IEPF Claim Services and Consultants: Recover Shares and Dividends from IEPF

What IEPF is and how shares end up there

The Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) is managed by the IEPF Authority (IEPFA) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Under Sections 124 and 125 of the Companies Act, 2013, a dividend that stays unpaid for seven years is transferred to IEPF. If dividends on a share stay unpaid for seven consecutive years, the shares themselves also move to IEPF.

This usually happens quietly. The holder moved house, the bank mandate was old, or the holder passed away and nobody told the company. Companies publish lists of unpaid and unclaimed dividends on their websites, but few families ever check them.

A transfer to IEPF is not a loss of ownership. The shares keep their value in IEPF's demat account, and the rightful owner or legal heir can claim them back. There is no time limit to make an IEPF claim.

Do you need help with this?

Yes. The official route is free and open to every shareholder and legal heir. For a simple case, where the holder is alive, KYC is up to date and the name matches the company's records, many people complete it on their own. The route has five broad steps:

1. Get an entitlement letter from the company or its registrar and transfer agent (RTA) confirming what was moved to IEPF.
2. File the online Form IEPF-5 through the IEPFA claims portal (iepf.gov.in).
3. The company e-verifies the claim.
4. IEPFA reviews the claim and decides.
5. Approved shares are credited to your demat account and dividends to your bank account.

IEPFA also runs free Niveshak Shivir investor camps in several cities and a helpline, 14453, for questions on the claim process.

When families look for IEPF claim help

The route is the same for everyone, but the paperwork behind it is not. People usually reach out to us when:

• The shareholder has died, and there was no nominee or the heirs disagree on who should claim.
• The shares are in physical certificates that are lost, damaged or never received.
• The name, address or signature on the folio does not match current KYC documents.
• The company has merged or changed its name, so it is unclear which company holds the entitlement.
• Several companies and folios are involved and the family does not know where to begin.
• The claimant lives abroad and cannot easily deal with Indian offices.
• A claim was already returned by the company or IEPFA and needs to be put right.

What changed in 2025–26 for IEPF claims

The IEPF claim process 2026 looks different from a few years ago. The main updates:

• New Form IEPF-5 (October 2025): a revised form took effect on 6 October 2025 under notification G.S.R. 733(E).
• IEPF integrated claims portal (announced August 2025, live October 2025): it offers pre-filled forms, PAN and OTP verification, and lets you include several folios in one claim.
• Authorised representative (October 2025): the new form recognises filing through an authorised representative who holds an authority letter from the claimant. The claimant stays the applicant.
• Awareness drives (2025–26): IEPFA held Niveshak Shivir camps in several cities, and the government ran the "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign from 4 October 2025. A common landing portal for unclaimed assets followed in May 2026.
• Heirs' claims made simpler (SEBI, December 2025 and July 2026): simplified documentation now applies to duplicate certificates up to ₹10 lakh and to transmission of shares up to set value limits. This matters when an IEPF claim first needs a duplicate certificate or transmission.
• Special window for old transfer deeds (February 2026): SEBI's special window for transfer deeds executed before 1 April 2019 is open from 5 February 2026 to 4 February 2027; it does not cover shares already transferred to IEPF.

Where your holding may be now

How our IEPF claim services work

We help you prepare and track the claim. You remain the applicant, and every share and rupee goes only into your own demat and bank account. Our work runs in four broad stages:

1. Case review: we look at what you have, check whether the holding is with the company, a suspense account or IEPF, and tell you plainly whether you can do it yourself.
2. Tracing and documents: we trace the folios and companies involved, and help you put KYC and heirship papers in order.
3. Filing and follow-up: we help you file Form IEPF-5 correctly and follow up with the company and RTA through verification and any IEPFA queries.
4. Credit: we track the claim until the shares reach your demat account and dividends reach your bank.

Where a court document such as a succession certificate is needed, the petition is filed by an advocate; we coordinate the paperwork around it.

How to choose an IEPF consultant or claim advisor

An IEPF consultant or claim advisor helps you prepare and file the claim; the decision on the claim is always made by the company and the IEPF Authority. Before you engage anyone, check that:

• they are a registered business with a verifiable address, and work under a written engagement;
• they explain which documents your case needs and why, before the filing starts;
• they never ask for your passwords, OTPs or net-banking logins;
• shares are credited only to your own demat account and refunds only to your own bank account;
• they do not promise a fixed approval or a fixed timeline, because neither is in their control.

If your earlier claim was returned, see IEPF claim rejected: common reasons and solutions.

Client case stories

NRI in Australia recovers late father's shares from IEPF, without travelling to India

The situation: The client lives in Australia. After his father passed away, the family found holdings in Radico Khaitan, HDFC Ltd (the housing finance company, since merged into HDFC Bank) and several other companies. Some folios were in the father's name alone and some were joint. Most certificates were lost, there was no nominee, and many shares had already moved to IEPF. The client could not stay in India for long.

How we helped: We worked entirely over video calls. We first mapped every company and folio — where each holding sat, its status and approximate value — then explained the papers needed for each folio and the order of steps. The client signed the documents in Australia, had them notarised there and couriered them to India. Our team then handled the paperwork with the companies, their registrars and the IEPF Authority.

The outcome: Over about 8–12 months, the shares were credited to the client's own demat account and pending dividends were paid into his own bank account.

Family in Ranchi recovers late grandmother's Hindustan Unilever shares from IEPF with no papers left

The situation: A client in Ranchi, Jharkhand found that the late grandmother had held shares in Hindustan Unilever and a few other companies. No certificates or statements survived, both parents had also passed away, there was no nominee, and the shares were already in IEPF. The claim had to pass through two generations.

How we helped: Before any filing, we traced the status of each folio, confirmed where each holding sat and worked out its present value. We then prepared the claim papers and went through them with the client so every step was clear before the process began.

The outcome: In about 16 months, the shares were credited to the client's own demat account, along with the dividends.

Widow in Gurugram recovers Maharashtra Scooters shares from IEPF held by her late husband and mother-in-law

The situation: The shares had moved to IEPF, the certificates and records were lost, and the family had no succession or legal heir certificate. One legal heir lived abroad as an NRI and the others in India, so every document needed all of them on board.

How we helped: We obtained the Entitlement Letter from the company and its registrar, which confirms what the family can claim from IEPF. We connected the family with an independent advocate for the succession and legal heir certificates, coordinated the papers of the heir abroad and the heirs in India, and kept the family updated at every stage.

The outcome: In about 18 months, the shares were credited to the claimant's own demat account and the dividends were paid into her own bank account.

No client names, folio numbers or amounts are shared. Every case is different, and timelines depend on the documents and the authorities involved.

Why Expertvuw

• A registered company, Expertvuw Management Pvt Ltd, with offices in Delhi (Dwarka) and Gurugram (Udyog Vihar).
• Pan-India and NRI clients, with remote coordination for families abroad. We handle IEPF claims remotely for families outside Delhi NCR; see our pages for an IEPF consultant in Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
• One team for shares, dividends and other unclaimed assets of the same family.
• Plain-language updates at each stage, so you always know what is pending and with whom.
• Documentation discipline: every paper checked against company and RTA records before it is sent.

Expertvuw is a private firm and is not affiliated with IEPFA, MCA or SEBI.

Related services

• Claim the investments of a deceased parent
• Claim shares and deposits when there is no nominee
• Recover shares from an unclaimed suspense account
• Succession certificate and legal heir support
• Unclaimed asset recovery for NRIs

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my shares are with IEPF?

Check the company's website, where companies publish lists of unpaid and unclaimed dividends, or search the IEPF records on iepf.gov.in using the holder's details. You can also ask the company's RTA. If dividends on your shares went unpaid for seven consecutive years, the shares have probably moved to IEPF.

Is there a time limit to claim shares from IEPF?

No. There is no time limit to claim shares or dividends from IEPF. The right to claim does not lapse, and legal heirs can claim years after the original holder's death. Acting sooner still helps, because records, documents and family members are easier to trace while memories are fresh.

Is there any fee for filing Form IEPF-5?

No. IEPFA charges no filing fee for Form IEPF-5. The official route is free, and many shareholders file simple claims themselves. You may still spend on things such as notarisation or stamp paper for supporting documents, depending on your case.

What is new in Form IEPF-5 from October 2025?

A revised Form IEPF-5 took effect on 6 October 2025. It is filed on IEPFA's integrated claims portal, which offers pre-filled forms, PAN and OTP verification, and several folios in one claim. The form also recognises filing through an authorised representative holding an authority letter from the claimant.

Can a legal heir claim a deceased parent's shares from IEPF?

Yes. A legal heir or nominee can claim after proving their right to the shares. Where there is no nominee, heirship documents are needed, and SEBI's July 2026 transmission rules now allow simplified documents within set value limits. See our page on how to claim a deceased parent's investments.

Can NRIs claim shares from IEPF?

Yes. NRIs can claim shares and dividends from IEPF in the same way as residents, with KYC and bank details that suit their residential status. Documents signed abroad may need apostille or consular attestation. Our NRI unclaimed asset recovery page explains the practical steps.

Does Expertvuw file the IEPF claim in its own name?

No. The claimant always stays the applicant, and shares are credited only to the claimant's own demat account and dividends only to the claimant's own bank account. We help prepare and track the claim. Expertvuw is a private firm and is not affiliated with IEPFA, MCA or SEBI.

What if the company has merged or changed its name?

Your entitlement follows the merger scheme's swap ratio. The shares usually sit with the successor company, in its suspense account, or with IEPF. Tracing the successor and its RTA is the first step, after which the normal claim route applies.