Standard Life Demutualisation Unclaimed Shares

Standard Life converted from policyholder ownership to a stock company - a process called demutualisation - on 10 July 2006. Eligible Members are entitled to receive shares in Standard Life plc, as a consequence of this demutualisation.

Generally speaking, you qualify as an Eligible Member if, at the time of the demutualisation - 10 July 2006 -  you were a policyholder on or before 30 March 2004; and the policy was continuously invested, with profits, with Standard Life from 30 March 2004 up to 31 May 2006.

Some 300,000 of the 2.4 million policyholders entitled to receive shares arising from demutualisation failed to claim their windfall, worth £291m.

These 112m unclaimed Standard Life plc shares - equivalent to 4.8% of the company's total shareholding - have been placed in a trust, and may be claimed up to ten years from the date of the flotation. Any dividends payable on the shares are also held in the trust, and distributed when customers come forward to claim their shares. Note these shares are in addition to policy benefits, which remain unaffected.