Pensions and National Insurance

My father is sure he accrued benefits in a defined benefit pension for several years but the scheme don't have a record of him. As it was a long time ago, he doesn't have any evidence. I thought there could be evidence of whether he was contracted out of SERPS at the time and if so, where his contracted out NI credits were paid. Would HMRC/DWP have that level of detail on their records? Where is the best place to request that information?

Hi Rebecca,
If you advise your father to call the HMRC contracted out helpline listed below, they can confirm any periods when he has been contracted out of SERPS. The information we receive from employers details the national insurance paid and if contracted out was present at the time.
If you are trying to trace a pension that is not contracting out, you will need to contact the pension administrator of the employer.
Please see the link to the pension tracing service to assist you. Find pension contact details - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
HMRC contracting out helpline - 0300 200 3500
Open - Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Thank you.