Think you've lost old shares or dividends? IEPF portal can help you reclaim

Forgotten shares or dividends? Here's step by step process to reclaim them easily via the IEPF portal

The government has unclaimed shares and unpaid dividends -- worth several thousand crores worth of rupees -- held under the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). It can easily be claimed by the rightful owners through the IEPF portal.

 

What is the IEPF?

It was set up by the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) to safeguard investors’ money that remains unclaimed or unpaid for long periods.

 

Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies must transfer:

 

• Unpaid or unclaimed dividends remaining idle for seven consecutive years
• Shares related to such unpaid dividends
• Matured deposits, debentures, and interest thereon, if unclaimed

 

Once transferred, these amounts are held by the IEPF Authority until rightful investors or their heirs claim them.

 

How to check if you have unclaimed shares or dividends

• You can verify this easily on the IEPF website (https://www.iepf.gov.in/):
• Go to the “Search Unclaimed and Unpaid Amounts” section.
• Enter your investor name, company name, or folio number.
• The system will display any matching unclaimed records.
• If your name appears, you can move on to filing a claim.

 

Steps to reclaim your investments

 

• Download and fill Form IEPF-5 from the MCA website.
• Attach supporting documents, such as:
• Self-attested copy of PAN and Aadhaar
• Cancelled cheque leaf
• Proof of shareholding or dividend entitlement (like old share certificates or dividend warrants)

Submit the physical documents and the acknowledgment copy of Form IEPF-5 to the company’s nodal officer (whose details are available on the company’s website).

 

The company verifies your claim and forwards it to the IEPF Authority, which processes it further.

 

Once approved, the shares are transferred back to your demat account, and the dividend or amount is credited to your bank account.

 

A few key points to remember

• Claims can be filed online anytime; there’s no deadline for reclaiming.
• Legal heirs or nominees can also apply, but they’ll need to provide succession certificates or other legal proofs.
• It’s advisable to keep your KYC details updated with both the company’s registrar and your bank to avoid such transfers in the future.

 

Why it matters

Thousands of crores worth of unclaimed dividends and shares lie with the IEPF, often due to address changes, forgotten folios, or unlinked demat accounts. Reclaiming what’s rightfully yours is now straightforward, thanks to the digital process.

 

So, if you suspect you or your family may have unclaimed investments, it’s worth spending a few minutes on the IEPF portal to check. You might discover long-lost wealth waiting to be claimed.