‘Possible match’ on your pension dashboard — what it actually means

It means one thing: the scheme thinks it might be you, but it cannot confirm it. It has found something that looks like your record, but not enough to be certain. That is all it says.

What it does not mean

It is not a decision about your money, and it is not the same as no pension. It means there is very likely something to resolve. A “possible match” left alone is a pension left in the dark.

You must contact the administrator yourself

The dashboard cannot resolve a possible match for you — it only shows you that one exists. Resolution happens when you contact the scheme’s administrator directly and they confirm, in their records, that the person is you. The service gives you a limited window to do this. Once that window closes, the possible match may be removed from what you can see, and reaching the scheme becomes harder, not easier. Do not wait. (correct as at 17 September 2026)

What to send the administrator

Give them enough to find you, and give it in writing:

• Your full name, and any former names the scheme might hold (for example a maiden or previous name).
• Your date of birth.
• Your National Insurance number.
• Any address the scheme might have held for you, including old ones.
• Any reference, policy number or member number you have from your own paperwork.

What to ask

• Whether the scheme holds a record of you, and under which name and reference.
• Whether the possible match has now been confirmed, and what they need from you to confirm it.
• Whether a pension exists under that record — and the answers to the other questions worth asking while you have their attention.

The letter for this is the same letter we put to every scheme: the seven questions, put in writing, so the reply is complete the first time.