A man who found a surprise £70,000 in his pension pot is urging people to check theirs.

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has revealed that only a third of people in the south-east check their pension annually.

Richard, 56, from Southampton, had never checked his pension until recently and discovered he had saved nearly £70,000.

He said: "I didn't check my pension, so it was a huge surprise to find out how much money I had saved.

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"I can now start planning for my retirement in a very different way.

"I would encourage anybody who hasn't checked, to find out how much is in their pension, and talk to your friends and family about it – I'll be telling everyone I know to make sure they check their pension from now on."

The information was disclosed as part of MaPS's annual campaign, Talk Money Week, which aims to encourage more open discussions about money.

The survey conducted by MaPS during summer 2024 of more than 12,000 UK adults found that just under three in five adults in the south-east who have contributed to a pension have never engaged with it.

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Despite being the two highest 'actions' people said they had taken to manage their pension, only one in three adults in the south-east aged 18 to 65 have checked their pension in the last year, either by reading their annual statement or logging onto an online platform.

The survey also found that just under one in five people in the south-east have discussed their pensions with friends, family, or colleagues in the last 12 months.

MaPS hopes that releasing this data will inspire people to not only check their pensions but also to discuss money matters with friends and family.

MaPS believes that those who engage in these conversations make better financial decisions and feel less stressed or anxious.

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Claudine Bell, regional manager for the south-east at the Money and Pensions Service, said: "You can’t start being engaged with your pension too early, so whatever your age, make sure that you check your pension, and talk to people about it.

"No matter how you do it; whether you read your annual statement, contact your pension provider by phone, or log onto your online pension platform, make sure to check your pension, and encourage others to do the same."