Find and Claim Money in a Court Account

You can find and claim money you are entitled to from a civil court in England and Wales if it has not been claimed. 

This could be money paid to or awarded by a court (for example to settle a court case) to you or to someone whose estate you are entitled to claim (external link)

Money paid to a civil court in England and Wales is held in a Court Funds Office account. It is classed as unclaimed if both: 

  • Court Funds Office has been unable to contact anyone entitled to the money 
  • there has been no activity on the account for over ten years 

Check if there is money you could be entitled to 

Search online for unclaimed court accounts (external link) or call the Court Funds Office helpline:

Court Funds Office helpline 

Telephone: 0300 0200 199 

If you get a call from someone offering to claim money on your behalf for a fee, it will not be from Court Funds Office because they do not charge a fee. 

Get information to prepare your claim 

Write to Court Funds Office to find out: 

  • the amount of money in the account 
  • the court that the money was originally paid to 

To help them identify the account, include the information you already know, for example: 

  • a print-out of results from your search of unclaimed accounts (external link) 
  • the account name or number 
  • the name of the court case the money was from 
  • the court that dealt with the case 
  • who the money was paid to court for 
  • who paid the money to court 
  • any relevant dates - such as when the court case was held 

Evidence 

When you ask for the information, you will need to include both of the following:

Send your letter and evidence to Court Funds Office. You will get a reply by letter. 

Court Funds Office

Sunderland, SR43 3AB

Find out how your personal information will be stored and used (external link)

Make a claim 

Use the information to make your claim to the court that the money was originally paid to. Contact the court (external link) to find out how. 

Each court has its own processes, but typically you will need to: 

  • provide evidence that you are entitled to the money - or you are representing the person who is 
  • pay a fee 

The court will decide if you are entitled to the money and order Court Funds Office to make a payment to you if your claim is successful. 

You will usually receive the money within three months. 

If the court does not have the original paperwork

The court may not be prepared to consider your claim if it no longer has the paperwork from the case. 

Make your claim to the Senior Master (a judge from the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court) instead. You will need to: 

  • fill in a witness statement to support your claim 
  • contact the Queen's Bench Division 

Queen's Bench Division 

Telephone: 020 7947 7772 

Queen's Bench Division 

The Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL