To claim your funds from BC Unclaimed, you need to provide three (3) pieces of documentation in total:
Two (2) pieces of government-issued ID to prove who you are, and
One (1) piece of documentation that connects you to the amount listed in our database.
If you do not know the source of your unclaimed funds, refer to the email we sent you after you submitted your request about the unclaimed property.
Government-issued identification (ID)
We need to see two (2) pieces of government-issued identification (ID). If you are not sure what counts as valid government-issued ID, here are some examples:
Driver’s licence
BC Services card
Combined driver’s licence and BC Services card
Passport
Birth certificate
BC ID
Permanent resident card
Citizenship card
Firearms licence
Certificate of Indian status
Nexus card
In some cases, you will have the option to provide proof of your Social Insurance Number (SIN). Or, we may need your SIN so we can issue you a tax slip with your unclaimed funds.
If you no longer have your SIN card, here are some other ways to provide proof of your SIN:
If BC Unclaimed is holding funds in your name, there are many possible scenarios, but it’s likely that you didn’t realize someone had money that belonged to you, they couldn’t find you, and so they’ve sent the property to BC Unclaimed for safekeeping until you could claim it.
To prove that you are entitled to the funds, along with your two pieces of government-issued identification, you need to provide documentation connecting you to the unclaimed money.
Find the type of unclaimed money you want to claim in the list below. Expand the heading to see what kind of documentation you need to provide to claim that type of money.
If you do not find the type of money you want to claim here, refer to the email we sent you after you requested information from us about the unclaimed money.
Please provide a credit union document citing the account number (e.g., account statement, cancelled cheque, a letter from the credit union confirming account details).
Where might you look for notices, statements, or letters from credit unions? Check in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Your banker, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
The credit union itself.
Please provide proof of your employment with the correct company (e.g. payroll stub, T4 income tax slip).
If you do not know which company the wages are from, start by providing BC Unclaimed with a list of your former employers.
If searching for T4s, payroll stubs, or other proof of employment, consider checking in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Employers or previous employers.
Your accountant or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
Your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) account.
Please provide proof of the deposit with the real estate brokerage (e.g., a receipt of deposit, cancelled cheque, or purchase and sale agreement).
If you are having difficulty finding your real estate papers, check in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Your lawyer, notary, real estate agent, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
Please provide the insurance policy relating to the funds; alternatively, a benefits card, statement of account, or other letter from the insurance company.
Insurance policies are one of those things that are often forgotten; especially if you had life insurance through an employer you have not worked for in decades. Maybe you have moved jobs and homes or lost old paperwork. Maybe you are even the executor or administrator of someone else’s estate and you’re trying to get things in order.
Whether you are searching for this information for yourself or a deceased family member, there are a few places you could start looking for policies, benefits cards, notices, statements of account, or letters from insurance companies, including in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Employers or previous employers for information on group life insurance policies for current or former employees.
Professional associations to which you or your loved one belonged, as some associations offer group policies.
Your insurance agent, lawyer, financial adviser, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
The insurance company itself.
Please provide the contract or a receipt of payment with the collection agency.
If you are not sure where to find this documentation, check:
Online banking records for a transaction showing payment to the collections company.
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
The collections agency itself, as it may still have a record of your payment on file.
Your lawyer, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
Please provide the original share certificate with your signature guaranteed on the back by a chartered bank or trust company (note: credit unions are not acceptable).
If you do not have the original share certificate, you may provide other documentation verifying your investment in the company (e.g., T5 interest income slip, Statement of Account).
If you are not sure where to find this documentation, check:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Your financial advisor, accountant or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
Please provide your membership card or any other documentation proving your membership with the co-operative.
If you are not sure where to find this documentation, check in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Your accountant or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
Please provide a document citing the correct Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) contract number (e.g., RESP Statement, Educational Assistance Payment (EAP) Reminder Notice).
If you are not sure where to find this documentation, check in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Your banker, financial adviser, lawyer, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
The financial institution that offered the RESP product.
Please provide a document verifying your pension plan membership (e.g., Pension Plan Statement, T5 income tax slip).
If you are not sure where to find this kind of documentation, check in/with:
Physical storage places such as desks, filing cabinets, and safety deposit boxes.
Digital storage places such as email inboxes, old hard-drives, USBs, or laptop computers.
Employers or previous employers for information on pensions for current or former employees.
Unions or professional associations to which you or your loved one belonged, as some may have information.
Your financial adviser, lawyer, accountant, or bookkeeper (if known, and applicable) as they may have some information in their files.
The pension company itself.
Documentation requirements for deceased owners
If you are the executor or administrator for someone else for whom BC Unclaimed holds money, expand the applicable heading to see what kind of documentation you need to provide to claim their money.
The estate's executor or administrator will need to provide the following documentation:
Documentation connecting the owner to their unclaimed money (this varies depending on the type of money held in their name);
Certified true copy of the owner’s death certificate;
Two pieces of government-issued ID belonging to the executor or administrator.
If the unclaimed balance exceeds $1,000, BC Unclaimed requires the certified true copies of the death certificate and grant be sent by mail. You can refer to either the letter or email correspondence BC Unclaimed sent you with the details of the unclaimed funds to determine the property’s approximate dollar value.
If you are the executor or administrator for an estate that does not require probate, then please provide our office with the following:
Documentation connecting the owner to their unclaimed money (this varies depending on the type of money held in their name);
Certified true copy of the owner’s death certificate;
Certified true copy of their Last Will and Testament naming you as their executor;
A document proving you acted as the executor (e.g., a CRA tax document addressed to the estate in your care);
A signed letter explaining why the estate was not probated; and
Two pieces of your government-issued ID.
If the unclaimed balance exceeds $1,000, BC Unclaimed requires the certified true copies of the death certificate and grant be sent by mail. You can refer to either the letter or email correspondence BC Unclaimed sent you with the details of the unclaimed funds to determine the property’s approximate dollar value.
