Trace and Claim Missing Shares and Unclaimed Dividends

Estimates are around £3 billion is owed to UK investors from unclaimed shares and dividends. A wave of corporate mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, share spin-offs and name changes has dramatically increased the amount of lost securities.  On average, between 2% and 5% of a company’s shareholders have either moved from the address to which the company sends correspondence, or have died.

Companies House regulations stipulate that shares may not be cancelled if a holder cannot be traced, shares belong to the registered holder or rightful heir.  Stockholders in companies that merged or were acquired may also be entitled to collect spin-off shares, cash distributions or dividends from the restructuring, even if shares were sold long ago.

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Trace a Missing Life Insurance Policy

Life insurance policies are an easily forgotten source of unclaimed funds, due to their long-term nature. Sources very conservatively estimate £2bn is languishing in forgotten and unclaimed life policies around the UK.

It is ultimately the responsibility of family members to notify the life insurance company of a policy owner’s death.  But benefits frequently go unclaimed on death of the insured, because heirs aren’t aware a policy exists, or don’t know how to find it. Many local mutuals and friendly societies, for example, issued low-premium savings products as a form of life insurance.

When missing heirs neglect to claim life policy benefits after death of the insured, policy cash and benefits are held until claimants come forward, but little effort is made to locate them. Family members can be difficult to trace, due to name changes after marriage or divorce, an unreported change of address or expired postal forwarding order after a move, and incomplete or illegible records. Adding to the problem – insurance companies themselves often merge with other companies and change names.

If you have reason to believe a life insurance policy exists but have not received payment and cannot locate the underwriter, complete the form below to initiate a search.

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And don’t assume that because your bank or building society no longer exists that unclaimed funds are gone forever. Your account may have been transferred to a successor after a merger or acquisition. Account owners – or their heirs – can reactivate the account and reclaim the money.

To trace and claim a missing bank or building society account complete the form below:

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Government custodians are holding £15bn in unclaimed money owed missing owners and heirs. Assets go unclaimed after the original owners or rightful heirs fail to communicate an interest in them over a period of time.

Most missing heirs do not know they are entitled to receive this money, because entitlement arises from the death of a family member who failed to leave behind complete financial records.

Holders make only a limited effort to track down rightful owners, but it’s a near-impossible task for a number of reasons. Claimants often cannot be found because they’ve moved, switched jobs, changed name after marriage and divorce, or as a result of computer and clerical errors.

The  Bona Vacantia Division of the  Treasury Solicitor’s Office maintains a database of unclaimed estates which have been recently referred but not yet administered; as well as historic cases which have been administered but not yet been claimed within the 30-year time limit for doing so.

Search the unclaimed estate database for assets left behind by a deceased family member: 

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