How to Find Unclaimed Money in the UK: My Lost Account, NS&I and the Dormant Assets Scheme Explained

If you’ve ever had a bank account, savings account, or Premium Bond that you’ve lost track of, there’s a free official service in the UK designed to reunite you with it. My Lost Account covers over 40 banks and building societies in a single search. It takes minutes — and it costs nothing.

My Lost Account covers the major high street banks, but it doesn’t cover everything. NS&I Premium Bonds and savings certificates require a separate check, and assets transferred under the Dormant Assets Scheme may need to be reclaimed directly through the original institution. This guide covers all three routes.

By the end of this page, you’ll know exactly how to search every major source of unclaimed money in the UK — and what to do the moment you find a match.

What Counts as Unclaimed Money in the UK?

A financial asset becomes ‘dormant’ in the UK when it has seen no activity for a defined period — typically 15 years for bank accounts under the Dormant Assets Scheme. The range of qualifying assets is broad:

• Current and savings accounts — no deposits, withdrawals, or contact for 15+ years
• Cash ISAs — forgotten tax-free savings accounts
• NS&I Premium Bonds — bonds registered to an old address or unclaimed prizes
• NS&I savings certificates — fixed-term savings products left beyond maturity
• Child Trust Funds (CTFs) — government-funded accounts for children born 2002–2011, now accessible to those aged 18+
• Life assurance proceeds — policy payouts never collected by beneficiaries
• Share dividends — uncashed dividend cheques from UK companies

Workplace and personal pensions form a separate and very large category — covered in detail in our fourth article, as they require a different set of search tools.

How to Search My Lost Account (Step by Step)

My Lost Account is the free, industry-backed service endorsed by UK Finance and the Building Societies Association. It searches participating banks and building societies simultaneously. Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to mylostaccount.org.uk — no account creation required
2. Enter the account holder’s name and date of birth — search your own details first, then repeat for any previous names (maiden name, name change)
3. Add any previous addresses — this improves match accuracy, especially for older accounts
4. Select which institutions to search — tick all boxes for the most comprehensive results
5. Submit your request — institutions contact you directly within 3 months if a match is found

⚠️ Important: My Lost Account does not return results instantly. Each participating institution investigates internally and contacts you by post within 3 months. No response after 3 months typically means no match was found at that institution.

My Lost Account covers the major high street banks — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander — as well as dozens of building societies. It does not cover NS&I, credit unions, or most smaller financial institutions. Always search NS&I separately.

How to Check NS&I Premium Bonds and Savings Certificates

National Savings & Investments (NS&I) holds billions of pounds in unclaimed assets, including Premium Bonds registered to old addresses where prize notifications were never received, matured savings certificates that were never cashed in, and fixed-rate savings bonds past their term.

To check NS&I accounts:

1. Go to nsandi.com and use the ‘Tracing a Lost Account’ tool
2. Enter the account holder’s name, date of birth, and last known address
3. For Premium Bonds specifically, you can also check unclaimed prizes using the bond holder number if you have it
4. For deceased relatives, NS&I has a dedicated bereavement service — call or write with the death certificate and grant of probate

✅ NS&I Premium Bond prizes never expire. If you — or a relative — held Premium Bonds and never cashed a prize cheque, that prize money is still waiting. NS&I has paid out millions in unclaimed prizes to people who searched years later.

What Is the Dormant Assets Scheme and How Does It Affect You?

The Dormant Assets Scheme, administered under the Dormant Assets Act 2022, allows banks and other financial institutions to transfer balances from accounts dormant for 15 or more years to the Reclaim Fund Ltd. These funds are then distributed to good causes through the National Lottery Community Fund.

This does not mean the money is gone. The law requires that a portion of all transferred funds is kept in reserve specifically to repay legitimate claims. If your account was transferred under the scheme, you can reclaim the full original balance at any time by contacting the original institution.

• The scheme now covers not just bank accounts but also dormant insurance policies, securities (shares), and investment assets
• Reclaiming is straightforward — contact the original institution, not the Reclaim Fund directly
• The institution is legally required to return the full balance
• There is no time limit on making a reclaim

What Happens After You Find a Match?

Finding a match through My Lost Account or NS&I triggers a verification process. The institution will contact you directly to confirm your identity and your connection to the account. The next page covers every document you’ll need, how the process works, and how long you can expect to wait for payment.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Always verify information directly with your bank, the FCA, or a qualified financial adviser before taking action.