About 5,500 customers will receive a surprise Christmas bonus this year when they are reunited with unclaimed funds tracked down by Aviva as part of its unclaimed assets campaign.
Aviva has just passed its target, set in 2007, to return £40m in unclaimed funds to its customers and has now set its sights on hitting £50m. In the latest mailing, customers will receive an average £1,000 payment – which will come as a complete surprise as each took out endowment policies back in the 1980s.
In early 2007, Aviva reunited around 4,000 fishermen with almost £2.5m in its Find a Fisherman campaign. Trawling through life and pension schemes dating as far back as the 1950s, Aviva has gone on to reunite funds to more than 15,000 customers as it smashed its £40m target.
Toby Strauss, chief operating officer at Aviva UK Life, said: “Our campaign over the last two years has proved extremely successful. Although returning unclaimed assets isn’t easy, and can involve extensive investigation work, our customers are always pleased to receive assets they had forgotten about.
“Unclaimed assets are common across the whole industry. People often lose track of insurance policies, particularly when moving house or job.”
- Mr Andrew Cake, from Bristol, an Aviva customer recently reunited with his money, said: “I’m really pleased to have received this money. I had no idea that there were funds belonging to me from my first endowment policy, and as I’ve moved about a bit I’m surprised I was found. The money is going to come in really handy as I’m going to buy myself a home entertainment system.”
- Mr Harry Tugwell, from Kent, said: “I’m thrilled to pieces. I’ve put a bit away and spent a bit on myself and my partner.”
- Mr Stephen Smith, from Kent, said: “I knew the money was there somewhere but with the company name changing over time I’d lost track of it. I’ve treated myself to a new kitchen.”
