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The WA government has a problem – it wants to return $170 million in unclaimed money only the owners can’t be found, it says.
The unclaimed money has been listed on a public WA Register of Unclaimed Money.
The register was recently updated with around 147,000 new records, which included large individual unclaimed amounts of around $185,000 and $165,000, the government says.
The full register now contains more than 1.2 million records totalling over $170 million in value.
WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti says that the list is growing.
“The WA Register of Unclaimed Money continues to grow,” she says.
“There would be many Western Australians who wouldn’t be aware of outstanding money owed to them.”
Checking on it is an easy process, she says.
“It’s very easy to check the register online or via the ServiceWA app.
“I encourage all Western Australians to take these simple steps and check if they’re entitled to any of the funds,” she says.
“Importantly, in Western Australia there is no time limit to claim funds and there are no fees charged for returning money to the rightful owners.”
The unclaimed monies relate to WA organisations that have been unsuccessful in returning funds to the rightful owners, the government says.
These typically relate to dividend payments, rental bond refunds, vehicle licence refunds, overpayment of utility bills; and refunds from education providers.
Over $2 million was returned to the rightful owners last financial year, according to the government.
Unclaimed money in the state is governed by the Unclaimed Money Act 1990, the government website states.
Under the Act, money held by an organisation for six years without being returned to the rightful owner are deemed to be unclaimed.
While the Act states that amounts equal to or greater than $100 can be deemed to be unclaimed, the Department of Treasury accepts all amounts under $100 as a voluntary transfer of money.
To search the register, visit www.wa.gov.au/treasury/unclaimed-money or use the ServiceWA app.
