From Lost to Found: Strategies for Proving Your Unclaimed Funds

One of the trickiest parts of claiming your funds can be proving it’s yours. We get it, if you knew about this money, it wouldn’t be with us in the first place. So how are you supposed to prove you’re entitled to something you didn’t know existed? We’re here to help. Many people don’t know where to start or think because they don’t have a document already on hand, all hope is lost in proving it’s theirs. That’s not true, but it can take a little digging and research to find what you need. This blog post will provide some suggestions for where to look, and strategies to get started.

What is a document connecting you to the unclaimed funds?

A document connecting you to your unclaimed funds or “proof of entitlement” is something that demonstrates you are the same person listed in our database. What’s considered “proof” varies depending on where the funds are from and the information we have on file for the owner. For a detailed list of examples, please visit the Documentation requirements page of our website. Keep in mind that this information and the information below, does not apply to court funds. For unclaimed court funds, visit this page instead.

Start by looking at home

The first place we always recommend checking is your personal or household records. This will be different for everyone, but we suggest going through physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes. Don’t forget to check digital storage places too like your phone or computer. Or your email mailbox might have the information you need. If you’re able to, consider checking the mailboxes of old email accounts too if you’ve changed emails addresses over the years. Another overlooked place to look for digital records is on old phones, hard-drives, computers, and USB sticks.

Broadening your search to outside sources

If your at home search produced no results, you can move onto to considering the external places a record of your entitlement may be stored. Where to check will vary depending on the source of the funds. You’ll want to consider contacting the people or organizations that your financial, employment, or banking records were shared with. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) might be able to provide you with proof of your employment with the correct company, or proof of a pension plan or former investment. For certain types of funds, your lawyer, notary, financial advisor, or bookkeeper might have the record you need. Finally, you could reach out to the holder (i.e., the company or organization) that transferred us the funds to see if they can provide you with a document confirming the funds are yours.

Considering alternate options

Sometimes, we can consider alternate forms of proof of entitlement. Providing your SIN can be an alternative way to prove your entitlement. This only applies if BC Unclaimed was provided your SIN by the holder. Another example is if there’s a birth date and last known address on file for the owner, we could consider a combination of documents proving this information to prove you are the same person.

Get creative and reach us for help

Finally, don’t be afraid to get creative. Recently someone proved their entitlement by digging up receipts for online purchases that cited the same last known address we had on file. None of the purchases related to the funds we were holding in their name, but they did include information that linked them to the person in our database. If you aren’t sure if we’ll be able to accept what you have, reach out to the administrator processing your claim and they will work with you to provide tailored suggestions for what you can provide and how to locate it. If you don’t yet have an administrator assigned to your claim, you are welcome to contact us by phone (604-662-3518) or email us at info@bcunclaimed.ca. BC Unclaimed staff are available to assist you Monday to Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.