Unclaimed Benefits 無人申索的權益

Classification and Retaining Benefits after Retirement 分類條件與退休後保留權益

Benefits do not become unclaimed merely because they have not been withdrawn. Tracing is required in two situations: a member or another person is entitled to payment but has made no claim and cannot be located; or a claim has been lodged but the eMPF Platform cannot locate the claimant before payment. Once aware of either situation, the Platform must take the specified tracing steps as soon as practicable.

In both situations, the relevant six months run after the specified steps have been taken. If the person cannot be located within that period, the benefits become unclaimed at its end and the trustee may treat them accordingly. The period does not simply run from the date entitlement arose or the claim was lodged.

When a member reaches retirement age without claiming, the eMPF Platform sends a notice asking whether the benefits should remain in the scheme. They become unclaimed at the end of six months after the notice only if there is no reply and the member cannot be located. Annual benefit statements must continue if the member replies choosing to retain the benefits, or does not reply but can still be located.

A member retaining benefits after retirement may subsequently become untraceable. If annual benefit statements have been served under this arrangement, the benefits remain in the scheme and the member can no longer be located, the Platform must take the specified tracing steps as soon as practicable. The benefits become unclaimed if the member cannot be located within the following six months.

Required Tracing Steps 積金易平台須採取的尋人步驟

Address notices: where address information is available, the eMPF Platform must send notices to the member’s or relevant person’s last known residential and correspondence addresses. Unanswered telephone calls do not justify omitting these notices.

Other contact methods: where other details are known, such as all contact telephone numbers or a fax number, the Platform must make three tracing attempts within one month, on different dates and at different times. This one-month requirement concerns contact attempts and must be distinguished from the applicable six-month period that follows.

Employer information: the Platform must also ask the employer concerned for the member’s contact details. If the details obtained differ from the trustee’s records, address notices and other contact attempts must be repeated using the new information, as applicable.

Unpresented Cheques: Two Six-Month Periods 支票未兌現：分清兩段六個月

A cheque paying accrued benefits first has a six-month Specified Period running from its issue date. If it is not presented within that period and the claimant cannot be located during the further six months after that period expires, the benefits become unclaimed at the end of the further period. Under this cheque arrangement, the two periods total twelve months; classification is not automatic after the first six months.

If the eMPF Platform receives the returned cheque before the Specified Period expires, it should immediately follow up to locate the claimant. Immediate tracing action does not itself mean immediate classification as unclaimed benefits.

Enquiries through the Central Register 透過中央紀錄冊查詢

The eMPF Platform Company Limited maintains the Central Register containing information specified in section 19S of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance. A person seeking information about their unclaimed benefits may request relevant information from the eMPF Platform personally or through an authorised representative.

Relevant information includes the names of the person’s MPF schemes, particulars of the accounts established and maintained under them, each scheme’s approved trustee and the accrued benefit amount in each account. Enquiries are not limited to identifying the trustee. [MPFA Study Notes, 10th edition, paragraph 3.12](https://www.mpfa.org.hk/-/media/files/supervision/mpf-intermediaries/registration-requirements/study_notes_10th_v1_chi.pdf#page=56)