- Around $160 million of lost or forgotten money is sitting in the WA Register of Unclaimed Money
- WA residents are encouraged to head to the Treasury website or use the ServiceWA app to check if they have any money that can be returned to them
- Nearly $2 million was returned to rightful owners last financial year
Western Australian residents could be missing out on lost or forgotten money, with $160 million remaining unclaimed on the WA Register of Unclaimed Money.
The Register has recently been updated with around 111,000 new records, which includes large individual unclaimed amounts of $180,000 and $118,175.
The full Register now contains more than one million records, equating to around $160 million and WA residents are encouraged to check the Register and submit a claim if they have money owed to them.
The State Government receives unclaimed monies from WA-based organisations that have been unsuccessful in returning funds to the rightful owners, which typically relate to:
- dividend payments;
- rental bond refunds;
- vehicle licence refunds;
- overpayment of utility bills; and
- refunds from education providers.
Nearly $2 million was returned to the pockets of rightful owners last financial year.
To search the Register, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/treasury, or use the ServiceWA app.
As stated by Treasurer Rita Saffioti:
“The 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.
“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, there is no time limit to claim funds and there are no fees associated with returning money to rightful owners.”
