BC Unclaimed currently holding over $222 million in unclaimed funds

VANCOUVER, BC, April 16, 2026 /CNW/ - From dormant credit union accounts to unclaimed wages, the BC Unclaimed Property Society (BC Unclaimed) currently has more than $222 million dollars for 185,716 rightful owners across British Columbia. That equates to 1 in 31 BC residents with unclaimed funds.

2025 data gathered by BC Unclaimed highlights that fewer than 10% of BC residents are aware of BC Unclaimed.

In 2025, close to $3.8 million was returned to 638 owners, and $5,951 was the average claim paid. Since the society started in 2003, $36.9 million has been returned to residents. The largest dormant account waiting to be claimed in BC is worth $1.9 million.

In 2025, BC Unclaimed received $17.6 million in unclaimed funds. These funds are from sources including the courts, the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia, credit unions, insurance companies, various levels of government, companies, and others. Unclaimed funds are also the result of unpaid wages, outstanding insurance payments, overpayments to debt collectors, pension funds, estates, and real estate deposits.

BC Unclaimed's primary mission is to reunite funds with rightful owners, providing an important consumer protection service for British Columbians. The not-for-profit society holds and manages funds while actively searching for the owners of unclaimed funds. BC Unclaimed maintains a website where people can search for funds that belong to them. There are no fees to search for or claim funds.

In addition to connecting unclaimed funds with their rightful owners, BC Unclaimed is dedicated to strengthening local communities. Annually, the society donates funds to Vancouver Foundation while ensuring that sufficient funds are available to guarantee future claims. Grants of donated unclaimed funds support local community initiatives, charities and nonprofit organizations across British Columbia. Since 2003, BC Unclaimed has donated $80.4 million for initiatives ranging from social services, food security, victims of violence, environmental issues, racial equity, arts, and Indigenous-led programs.

"Canadians are often surprised by the large amount of unclaimed money in British Columbia," said Sherry MacLennan, Executive Director of the BC Unclaimed Property Society. "People are almost always unaware that we have funds belonging to them, such as when they inherit from a distant relative, or have insurance proceeds payable from a deceased parent. There are countless additional examples. In these cases, dormant funds can be transferred to us, and we are dedicated to raising awareness so that BC residents can claim money belonging to them."

In BC, an account is considered dormant when a specified period has transpired with no activity, from a year to ten years, depending on the type of account. Under the Unclaimed Property Act, credit unions, debt collection agencies, companies in liquidation, courts, municipalities, and others are required to make a reasonable effort to find inactive account holders. Failing that, they are required by law to transfer these unclaimed funds to BC Unclaimed Property Society. Other organizations participate voluntarily to increase the likelihood of reuniting the funds with their rightful owners and make a social impact.

Collaboration with BC Unclaimed is encouraged as it allows organizations holding unclaimed funds to participate in reconnecting BC residents with their funds, often making a difference in their lives. BC residents face an excessive cost of living, and these reunification efforts may provide access to money that meets a vital financial need. Organizations that transfer their unclaimed funds to BC Unclaimed give their clients the best possible advantage to recover their funds. If the money is not in BC Unclaimed's central registry, people may never learn they are owed money.

Participating also enhances communities across the province, demonstrating social values that protect BC consumers and produce measurable and beneficial results as part of BC Unclaimed's philanthropic partnership with Vancouver Foundation.

BC Unclaimed was established in 2003 to manage BC's unclaimed property program. The society receives dormant financial assets from provincially regulated organizations, and companies that cannot trace the owners of inactive accounts.

For more data and information on BC Unclaimed, and its work in 2025, please see the society's annual report here: BC_Unclaimed_Annual_Report.  

SOURCE BC Unclaimed Property Society