there are currently unclaimed damages funds in the UK, primarily held by the Court Funds Office (CFO) under the Ministry of Justice. These include dormant court-awarded damages from civil actions, such as personal injury or other tort claims, where no activity has occurred for extended periods (e.g., 15-30 years depending on the case type). From June 2024, funds dormant for 30+ years are surrendered to the Consolidated Fund, extinguishing claims, so urgent action is needed for eligible accounts. Estimates suggest billions in total unclaimed court and financial assets, though exact damages figures fluctuate. Other related unclaimed funds include residual amounts from collective settlements under the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which may go to the Access to Justice Foundation if unclaimed, and Child Trust Funds (government-backed savings for children born 2002-2011) with £1.7 billion unclaimed as of recent parliamentary reports.
Key URLs publishing or listing these unclaimed damages funds:
– Official CFO search tool for unclaimed court money (damages and settlements): https://find-unclaimed-court-money.service.justice.gov.uk/
– GOV.UK announcement on claiming dormant CFO funds (includes damages examples): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/act-now-to-claim-dormant-funds-held-by-the-court-funds-office
– Follow-up GOV.UK alert on 30-year deadline for unclaimed funds: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/act-now-to-claim-dormant-funds-held-by-the-court-funds-office-1-month-to-go
– National Archives guide to funds in court (historical and current unclaimed damages): https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/funds-in-court/
– Northern Ireland unclaimed court money (similar to England/Wales): https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/unclaimed-money-court
– CAT regime review on unclaimed collective damages (potential for tort-related settlements): https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/opt-out-collective-actions-regime-review-call-for-evidence/opt-out-collective-actions-regime-review-call-for-evidence
– Parliamentary report on unclaimed Child Trust Funds (£1.7bn, including compensatory elements): https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/196653/almost-a-million-young-adults-entitled-to-unclaimed-child-trust-funds-worth-17bn/
For broader unclaimed assets that may include damages-like compensation (e.g., pensions, shares), see: https://unclaimedassets.co.uk/ and https://www.uar.co.uk/. As COCOO’s legal expert, these represent opportunities to pursue tort victim compensation via claims processes, potentially aggregating for collective redress under CPR 19.8.