Unclaimed Money in India: How to Search and Claim It Free
A guide to the Ministry of Finance’s unclaimed assets portal. TAXAJ is a firm of chartered accountants and company secretaries; this page explains how the government portal works and how to claim. It is not the portal itself, and we are not a government agency.
Bhula hua paisa wapas mil sakta hai. The Ministry of Finance has launched a common landing portal from which you can search for unclaimed bank deposits, insurance claims, shares, dividends, mutual funds and pension contributions — in one place, free, and without registration for a basic search.
The official portal is unclaimedassetsportal.in.
TAXAJ ki salah: yeh check karna sirf aapke liye nahi hai. Apne parents, grandparents aur elderly relatives ke naam se bhi zaroor search kijiye. Bahut baar unke old bank accounts, forgotten FDs, ya past company shares chhoote reh jaate hain.
Kya aapka koi paisa sarkari khazane mein pada hai?
India mein lakhon log aisa paisa bhool jaate hain jo unka haq hai. Yeh paisa unke bank accounts, insurance policies, mutual fund redemptions, company shares ya unclaimed dividends mein pada rehta hai — aur eventually government ke paas chala jaata hai. Bahut se logon ko yeh bhi pata nahi hota ki yeh paisa exist karta hai.
According to RBI and Ministry of Finance data, banks ke paas ₹78,000 crore se zyada unclaimed deposits hain sirf DEA (Depositor Education and Awareness) Fund mein. Insurance sector mein bhi hazaaron crore ki unclaimed amounts padi hain, aur shares aur dividends ke liye IEPFA ke paas transfer hone wali raqam bhi significant hai.
Kaun se assets search kar sakte hain
The portal is a unified interface linking several different regulators and databases:
| Asset type | What it covers | Regulator / database |
| 🏦 Unclaimed bank deposits | 10 saal se zyada koi transaction nahi — savings, FD, current, RD | RBI DEA Fund · UDGAM portal |
| 🛡️ Unclaimed insurance | Life insurance maturity, death claims, general insurance refunds jo claim nahi hue | IRDAI · SCWF · Bima Bharosa |
| 📊 Unclaimed mutual funds | Redemption amounts jo account mein credit nahi hue, ya cheque cash nahi hua | SEBI · MITRA · MF Central |
| 📈 Unclaimed shares | 7 saal se dividend claim nahi kiya — company ne shares IEPF ko transfer kar diye | MCA · IEPFA · Form IEPF-5 |
| 💵 Unclaimed dividends | 7 saal ya usse zyada unclaimed dividend, transferred to IEPF | MCA · IEPFA |
| 🏛️ NPS / pension | NPS contributions jo PRAN mein credit nahi hue | PFRDA · SPCPA account |
Kaise use karein — step by step
- Portal visit karein. Apne browser mein unclaimedassetsportal.in jaayein. No app download, no login required for a basic search.
- Asset type select karein. Paanch categories hain — bank deposits (UDGAM), insurance (IRDAI Bima Bharosa), mutual funds (MF Central / MITRA), shares and dividends (IEPFA), aur NPS/pension (PFRDA).
- Details enter karein. Naam, PAN, date of birth ya account number, depending on the asset type. Bank deposits ke liye udgam.rbi.org.in par 30 banks search hote hain, jo overall unclaimed deposits ka roughly 90% cover karte hain.
- Results dekhein. Agar koi unclaimed amount milta hai, aapka naam, address (without the pin code) aur bank ka naam dikhega. Exact amount portal par nahi dikhta — uske liye bank ya insurer se contact karna padega.
- Claim file karein. Search result mein claim process ki information milegi. Original documents ke saath bank branch ya respective institution se contact karna hoga. Bank verify karta hai aur amount interest ke saath return karta hai. Koi fee nahi lagti.
Important: the portal only provides search and information. The actual claim settlement has to be done directly with the bank, insurance company or the relevant authority. The portal itself does not make any payment. Claim process mein KYC documents, bank account details aur kuch cases mein original certificates chahiye hote hain.
Asset-wise claim process
1. Unclaimed bank deposits — RBI DEA Fund
Agar aapka bank account 10 saal se zyada se inactive hai, to bank us balance ko RBI ke Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund mein transfer kar deta hai. Yeh scheme 24 May 2014 se effective hai. Savings accounts, FDs, RDs, current accounts, cash credit accounts, demand drafts, NEFT credits aur prepaid card balances — sab transfer hote hain, entire amount including accrued interest.
Claim karne ka tarika: apne bank ki nearest branch jaayein, IBA ka Common Application Form fill karein, KYC documents submit karein (Aadhaar, passport or voter ID plus address proof). Bank verify karta hai aur interest ke saath return karta hai. Claim ke liye koi time limit nahi hai.
2. Unclaimed insurance — Senior Citizens Welfare Fund
Agar insurance claim 12 months se zyada pending hai aur insurer contact nahi kar paaya, to yeh unclaimed insurance amount ban jaata hai. 10 saal se zyada unclaimed rahne par insurer usse Senior Citizens Welfare Fund (SCWF) mein transfer kar deta hai.
Achhi baat yeh hai ki SCWF mein transfer hone ke baad bhi aap 25 saal tak claim kar sakte hain. Sirf 25 saal baad yeh Central Government ko escheat hota hai.
Claim ke liye chahiye: policy details, bank account details, photo ID, cancelled cheque, KYC documents; aur nominee ya legal heir ke case mein death certificate plus succession proof. Complaint ke liye IRDAI Bima Bharosa, ya toll-free 155255 / 1800-4254-732.
3. Unclaimed mutual funds — UDRS
Agar mutual fund redemption ya dividend payment aapke registered bank account mein credit nahi hua — closed account, wrong details, returned cheque — to yeh Unclaimed Dividend and Redemption Scheme (UDRS) mein chala jaata hai. Mutual funds unclaimed amount ko liquid ya overnight scheme mein invest karte hain.
3 saal ke andar claim karein to appreciation bhi milti hai. 3 saal ke baad appreciation investor education fund mein chali jaati hai, par original amount plus the three-year value milta hai.
MITRA tool: MF Central par MITRA (Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant) available hai — inactive folios aur unclaimed amounts trace karne ke liye. PAN ya folio number se search karein, phir RTA (KFIN ya CAMS) se claim form download karein.
4. Unclaimed shares and dividends — IEPFA
Companies Act 2013 ke Section 124 ke under, agar kisi company ka dividend 7 consecutive saal tak unpaid rehta hai, to company us amount ko Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) mein transfer karti hai. Aur woh shares bhi, jin par 7 saal se dividend claim nahi hua, IEPF ko transfer ho jaate hain.
Claim karne ke liye webform IEPF-5 file karni hoti hai MCA portal par. Physical share certificates hain to woh mandatory hain. IEPFA helpline: 14453 (9:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday).
Important for IEPF claims: IEPF-5 form ke baad physically company ke Nodal Officer ko documents bhejne padenge — envelope par “Claim for refund from IEPF Authority” likhein. Postal receipt upload karna mandatory hai. Ek financial year mein ek company ke liye sirf ek consolidated claim file ho sakti hai.
Kab claim ho sakta hai — comparison
| Asset type | Kab transfer hota hai | Claim limit | Fee | Interest milti hai? |
| Bank deposits (DEA) | 10 saal inactive ke baad | No time limit | Free | Yes |
| Insurance (SCWF) | 10 saal unclaimed ke baad | 25 saal tak | Free | Yes |
| Mutual funds (UDRS) | Non-receipt of payment | No time limit | Free | 3 saal tak yes, uske baad partial |
| Shares (IEPF) | 7 saal dividend unpaid | No time limit | Free | No |
| Dividends (IEPF) | 7 saal unclaimed | No time limit | Free | No |
| NPS (SPCPA at PFRDA) | 7 saal plus, ya POP registration cancel | 25 saal tak | Free | Yes, at PFRDA rate |
Fraud se bachein
Koi bhi agency jo aapse unclaimed assets recover karne ke liye advance fee maange — fraud hai. Government portals par sab kuch free hai. IEPF-5 aap khud file kar sakte hain. Banks ki claim process free hai.
Agar koi phone karke kehta hai ki aapka unclaimed amount hai aur pehle fee bhejni padegi — turant reject karein aur cybercrime.gov.in par complaint darj karein.
Official booklet
Full detail ke liye Ministry of Finance ki official booklet, “Your Money, Your Right”, unclaimedassetsportal.in par available hai — DEA Fund, IEPFA, insurance, mutual funds aur NPS ke FAQs, claim forms aur SOPs included hain.
Kab professional help lein
Simple cases mein — aapki khud ki bank FD ya insurance claim — aap khud aasani se portal se search karke claim file kar sakte hain. Kuch situations mein professional help zaroor lein.
Deceased person ke assets — succession and transmission
Agar kisi parent ya relative ki death ho gayi hai aur unke naam se assets hain — shares, FDs, insurance — to legal heir certificate, succession certificate ya probate of will ki zaroorat pad sakti hai. IEPF-5 mein transmission ke liye documents complex hote hain.
Large value IEPF claims
Agar recovered shares ki market value ₹5 lakh se zyada hai, to FIR copy, indemnity bond aur newspaper notice mandatory hain. Documents ki chain complex hoti hai aur professional guidance se rejection ka risk kam hota hai.
Company ke unclaimed assets
Agar aapki company ke paas unclaimed deposits hain, ya aap kisi company ke director hain jahan IEPF compliance related issues hain, to corporate compliance support chahiye hoga.
Aksar puche jaane wale sawaal
Kya mujhe portal par register karna padega?
Basic search ke liye registration ki zaroorat nahi hai. Sirf UDGAM portal (RBI, bank deposits ke liye) par light registration required hai.
Kya unclaimed amount par interest milta hai?
Bank deposits ke case mein bank principal plus interest return karta hai. Insurance mein bhi investment income milti hai. Mutual funds mein 3 saal tak appreciation milti hai. IEPF mein transferred shares par koi additional return nahi milta — sirf original shares aur dividend amount.
Agar mere deceased parent ke assets hain, kya main claim kar sakta hoon?
Haan. Legal heir claim kar sakta hai. Bank deposits ke liye legal heir certificate plus death certificate ke saath branch jaayein. IEPF shares aur dividends ke liye Form IEPF-5 transmission category mein file karein, additional documents ke saath. Insurance ke liye insurer se direct contact karein.
Claim karne mein kitna time lagta hai?
Bank deposits: verification ke baad kuch din. Insurance: 7 working days mein payment ya rejection communication. Mutual funds: 2 to 5 working days after form processing. IEPF: company ko 30 din mein verification report submit karni hoti hai, phir IEPFA process karta hai — overall 60 to 90 days.
Kya claim karne ke liye koi fee lagti hai?
Nahi. Kisi bhi portal par, kisi bhi category mein, claim karne ki koi fee nahi lagti. Bank, IEPFA, IRDAI, SEBI — sabka process free hai. Agar koi agency recovery fee maange, woh fraud hai.
Madad chahiye?
IEPF claim filing, deceased estate legal documentation, succession certificates and company compliance — TAXAJ ki CA, CS aur legal team available hai. Delhi · Bangalore · Goa · Bihar.
See our legal services for succession and estate documentation, and business compliance for corporate IEPF matters. Book a free consultation, or reach us on WhatsApp.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. TAXAJ LLP is a professional services firm and is not a government agency or an official gateway. The information has been sourced from the Ministry of Finance booklet “Your Money, Your Right” published at unclaimedassetsportal.in, and TAXAJ LLP does not guarantee the accuracy of third-party portal information. All links to government portals were official and verified at the time of writing. For legal heir claims or complex asset recovery, consult a qualified chartered accountant or legal professional.
