Building Society Dormant Account & Lost Savings Guide

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UK Lost Savings & Dormant Account Guide • September 2026

Building Society Dormant Account & Lost Savings Guide

Found an old passbook, remembered a childhood savings account or lost track of money after moving house? A building society dormant account does not mean the savings have disappeared. In most cases you can trace the account, prove your identity and reclaim the money even after many years.

If you know which building society holds the account, contact it directly first. If you do not know the current provider, or the old society has merged or changed name, use the Building Societies Association tracing information and the free My Lost Account service.

Start Free Lost Account Search Find an Old Building Society What Should I Do First?
Never pay to use the official tracing service. My Lost Account is free. Be cautious of companies asking for an upfront tracing fee, a percentage of your savings, online-banking credentials or security codes simply to submit a lost-account search.

Meaningful editorial review: 23 September 2026. My Lost Account procedures, Building Societies Association merger records, Nationwide, Coventry and Yorkshire dormant-account guidance, the UK Dormant Assets Scheme and current reclaim rights were checked for this update.

Dormant Building Society Account: Quick Answers

Does dormant mean the money is gone? No. The owner’s right to reclaim eligible dormant money is protected even where money has been transferred into the Dormant Assets Scheme.
15-year scheme rule A bank or building society account can qualify for the statutory Dormant Assets Scheme after at least 15 years without customer-initiated transactions, subject to scheme rules.
Best place to search My Lost Account is the free UK tracing service covering participating banks, building societies and NS&I products.
Response time My Lost Account says selected account providers should respond to a tracing search within 90 days.
Old building society name? The Building Societies Association tracks mergers, conversions and name changes going back to 1937.
Nationwide exception If you know the lost account is with Nationwide or a society that merged into Nationwide, the BSA tells savers to approach Nationwide directly.
Deceased account holder An executor or next of kin can search, but the provider will require evidence of legal entitlement before releasing money.
Business or charity account? My Lost Account’s standard search is for UK personal accounts. Organisations should normally contact the provider or successor institution directly.
Fast answer: if you still know the building society, start there. If you only remember an old society name, use the BSA merger finder. If you are unsure who now holds the savings, use My Lost Account.

What Should You Do With a Lost Building Society Account?

Route 1 You know the current building society

Contact the society directly. This is usually the fastest route because it can search its own active, inactive and dormant records.

Route 2 You know an old building society name

Search the BSA merger and name-change records to identify the current successor before contacting anyone.

Route 3 You cannot remember the provider

Use My Lost Account and provide as much information as possible about former addresses, names and likely providers.

Route 4 You found a Nationwide or predecessor passbook

BSA guidance tells people who know the account is with Nationwide or a Nationwide predecessor to contact Nationwide directly.

Route 5 The saver has died

Search as executor, administrator or next of kin, then provide the legal documents the provider needs before it can pay the estate.

Route 6 It was a business, club or charity account

Do not rely on the personal-account My Lost Account route. Identify the provider or successor and ask about its organisational lost-account process.

Dormant, Inactive, Lost and Closed: What Is the Difference?

These words are often used interchangeably, but they do not always mean the same thing. A provider can apply an internal inactivity flag before an account reaches the statutory 15-year dormant-assets threshold.

Term
Typical meaning
What it means for you
Inactive
Little or no customer activity for an extended period.
The account can still exist normally, but the society may ask you to confirm your details or reactivate access.
Lost
The provider has lost contact with you, often after an address change.
Statements may stop so financial information is not sent to an old address.
Dormant
The provider has classified an unused account under its terms. For the statutory bank/building-society Dormant Assets Scheme, the key period is at least 15 years without customer-initiated transactions.
You can still trace and reclaim the money.
Closed dormant account
The original account has been closed after the provider’s dormant-account process.
Closure does not automatically remove your right to the balance.
Transferred to Reclaim Fund Ltd
A participating provider has transferred eligible dormant funds into the UK Dormant Assets Scheme.
Your reclaim right is preserved; you normally approach the original provider or its successor rather than trying to withdraw directly from RFL.
Interest payments alone may not keep an account active. Providers commonly look for customer-initiated transactions or direct contact. Check your society’s own dormant-account terms if you want to prevent closure.

Use My Lost Account if You Cannot Find the Provider

My Lost Account combines the lost-account tracing schemes of the Building Societies Association, UK Finance and National Savings & Investments into one free online service.

It is particularly useful when you remember having savings but are unsure which provider now holds them, or where an old institution has merged, converted or changed name.

Free official tracing serviceStart a My Lost Account Search

After opening this link:

  1. Gather old passbooks, account numbers, sort codes, statements and letters before starting.
  2. Create an online profile with an email address.
  3. Verify the email address using the link sent by the service.
  4. Enter your current details together with previous names and addresses used while the account was open.
  5. Select the bank, building society or other providers you think may have held the account.
  6. Add as much historic account information as you can, even if some details are incomplete.
  7. Submit the application and keep the unique application reference.
  8. Check your online profile when email alerts say a provider has updated the search.
Cost £0. The official service says you should not pay a fee to trace a lost bank, building-society or NS&I account.
Expected response Selected providers should respond to the search within 90 days.
What happens after a match? The provider tells you what evidence it needs before it can confirm entitlement and release or reactivate the money.
Personal accounts only The standard My Lost Account search is designed for UK personal accounts rather than business, charity or foreign accounts.

Information That Can Help Find an Old Savings Account

You do not need every item below to begin a search. Older addresses and names can be particularly important because the provider may be trying to match records created decades ago.

Old building society name.
Passbook or savings book.
Account number.
Sort code, if one existed.
Old statements or letters.
Approximate year the account was opened.
Approximate last transaction date.
Previous home addresses.
Previous surname or other former name.
Date of birth.
Approximate account balance if remembered.
Parent or guardian details for childhood savings.
Keep originals safe. Photograph or copy old passbooks and letters for your records. Do not post an original passport, driving licence or valuable passbook unless the verified provider specifically instructs you to use an approved process.

What if the Building Society No Longer Exists?

This is common. UK building societies have merged, changed names, transferred their business and in some cases converted into banks. The name printed on a 1980s or 1990s passbook may therefore be very different from today’s provider.

Portman Building Society Transferred to Nationwide Building Society in 2007.
Norwich & Peterborough Transferred to Yorkshire Building Society in 2011.
Holmesdale Building Society Transferred to Skipton Building Society in 2018.
Manchester Building Society Transferred to Newcastle Building Society in 2023.
Mercantile Building Society Transferred to Leeds Building Society in 2006.
Ipswich Building Society Changed its name to Suffolk Building Society in 2021.

Building Societies AssociationTrack Lost Savings & Old Building Societies

After opening this link:

  1. Enter the exact building society name shown on the old passbook or statement.
  2. Check whether it changed name, merged, converted to a bank or transferred its engagements.
  3. Write down the current successor organisation.
  4. Use the successor’s official website when you know who holds the records.
  5. If ownership is still unclear, continue with My Lost Account rather than guessing.
The BSA’s merger records extend back to 1937 and also identify historic societies that were dissolved without a current successor. That makes the old society’s exact name especially useful.

Lost Nationwide Building Society Accounts: Use Nationwide Directly

Nationwide has a specific lost-account process. The BSA also says that if you know the account is with Nationwide, or was with a society that merged into Nationwide, you should contact Nationwide rather than submitting the normal building-society lost-account application.

15 years unused Nationwide says it can close current or savings accounts after 15 consecutive years without contact and without financial transactions, subject to stated product exceptions.
Advance contact Nationwide says it writes to the registered address after at least 14 years and 10 months of inactivity before closure.
Money still belongs to you Nationwide states that a closed dormant balance can be reclaimed regardless of how many years have passed.
Reclaim in branch Nationwide asks customers reclaiming money from a closed dormant account to visit a branch and bring identification.

Official NationwideFind a Lost Nationwide Account

After opening this link:

  1. Read the section describing Nationwide’s 15-year unused-account process.
  2. If the account still exists but Nationwide has written about reactivation, follow the reactivation route shown.
  3. If the dormant account was already closed, find your nearest Nationwide branch.
  4. Take acceptable identification with you.
  5. Tell the branch if the account originally came from an older building society that merged into Nationwide.
  6. Keep copies of any historic account documents until the claim has been completed.
Nationwide says a reclaim from a closed dormant account includes the interest that would have been earned since the account was closed, according to its reclaim process.

How Other Building Societies Handle Dormant Savings

There is no single customer-service process used by every society. The 15-year Dormant Assets Scheme threshold is important, but reactivation, closure notices, identification and scheme participation can differ.

Society
Current published approach
Useful next step
Coventry Building Society
Treats an account as dormant after at least 15 years without customer payments, withdrawals or contact under its published guidance.
Coventry says it contacts the saver and gives options to keep the account open, move the money or close it. Its dormant-account guidance says no scheme-related charges or deductions are applied.
Yorkshire Building Society
May close a savings account after more than 15 years of inactivity under its current published terms.
YBS says money and accrued interest remain accessible once satisfactory identity checks have been completed. Call or visit a branch to trace an inactive account.
Leeds Building Society
Its current general conditions describe dormancy as usually at least 15 years without deposits, withdrawals or transfers.
Leeds’ current conditions state that it is not presently a member of the Reclaim Fund scheme, while preserving the saver’s ownership of dormant money.
Nationwide
Uses a specific unused-account process after 15 years and participates in the Dormant Assets Scheme.
Use Nationwide’s own lost-account route and branch reclaim process.
The scheme is voluntary. Do not assume every building society transfers dormant balances to Reclaim Fund Ltd. A non-participating society still remains responsible for dealing with its own dormant-account liabilities under its terms and applicable law.

What Happens to Money Under the UK Dormant Assets Scheme?

The Dormant Assets Scheme was created under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 and began operating in 2011. It was later expanded under the Dormant Assets Act 2022 to cover additional financial assets.

For bank and building society accounts, the key statutory dormancy definition remains no customer-initiated transactions for at least 15 years. Participating firms must first make appropriate attempts to reunite owners with their money.

Step 1: account becomes dormant The qualifying account has gone untouched for the required period.
Step 2: provider tries to trace you Participating firms use reasonable reunification efforts before transfer.
Step 3: eligible balance can transfer The participating firm can transfer dormant money to Reclaim Fund Ltd.
Step 4: reclaim liability continues Reclaim Fund Ltd retains money to meet future claims from rightful owners.
Step 5: surplus supports good causes Money not required for expected reclaims can be distributed for social and environmental purposes across the UK.
Step 6: owner comes back later The right to reclaim what would have been owed is protected even after a transfer into the Scheme.

Official government guidanceUK Dormant Assets Scheme

After opening this link:

  1. Read the explanation of how dormant assets are identified and transferred.
  2. Note that participation by financial firms is voluntary.
  3. Read the section explaining the owner’s continuing reclaim right.
  4. For a lost bank or building society account, follow the link to My Lost Account rather than contacting Reclaim Fund Ltd as if it were a normal savings provider.
Your money is not donated away in a way that cancels your claim. The Scheme is designed so an owner can come forward later and reclaim the amount they would have been owed.

Do Dormant Building Society Accounts Still Earn Interest?

The answer depends on the provider and what has happened to the original account. A society may continue the account, close it and calculate a replacement entitlement, or transfer an eligible balance into the Dormant Assets Scheme.

Do not trust an old passbook balance The amount written in a decades-old book is historical. The provider must calculate the current entitlement.
Nationwide example Nationwide says a reclaim from a dormant account it closed includes interest that would have been earned since closure.
Reclaim Fund principle The scheme protects the right to receive what the owner would have been owed had the eligible asset not been transferred.
Tax can still matter HMRC has special timing rules for interest associated with dormant account balances that are later reclaimed.
Ask the provider for a clear calculation when a lost account is found. The final balance can depend on historic rates, successor products, account closure and the provider’s dormant-account terms.

Tracing a Dormant Account for Someone Who Has Died

My Lost Account can also be used where you are searching for savings belonging to a deceased person. The application asks for the date of death, and the eventual account provider must confirm that you are legally entitled to deal with the money.

Full name of the deceased.
Previous names where relevant.
Date of birth.
Date of death.
Former addresses.
Old passbooks, statements or account numbers.
Death certificate when requested.
Grant of probate or letters of administration if required.
Executor or administrator identification.
Finding an account is not the same as proving entitlement to inherit it. The provider can require probate, administration or other estate evidence before releasing the balance.

Found an Old Building Society Passbook?

Keep it. A passbook can contain several clues that make tracing easier: the original society name, account number, branch stamp, old address and approximate transaction dates.

  1. Do not throw the passbook away even if the society name no longer exists.
  2. Write down the exact society name and account number privately.
  3. Check the BSA old-building-society records to identify the current successor.
  4. If a current provider is identified, contact that provider through its official website.
  5. If the successor remains unclear, submit a free My Lost Account search.
  6. Keep the original passbook until the provider confirms whether it needs to inspect it.
A passbook is evidence that can help a search, but possession of a book by itself does not automatically prove that the person holding it is legally entitled to withdraw the savings.

What if My Lost Account Says No Match?

A no-match result does not always prove that the savings never existed. Historic records can be under a different name, address, predecessor society or account holder.

Check old surnames Marriage, divorce, adoption or another name change can affect a historic search.
Check every old address The address in a decades-old account record may be more useful than your current address.
Check parent or guardian names Childhood savings may have been opened in trust, jointly or under an adult’s details.
Check the society’s successor Do not search only the name currently printed on a modern website if your paperwork shows an older institution.
Contact the likely provider directly If you have a passbook or account number, the provider may be able to investigate more specifically.
Use the complaint route if needed My Lost Account says disputed search results can be challenged through the account provider’s complaint process.
Do not alter dates or invent a balance to force a match. Give the most accurate historic information you have and clearly mark uncertain details as approximate.

Lost Savings Scams: What Not to Share

Forgotten savings can attract tracing scams because claimants expect identity checks. Genuine identity verification does not mean you should give sensitive information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.

Useful tracing information

  • Historic addresses.
  • Previous names.
  • Approximate dates.
  • Old account number.
  • Old building society name.
  • Date of birth.

Never give an unexpected caller

  • Online-banking password.
  • Full PIN.
  • One-time security code.
  • Card-reader code.
  • Remote access to your computer.
  • Money to move into a “safe account”.
No recovery fee is needed to use My Lost Account. If a caller says an old account has been found but you must first pay tax, an unlocking charge or a transfer fee to a personal bank account, stop and verify the claim directly with the financial institution.

Related Building Society Guides

Building Society Passbook Savings Accounts: Branch Banking Guide Norwich & Peterborough Building Society: Existing Customer Guide Progressive Building Society: Savings, Mortgages & Account Guide Yorkshire Building Society: Savings, Mortgages & Account Help Nationwide Building Society: Mortgages, Savings & Help

Official Lost Account & Dormant Savings Resources

Use these routes for the current tracing process, provider rules and legal background.

My Lost Account Start a Lost Account Search My Lost Account FAQs BSA Lost Savings Guidance BSA Old Building Society Finder Building Society Mergers & Conversions Nationwide Lost Account Help Coventry Dormant Account Help YBS Inactive Account Help UK Dormant Assets Scheme

How This September 2026 Guide Was Checked

My Lost Account online tracing process checked.
90-day provider response guidance checked.
Personal-account eligibility checked.
Executor and next-of-kin search guidance checked.
BSA lost-savings route checked.
BSA merger and name-change records checked.
Nationwide 15-year closure process checked.
Nationwide reclaim and interest guidance checked.
Coventry dormant-account process checked.
Yorkshire inactive-account process checked.
Leeds dormant-account terms checked.
Dormant Assets Scheme reclaim protections checked.

Review date: 23 September 2026. Building societies can change identity requirements, reactivation procedures, telephone numbers and scheme participation, so verify the current provider page before posting documents or travelling to a branch.

Independent Information & Security Notice

Building-society.org is an independent informational website. It is not My Lost Account, the Building Societies Association, Reclaim Fund Ltd, Nationwide Building Society, Coventry Building Society, Yorkshire Building Society, Leeds Building Society or a government department.

This website cannot search private account records, confirm whether an account exists, verify your entitlement or recover money on your behalf. Use the official tracing service or the building society’s verified contact route.

Do not send us: account numbers, passbook photographs, passports, driving licences, probate documents, National Insurance numbers, banking passwords, PINs or security codes.

Building Society Dormant Account FAQs

1. What is a dormant building society account?

A dormant account is a savings or other eligible account that has been unused for a long period under the provider’s rules. For the statutory UK Dormant Assets Scheme covering bank and building society accounts, the key definition is generally no customer-initiated transactions for at least 15 years.

2. Do I lose my building society savings after 15 years?

No. A participating provider may transfer an eligible dormant balance into the Dormant Assets Scheme after the required process, but the owner’s right to reclaim what they are owed is protected. Dormancy does not mean the money simply becomes the building society’s property.

3. How do I find a lost building society account?

Contact the building society directly if you know which provider holds the account. If the provider is unknown or an old society has merged or changed name, use the Building Societies Association tracing resources and the free My Lost Account service.

4. Is My Lost Account free?

Yes. My Lost Account states that its tracing service is free. You do not need to pay a commercial tracing company merely to submit a normal search for a lost UK personal bank, building society or NS&I account.

5. How long does a My Lost Account search take?

My Lost Account currently states that you will receive responses from the account providers selected in your search within 90 days. Individual providers can finish earlier.

6. What if my old building society no longer exists?

Search the Building Societies Association’s merger and name-change records. They can show whether the society merged, converted to a bank, changed name or transferred to another institution, helping you identify the current successor.

7. What should I do if I find an old building society passbook?

Keep it safe. Note the exact society name, account number and historic address without publishing those details online. Use the BSA old-society finder to identify the current provider, then contact that provider or use My Lost Account if ownership remains unclear.

8. Can I trace a dormant account belonging to someone who died?

Yes. My Lost Account supports searches involving a deceased saver and asks for the date of death. If an account is found, the provider will require evidence that the claimant is legally entitled to deal with the estate before releasing the money.

9. Does a dormant building society account still earn interest?

It depends on the provider and what happened to the original account. The reclaim principle is designed to preserve what the saver would have been owed, and some building societies expressly state that accrued or equivalent interest is included when dormant money is reclaimed.

10. Can I reclaim money after it has gone into the Dormant Assets Scheme?

Yes. Owners retain the right to reclaim eligible dormant money after transfer into the Scheme. For bank and building society accounts, start with the provider, successor institution or official lost-account tracing route rather than treating Reclaim Fund Ltd as an ordinary customer savings account provider.

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