How to trace lost bank accounts, forgotten pension pots, uncashed Premium Bonds, and unclaimed life insurance — including My Lost Account, the Pension Tracing Service, and the Dormant Assets Scheme.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Estate Assets guide cluster.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a bank account have to be inactive before it becomes dormant?
There is no single legal definition that banks apply to their own records. For the Dormant Assets Scheme, an account is dormant after 15 years of no customer-initiated transactions, and the bank must have tried and failed to recontact the customer. Banks may treat an account as dormant for their own internal purposes sooner than that. The money is not lost: participating institutions may transfer it to the Dormant Assets Scheme, administered by Reclaim Fund Ltd, and it can be reclaimed at any time.
Is there a central register of all unclaimed assets in the UK?
There is no single comprehensive register. My Lost Account covers lost or dormant UK bank, building society and NS&I accounts. For pensions, the government's Pension Tracing Service gives provider contact details. For shares, Equiniti, Computershare and Link Group each hold registers for different companies. For life insurance, use ABI tracing guidance, bank-statement clues, advisers, employers and free lost-asset searches rather than assuming one register covers every insurer.
Can I claim dormant assets on behalf of a deceased person's estate?
The executor or administrator can pursue dormant assets for the estate, but each institution decides what evidence it needs before releasing money. It may ask for identification, the death certificate, evidence of the account or policy and, depending on the asset and circumstances, the grant of probate or letters of administration.
What happens to Premium Bonds when the holder dies?
Premium Bonds can remain eligible for prizes for up to 12 months after the holder's death; after that they must be repaid. NS&I will explain who is entitled to receive the savings and what documents it needs. It may ask for a grant of representation if total NS&I savings are £5,000 or more, and reserves the right to request one at any value. If you lose track of the deceased's NS&I holdings, use NS&I's tracing service and ask it to check for unclaimed prizes — there is no time limit on claiming prizes.
What if the deceased had a pension but I cannot find the provider?
Use the government's free Pension Tracing Service at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details. You will need the name of the employer or pension provider. The service provides contact details only. It will not tell you whether the deceased had a pension there or what it was worth, so you still need to contact the provider directly with proof of death and your authority to act.
Can unclaimed assets be reclaimed after many years?
Generally yes, though the process becomes more complex over time. Dormant bank accounts transferred to the Dormant Assets Scheme can still be reclaimed by the legal owner or their estate. For shares, the position depends on whether the company is still listed and whether the registrar still holds the records. For life insurance, some older policies may have lapsed, but you should still check paperwork, bank statements, advisers, employers, ABI tracing guidance and free lost-asset searches.