Millions of Britons Leave £680 Million in Unclaimed Assets
Confused.com research reveals over £557 million in dormant accounts and £126 million in unclaimed Premium Bond prizes remain uncollected across the United Kingdom.
Research from Confused.com reveals that more than £557 million from 4.4 million dormant bank accounts was transferred into the HM Treasury Dormant Assets Scheme between 2022 and 2025. Only 11% of these funds, totaling £62.7 million, were reclaimed by their owners during that period. Accounts are classified as dormant after 15 years of inactivity.
Separate data shows a significant rise in unclaimed Premium Bond prizes. While March 2025 figures showed 2.5 million unclaimed prizes worth £97 million, updated figures as of September 2026 indicate that more than 2.8 million prizes totaling £126,787,100 remain with NS&I. London holds the highest value of these prizes at £14.5 million, while Northern Ireland holds the lowest at £1.1 million.
Reclaim Fund Ltd manages the Dormant Assets Scheme and is legally obligated to repay owners in full regardless of how much time has elapsed. Funds that remain unclaimed are allocated to social and environmental causes. Successful claimants have recovered an average of £1,011.
Tara Evans, a personal finance expert at Confused.com, notes that forgotten money is more common than people realize, especially as households manage funds across numerous financial apps. Experts recommend that residents use the My Lost Account tracing service and the NS&I prize checker to recover forgotten assets.
