Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Lost money warning: Millions of Brits could be owed cash as ‘Billions 4 Millions’ campaign launches to reunite people with £1bn
Vicky Parry
24th Feb 2026
Millions of UK households could be sitting on lost savings, pensions or investments without even realising it — and a new campaign aims to put that money back into people’s pockets.
A major new national initiative called Billions 4 Millions has launched today with the goal of reuniting consumers with £1 billion in lost or forgotten money by the end of 2026.
The campaign is led by free lost-money tracing platform Gretel and brings together some of the UK’s biggest financial firms to help people track down cash that already belongs to them.
£89 billion in forgotten money across the UK
It’s estimated that a staggering £89 billion is currently sitting in lost, forgotten or unclaimed financial accounts across the UK.
This could include:
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Old pensions
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Forgotten savings accounts
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Investments
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Life insurance policies
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Premium bonds or shares
In many cases, money becomes “lost” simply because people:
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Move home and don’t update details
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Change their name
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Switch banks or jobs
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Lose paperwork over time
The money doesn’t disappear — it just becomes disconnected from its owner.
Since January 2026 alone, firms involved in the campaign have already reunited more than £180 million with customers, showing just how much is waiting to be reclaimed.
Who is behind the campaign?
The Billions 4 Millions campaign is a collaboration between major UK financial providers across savings, pensions and investments.
Founding participants include:
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Aviva
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Phoenix Group
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Foresters Financial
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J.P. Morgan Asset Management
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Janus Henderson Investors
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Rathbones
More organisations are expected to join throughout 2026 as the initiative gathers momentum.
Why this matters now
With household budgets under pressure and the cost of living still biting, finding forgotten money could make a real difference to many families.
Duncan Stevens, founder of Gretel, says lost cash is far more common than people think.
Many assume that once they lose track of money, it’s gone forever — but that’s not the case. In reality, financial providers are keen to reunite funds with their rightful owners.
The campaign aims to raise awareness that checking for lost money is quick, simple and free — and could uncover anything from a few pounds to thousands.
How to check if you have lost money
The campaign will focus on encouraging people to ask one simple question:
“Could some of my money be lost or unclaimed?”
Common places to check include:
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Old workplace pensions from previous jobs
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Savings accounts opened years ago
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Child trust funds
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Old life insurance or investment policies
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Premium Bonds or shares
Free tracing tools and services (like Gretel and government-backed pension tracing) can help you search safely.
Why so much money goes unclaimed
Lost money often builds up over decades. For example:
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People change jobs multiple times and forget small pensions
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Accounts are opened for children and never revisited
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Paper statements stop arriving after moving house
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Families don’t know about policies held by relatives
Over time, these forgotten accounts can grow significantly thanks to interest or investment gains.
A push to return £1 billion by 2026
The Billions 4 Millions initiative has a collective target:
Return £1 billion to UK consumers by the end of 2026.
Participating firms will run awareness campaigns, share progress updates and provide guidance to help people reconnect with their money.
Industry leaders say it’s about improving financial resilience at a time when many households need it most — and ensuring money ends up where it belongs.
The bottom line
If you’ve ever:
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Changed address
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Switched jobs
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Opened accounts years ago
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Or inherited finances
…it’s well worth checking whether you have money waiting to be claimed.
With billions sitting unclaimed across the UK, a quick search could uncover a financial boost you didn’t even know you had.
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