Western Australian residents could be missing out on lost or forgotten money, with more than $170 million of unclaimed money on the WA Register of Unclaimed Money, the WA Government has revealed.
The Government says the register has recently been updated with around 147,000 new records, including large individual unclaimed amounts of around $185,000 and $165,000.
The full register now contains more than 1.2 million records totalling over $170 million.
The unclaimed monies relate to WA-based organisations that have been unsuccessful in returning funds to the rightful owners, and typically relate to:
- dividend payments;
- rental bond refunds;
- vehicle licence refunds;
- overpayment of utility bills; and
- refunds from education providers.
Over $2 million was returned to the pockets of rightful owners last financial year.
“The WA Register of Unclaimed Money continues to grow, and there would be many
Western Australians who wouldn’t be aware of outstanding money owed to them,” said Treasurer, Rita Saffioti.
“It’s very easy to check the register online or via the ServiceWA app, so I encourage all Western Australians to take these simple steps and check if they’re entitled to any of the funds.
“Importantly, in Western Australia there is no time limit to claim funds and there are no fees charged for returning money to the rightful owners.”
To search the register, visit http://www.wa.gov.au/treasury/unclaimed-money or use the ServiceWA app.
