People without a valid will risk their entire estate going to the Treasury, which in the 2013/2014 financial year received more than £14m in unclaimed inheritances, according to Emma Myers, head of wills, probate and lifetime planning at Saga Legal Services.
She said there are currently over 11,000 unclaimed estates listed on Bona Vacantia, a free to search government directory that lists all unclaimed assets since 1997.
Ms Myers urged people to make a valid will as soon as possible to ensure their estate is distributed in the way they want.
Estates usually go unclaimed when a person does not have a will and when the closest living relative is distant, making it hard for personal representatives to track them down.
