record (and whether you can fill them with voluntary contributions to boost your eventual State Pension)
For people reaching State Pension age before April 2016: a separate line for "Additional State Pension" — this is your SERPS / S2P entitlement
For people reaching State Pension age on or after April 2016: your starting amount under the new State Pension, with SERPS / S2P folded into the calculation

If you're unsure how the new State Pension transition affects SERPS see our What is a SERPS Pension? guide.

Step-by-step: checking online

Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension
Click Sign in (or create an account)
Sign in with GOV.UK One Login — you'll need your NI number, identity verification (passport, driving licence, etc.) and a few personal details
View your forecast

If you don't already have an account, the One Login signup typically takes 10–15 minutes for first-time identity verification.

If you can't or don't want to verify online: BR-19 by post

You can request a State Pension forecast by post using HMRC form BR-19. Download it from gov.uk or call the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 (England, Scotland, Wales) to request one be sent to you.

Postal turnaround is typically 4–6 weeks.

Check 2: Were you contracted out of SERPS?

Where: Initially gov.uk/contracted-out/check-if-you-were-contracted-out
Cost: Free
Time: A few minutes (if you have records); longer if HMRC needs to look it up

Contracting out (1978–2016) meant a portion of your NI was redirected from the State SERPS scheme into a private/workplace pension. If you were contracted out at any point, you have:

Less SERPS / Additional State Pension in your State Pension forecast (the years you were contracted out are removed)
More money in a private/workplace pension somewhere

How to check whether you were contracted out:

Look at your State Pension forecast. It often notes if your forecast has been adjusted for contracting-out periods.
Check old payslips or P60s. If they mention "contracted out", "COSR" (Contracted-Out Salary Related), "COMP" (Contracted-Out Money Purchase) or "APP" (Appropriate Personal Pension), you were contracted out for that employment.
Check old joiner packs or pension annual statements. Workplace pension paperwork from the 80s, 90s and 2000s often explicitly stated whether the scheme was contracted out.
Use the Gov.UK contracted-out checker. The tool at gov.uk/contracted-out/check-if-you-were-contracted-out asks a few questions to help you confirm your status.

If you're certain you were contracted out but can't remember the scheme details, the next step is to request your contracted-out records from HMRC.

Check 3: Your contracted-out records at HMRC

Where: Written request to HMRC's National Insurance Contributions Office
Cost: Free
Time: 4–8 weeks for HMRC to respond

HMRC holds records of every contracted-out NI rebate paid in your name. The records identify the scheme administrator that received the rebates — which is the starting point for finding the actual pension pot today.

To request your records, write to:

HM Revenue and Customs National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office BX9 1AN

Include:

Your full name and any previous names
Date of birth
National Insurance number
A clear request for "details of any contracting-out periods and the schemes that received my contributions"
Your signature and current address

Important: HMRC does not release these records over the phone or by email — they release them by post, to the address on your record, for data protection.

Faster route: authorise a regulated tracing service

If you'd rather not wait 4–8 weeks for a postal response, a regulated UK pension tracing service can request your contracted-out records on your behalf with the appropriate authorisation. Tracing services have established channels with HMRC's third-party contracted-out administrator, which often speeds things up.

Check 4: Find the actual pension pot

Once you know which scheme(s) received your contracted-out NI rebates, you (or the tracing service) can contact each scheme administrator for a current valuation. The scheme administrator may have changed several times over the decades — Phoenix, Aviva, Aegon, Standard Life and Royal London have absorbed many old contracted-out books.

For the full step-by-step on finding contracted-out SERPS pots see How to Find Your SERPS Pension.

How the Pension Tracing Service® can help

If you've done Check 1 (State Pension forecast) and you know — or suspect — you were contracted out, the next steps can be a lot of paperwork. Writing to HMRC, waiting for a response, contacting each scheme, providing identification, chasing replies. We do all of this for you as part of a free trace:

Request your contracted-out SERPS records from HMRC's third-party administrator (with your authorisation)
Identify the scheme(s) that received your rebates
Contact each scheme administrator for a current valuation
Provide a single, plain-English report of every pot in your name and what each is worth today

Tracing is free. A one-off 1% fee only applies if you decide to consolidate the pots into a new plan.

Find my pension →

SERPS Pension Check FAQs

How do I check my SERPS pension online?

Go to gov.uk/check-state-pension and sign in with GOV.UK One Login. The forecast shows your total State Pension entitlement, including any SERPS / Additional State Pension built up between 1978 and 2002. There's no separate "SERPS-only" online checker — the entitlement is bundled into your overall State Pension figure.

Can I check my SERPS pension with HMRC?

Yes — if you specifically want your contracted-out SERPS records (the periods when your NI was redirected into a private pension), you can write to HMRC's National Insurance Contributions Office (BX9 1AN) requesting them. HMRC won't release these by phone or email; they post them to your registered address.

What's the HMRC address for a SERPS pension check?

For contracted-out records: HM Revenue and Customs, National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office, BX9 1AN. Include your full name, date of birth, NI number and signature.

Is the SERPS pension check free?

Yes. Both the State Pension forecast (gov.uk/check-state-pension) and the HMRC contracted-out records request are free. The Pension Tracing Service® also offers a free end-to-end trace if you'd rather not write to HMRC and chase scheme administrators yourself.

Where is my SERPS pension if I was contracted out?

In a private or workplace pension scheme. The HMRC contracted-out records identify which scheme received your NI rebates. The scheme administrator (or its current successor — many schemes have been acquired or rebranded) holds the actual pot.

How long does a SERPS check take?

State Pension forecast online: 5 minutes. HMRC postal request for contracted-out records: 4–8 weeks. Tracing the actual pension pot at the scheme: typically a few weeks to a few months depending on how many schemes are involved and how quickly providers respond.

Why isn't my SERPS shown separately on my State Pension forecast?

If you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, you're under the new State Pension rules, which fold SERPS / S2P entitlement into a single "starting amount" calculation. Your forecast shows the overall figure rather than itemising SERPS separately. If you reach State Pension age before April 2016, your forecast does show Additional State Pension as a separate line.

What if my State Pension forecast looks lower than I expected?

The most common reason is contracting out — periods when your NI was redirected from the State scheme into a private pension. Your State entitlement is reduced for those years, but the equivalent money sits in a private pension somewhere. Find it via HMRC's contracted-out records, and the overall picture (State + private) usually balances out.

Can I check my SERPS pension by phone?

You can request a postal forecast (BR-19) by phone from the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 — but the actual records aren't released over the phone for data protection reasons.

In short

Two free Government tools cover the SERPS check:

gov.uk/check-state-pension — your overall State Pension entitlement (5 mins)
HMRC by post (BX9 1AN) — your contracted-out SERPS records (4–8 weeks)

For the actual pension pot a contracted-out scheme is holding, you'll need to contact the scheme administrator or use a tracing service. We'll do the lot for free.