People could be missing out on sums of money that are legally theirs but are gathering dust in one of the millions of ‘forgotten’ UK bank accounts. Using simple online services, people can be reunited with an unexpected windfall of ‘extra’ cash that was always there.
Speaking on BBC‘s Morning Live, finance expert Laura Pomfret explained how to track down dormant accounts, where to search, and what to do if you’re trying to find accounts belonging to a loved one who has died. It comes as “potentially billions of assets” could be sitting in unclaimed accounts across the UK – including pensions and investments.
Laura said: “[Losing track of an account] is actually super common. Lots of people have lots of bank accounts for lots of different reasons.”
It could be as simple as forgetting to update your details after moving house, or not checking old email addresses that were used to stay in touch with the bank, which can lead to ‘losing’ track of an account. It’s also possible to discover bank accounts of relatives that you never knew existed when sorting out their finances after they pass away.
In 2026 alone, Laura claims that £2.1bn was “reunited” with people who had no idea about this money they’ve forgotten about for years.
How to check for a ‘forgotten’ bank account
Some banks and building societies may classify these accounts as ‘dormant’ rather than ‘lost’, even though some have been untouched for years. Laura warned that people should run a quick check, even if they cannot remember all the details, as after 15 years of silence, money from these accounts can legally be donated to a non-profit cause under the Dormant Assets Act (2022).
People can start their search in a branch, provided they remember having an account with that particular brand. Laura said: “Bring ID and a letter with your name and address on it and ask for their advice. You may not have the account number and sort code, but if you pass data protection checks, they are going to be able to say if you do or don’t hold an account.”
If you’re starting with nothing specific in mind, but have a feeling you could have an old account somewhere, look online at My Lost Account – a free online service that can track down UK-based bank, building society or NS&I accounts. People using this service will run through a series of questions, and the service will use that information to track down accounts with a variety of brands.
Laura said: “You don’t need to make a personal account on the website, you don’t even have to provide an email address – but that might take a bit longer [to process] as they’ll post information out to you.” If a match to your details is identified, that brand will be in touch.
The process is different if you are looking into accounts for someone who has died. Laura suggested using the Death Notification Service – a free UK service that allows you to notify multiple banks and financial institutions at the same time about a person’s death.
Laura claims this can help when you can no longer ask the person who holds these ‘mystery’ accounts for details. She said that you don’t need sort codes or account numbers, and you can just click a drop-down list and select all, and anyone relevant will come back to you, helping you avoid missing anything that could otherwise be lost forever.