Unclaimed Dividend Claim Help: From the Company or the IEPF

How an unclaimed dividend gets stuck

When a company declares a dividend, it pays shareholders by bank credit or, for older holdings, by dividend warrant. If the bank account on record is closed, the address has changed or the warrant was never deposited, the amount remains unpaid dividend in a separate account with the company.

Under Sections 124 and 125 of the Companies Act, a dividend left unpaid for 7 years is transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). If dividends on a share stay unpaid for 7 consecutive years, the shares themselves are also moved to the IEPF.

That second point is often missed. An uncollected dividend of a few hundred rupees can be the first sign that the underlying shares, possibly worth far more, are at risk of transfer or already sit with the IEPF.

Unpaid dividend with the company vs unclaimed dividend in IEPF

How to check unclaimed dividend

Checking is free and takes minutes:

• Company website: listed companies publish lists of unpaid and unclaimed dividends on their websites, usually in the investor relations section. For example, a shareholder searching "Reliance unclaimed dividend" would look for the list on that company's own site. Search by name, folio or DP ID.
• IEPF: iepf.gov.in is the official portal for amounts already transferred, and the company or RTA can confirm whether a transfer has happened.
• Family records: old warrants, annual reports and dividend letters show which companies a parent held.

Claim dividend from IEPF: the free official route

If the dividend is still with the company, write to the company or RTA with updated KYC (Form ISR-1) and bank details. SEBI stopped freezing folios without PAN or KYC in November 2023, but KYC must still be complete before any payment is released.

To claim dividend from IEPF, the official steps are:

1. Get an entitlement letter from the company or its RTA.
2. File Form IEPF-5 online.
3. The company e-verifies the claim.
4. IEPFA takes the decision and credits the dividend to your bank account (and shares, if any, to your demat account).

Filing IEPF-5 is free, and many individuals complete simple claims on their own. IEPFA's helpline is 14453, and its free Niveshak Shivir investor camps have been held in several cities during 2025–26.

IEPF unclaimed dividend: updates in 2025–26

• New Form IEPF-5 effective 6 October 2025 (G.S.R. 733(E)).
• Integrated claims portal announced in August 2025 and live from October 2025, with pre-filled forms, PAN and OTP verification, and multiple folios in one claim. The form also recognises filing through a representative who holds the claimant's authority letter.
• "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign launched 4 October 2025 by DFS with RBI, IRDAI, SEBI and IEPFA to help citizens reclaim dividends, shares and other assets.
• SEBI transmission circular of 23 July 2026 simplifies documents for heirs where shares are also involved.

When families usually need help

• Dividends across many companies, some with the company and some in IEPF.
• The shareholder has died, so shares and dividends need transmission to heirs first.
• Names, signatures or addresses on the folio do not match current documents.
• The company has merged, and entitlement now sits with the successor company.
• The claimant lives abroad and needs documents attested there.

How Expertvuw helps with unclaimed dividends

You remain the claimant throughout, and the dividend is paid only into your own bank account.

1. Review: we map which companies, folios and years are involved and whether shares are also affected.
2. Tracing and documents: we coordinate with companies and RTAs and help put KYC and heirship papers in order.
3. Filing and follow-up: we help you file with the company or through IEPF-5 and follow up on e-verification and IEPFA queries.
4. Credit: we track the case until the dividend (and any shares) reach your account.

Why Expertvuw

• Registered company with offices in Dwarka, Delhi and Udyog Vihar, Gurugram.
• Share and IEPF work is our core practice, handled by one team with deposits, insurance and bonds.
• Pan-India and NRI clients.
• Plain-language updates and documentation discipline.
• Not affiliated with IEPFA, SEBI or any company or RTA.

Related services

• IEPF claim services for shares and dividends
• Unclaimed shares recovery
• Share transmission to legal heirs
• RTA liaison and KYC updates
• Unclaimed bonds and debenture interest

Frequently asked questions

How do I check unclaimed dividend in my name?

Start with the investor relations section of each company's website, where listed companies publish lists of unpaid and unclaimed dividends searchable by name or folio. For older amounts, ask the company or RTA whether they have moved to the IEPF, whose official portal is iepf.gov.in. Old dividend warrants and annual reports help identify which companies to search.

What is the difference between unpaid dividend and IEPF unclaimed dividend?

An unpaid dividend is still with the company, in its unpaid dividend account, and you claim it directly from the company or RTA. Once it stays unpaid for 7 years, it is transferred to the IEPF, and you must claim it through an entitlement letter and Form IEPF-5 online.

Is there a time limit to claim dividend from IEPF?

No. There is no time limit to claim dividends or shares from the IEPF, and filing Form IEPF-5 costs nothing. Even dividends transferred many years ago can still be claimed, provided the claimant can show entitlement and complete KYC with the company or its RTA.

Will my shares also go to IEPF if I do not claim dividends?

Yes, they can. Under Section 124 of the Companies Act, if dividends on a share remain unpaid for 7 consecutive years, the shares are also transferred to the IEPF. That is why an old unclaimed dividend is worth checking promptly: it may point to shares at risk of transfer.

Can I claim unclaimed dividend of a deceased parent?

Yes. The shares and dividend entitlement must first be transmitted to the legal heir or nominee through the company or RTA, after which the heir claims the dividend, or files IEPF-5 if it has moved to the IEPF. SEBI's July 2026 circular simplified transmission documents for smaller holdings.

What if the company has merged or changed its name?

Entitlement follows the merger scheme's swap ratio. The dividend and shares are usually with the successor company, in its suspense account, or already in the IEPF. Approach the successor company or its RTA with your old folio details, and it will confirm where the holding and dividends now sit.

Do I need help to claim unclaimed dividends?

Not for simple cases. Updating KYC with the company, or filing IEPF-5 for a single folio, is something many people do themselves free of cost. Families contact us when several companies, a death, mismatched records or an NRI claimant are involved. Book an initial case review.