Public Trustee holding more than $120 million in unclaimed money

Acting Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Cameron Dick is encouraging Queenslanders to claim what is theirs by checking the Public Trustee’s online database of unclaimed money.

The Public Trustee of Queensland Annual Report for 2016–17 tabled today shows an extra $3.3 million was added to the Public Trustee’s unclaimed money fund during the year, taking the total of unclaimed cash to $121 million.

“The Public Trustee has been safeguarding unclaimed money since the 1960s and we want more Queenslanders to be aware of the easily searchable public database,” Minister Dick said.

“Currently there are more than 1.2 million names listed in the unclaimed money database, with a total of $121 million to be claimed, so there’s a fair chance you may find some long-forgotten money that’s owing to you.

“It might not be a large amount of money, but it’s worth having a look to see if there’s anything there that’s yours to claim.

“This is just one of the services provided by Queensland’s Public Trustee, which has been a self-funding, statutory body for just over 100 years.

“Last year the Public Trustee delivered more than $33.2 million in services and support to the Queensland community.

“This included making more than 25,000 wills at no charge, delivering community education around future planning, providing more than $1 million to support the Office of the Public Guardian, and reducing the fees to manage the financial affairs of some of the state’s most vulnerable people,” Minister Dick said.

Peter Carne, the Public Trustee of Queensland, said the unclaimed money came from a range of sources, including insurance, telecommunication, electricity and utility companies.

“Often people have money owing to them that they are unaware of. This can be for a number of reasons such as moving house or instances where a company has been unable to contact you to forward you your money.  

“The largest claim we’ve had was over $500,000 and the smallest claims are a few dollars.

“We have a simple process to locate and claim money, just go to Public Trustee website – www.pt.qld.gov.au – and enter your details in the unclaimed money database,” Mr Carne said.

“If you find money you think is owing to you, download the claim form and follow the steps outlined.

“At the end of the day we are pleased to provide this valuable service, as people are often surprised when they are reunited with long-forgotten funds,” Mr Carne said.

To find out more about the Public Trustee visit www.pt.qld.gov.au or phone 1300 360 044

Media contact:

Attorney-General: Kirsten MacGregor 0417 675 917

Public Trustee: Nadine Eckert 3213 9408 or 0435 963 506