Found Money Finder: Am I Owed Money?
By Deeraj, founder of UK Markets Today. Last checked: 19 October 2026.
TL;DR
- UK households are missing at least £36 billion a year in unclaimed benefits, social tariffs and interest on idle savings (Policy in Practice, Missing Out 2025; Bank of England money and credit data, 2025).
- Live bank switch offers run from £175 to £300 right now (UK Markets Today switch offers page, checked 7 October 2026 and re-read 12 October 2026 and 18 October 2026).
- The top easy access savings rate we verified was 5.00% AER, while about £300 billion of UK savings sits in accounts paying 0% (Moneyfactscompare, 9 October 2026; Bank of England, 2025).
Answer 7 questions below and get one personal range for the counted routes, plus a fix list biggest first. It takes about 2 minutes, it is free, and your answers stay in your browser.
Found Money Finder
Answer 7 short questions. No name, no email, no sign up to see your result. Your answers stay in your browser and are never sent to us.
This is an estimate from your answers, not a promise. Every route below is free to check.
Information only, not financial advice. UK Markets Today is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and this tool does not give personal recommendations. Check the terms, eligibility rules and any downsides, such as credit checks or lost account perks, on the provider’s own site before you apply or switch.
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What happens after your result
Your result appears on this page straight away. Nothing is sent to us and nothing is stored: your answers never leave your browser, so if you close the page, nothing is kept.
Under your total sits a fix list, biggest money first. Each item links to the free guide that walks you through that route step by step, with the eligibility rules and the catches. Work through it at your own pace: most checks take under 15 minutes, and every official check is free.
After your result there is an optional email signup, if you want the fix list and a reminder when we re-check the figures. The tool, your total and the guides all work the same without it, and you can run the Finder again whenever your savings, bank account or shopping habits change. Found money is only half the picture: earned money routes live in our Make Money hub.
Where the £36 billion goes missing
This is the basket behind our Found Money Index. The full Index story is live with this tool: read the Found Money Index.
| Route | Total going missing | Source | What it means per household |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unclaimed benefits and social tariffs | £24.1 billion a year | Policy in Practice, Missing Out 2025 | About £3,203 per missing claim on average, across 7.5 million households |
| Interest missed on savings at 0% | About £12 billion a year | Bank of England money and credit data, via the Found Money Index workings | Roughly £300 billion sits in zero interest accounts while the top easy access rate pays 5.00% AER |
| Pension Credit alone | Part of the £24.1 billion above | DWP take up statistics, financial year ending 2024 | The average unclaimed amount is about £2,600 a year per entitled family. The typical award is about £4,524 a year (about £87 a week), which is a different figure |
| Unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes | £126.8 million (one off pot, not in the yearly total) | NS&I, September 2026, via our unclaimed money guide | Prizes stay claimable forever, so an old Bonds check costs nothing |
How your total is worked out (methodology)
Your total counts only the routes we can estimate honestly, and it is always a range:
- Bank switching: if you have not switched in the last 12 months, we add the live switch offer range, £175 to £300, checked on our best bank switch offers page. You only receive a bonus if you meet that bank’s rules.
- Idle savings: we take the gap between the top verified easy access rate (5.00% AER, re-checked 18 October 2026, includes a temporary bonus) and the middle of the rate band you picked, times the middle of your savings band, for one year. If you picked over £20,000 we work on £25,000, so big balances are understated, not overstated. If your savings already pay over 4%, this route adds £0. If your savings sit in a cash ISA, the interest is tax free either way; the rates worth comparing are on our cash ISA rates page.
- Cashback: if you shop online without a cashback site, we add the cashback sites’ own published average member figures, £280 (Quidco) to £300 (TopCashback). If you use cashback sometimes, we count half. These are average member figures, not a promise.
What is NOT counted as a figure: unclaimed money (Child Trust Funds, lost pensions, Premium Bonds prizes) and benefits (Pension Credit, Carer’s Allowance) appear on your fix list as checks, never as pounds in your total, because the amounts vary too much to estimate honestly. Money leaks (packaged accounts, old subscriptions, ended phone contracts) are a fix list task for the same reason.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if I am owed money in the UK?
Start with the free official routes: search for a Child Trust Fund through GOV.UK, trace a lost pension through the Pension Tracing Service, check Premium Bonds prizes on NS&I, and run a free benefits check. Our unclaimed money guide walks through each one step by step. If the money you are hunting is a Child Trust Fund, our Child Trust Fund guide takes you through the free GOV.UK locator. The Finder above adds the switch, savings and cashback routes into the same check.
How much unclaimed benefit money is there in the UK?
Policy in Practice estimated £24.1 billion a year in unclaimed benefits and social tariffs in its Missing Out 2025 report, missed by about 7.5 million households, an average of about £3,203 per missing claim.
Is the Found Money Finder free?
Yes. There is no charge, no account and no sign up needed to see your result. An optional email signup appears after your result, and the tool works the same whether you use it or not.
Does checking affect my credit score?
No. The Finder asks no personal details and runs no credit check. A bank switch application itself can involve a credit check at the bank, especially if you ask for an overdraft, which is why the switch guide lists the checks before you apply.
Is this financial advice?
No. This page is information only. UK Markets Today is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and nothing here is a personal recommendation. Always check terms, eligibility and downsides on the provider’s own site.
Written by Deeraj, founder of UK Markets Today. Figures last checked 19 October 2026. This page launched on Monday 19 October 2026 with the Found Money Index.