Unclaimed money
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After someone has died

If you have completed a search for unclaimed money and found money for a person who has died, you can make a claim for money that is legally yours.

Supporting documents

When making a claim on money for a person who has died, you will need some legal documents that give permission to manage and distribute the property and money (known as a deceased estate).

To apply for a grant of probate or letters of administration, see the Supreme Court of NSW application fact sheets.

How to claim

  1. Search online for the unclaimed money.
  2. Provide copies of the will, probate or letters of administraion.
  3. Provide copies of the documents required for proof of identity for the executors named in the will, probate or letters of administration.
  4. Provide proof of a connection to the last known address held by us in relation to the unclaimed money.
  5. Provide proof of a relevant connection to the business that sent the unclaimed money to us.

If you have questions about what you need to do to submit a claim for unclaimed money, contact us.

Who can claim

The executor must complete the claim on behalf of the deceased estate. If there’s more than one executor, all must be included in the claim.

A person who died without a legally valid will is known as being intestate.

If the deceased didn't leave a will, you will need to apply for formal administration of the estate.

For more information about what to do when a person dies without a will, see the NSW Trustee and Guardian website.

What happens next

Sometimes we ask for more information after we receive a claim. When we have received all the documents we need we will process your claim.

Approved claims

If your claim has been approved, we will send you a letter to confirm:

  • your claim has been approved and
  • the amount that will be paid to you.

For security purposes the letter will only include the last 3 digits of the bank account number you provided for the payment of the claim.

Incomplete claims

If we do not receive all of the documents we need, it may take us longer to assess your claim. We will write to you to ask for more information if you have not provided everything needed to support your claim.

Unsuccessful claims

If your claim is not approved, we will send you a letter to let you know why.