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Lost property

Answer

You should contact the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) who will advise if you need to report the loss to the police.

Losing your benefit money can be very distressing. Here are some tips on how to keep your money safe:

  • pay the money into your bank account, so that you won't have to carry around a lot of cash.
  • when you receive your benefits, put the money in different places, so that if you do lose it, you won't have lost all of your money.
  • do not walk down the street counting your money, as this may leave you vulnerable to theft/loss.

There are some unscrupulous people who spend all their benefit money and then claim to have lost it in order to get more money. This is a serious offence, and if you know someone who is committing Benefit Fraud, telephone the National Benefit Fraud Helpline on 0800 854 440 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

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Related Information
Answer

In a bid to ease pressure on resources, the police are no longer able to assist with general lost and found property. Most forces in England and Wales can now only accept certain items, including:

    • Items which contain personal data (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc)
    • Illicit items (weapons, ammunition, drugs)
    • Significant amounts of cash
    • Items of high value

If this facility is available, the procedure may vary from force to force however it is likely that you will need to prove ownership of the mobile phone. In some forces you may be able to report it over the telephone whilst in others you need to report in person to your local police station with a copy of the contract or box for your phone. The police need a record of the IMEI number for your mobile phone that is so it can be recognised as your phone if it is handed in or recovered.

The IMEI/serial number on your phone is a number that is unique to your mobile phone. To find out what your IMEI number is type *#06# into your phone.

We would recommend that you contact your network provider to inform them the device is lost so they can stop anyone else using it.

Contact details for the mail mobile phone network providers can be found in relation information.

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Related Information
Answer

In a bid to ease pressure on resources, the police are no longer able to assist with general lost and found property. Most forces in England and Wales can now only accept certain found items, including:

  • Items which contain personal data (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc.
  • Illicit items (weapons, ammunition, drugs)
  • Significant amounts of cash
  • Items of high value

Anyone who contacts the police about something they have lost will now be redirected to private websites. Although most of these services are free, some carry a small charge for every item reported. Please see below for a summary of a few of these:

  • Report My Loss: Service allows the public to report lost property for a small fee. This can be viewed by police and used as proof of loss for insurers
  • Immobilise: Free registration, for reporting and protecting items with serial numbers
  • Bike Register: Police approved bicycle marking and registration scheme

For further information on these sites, please see the links in related information.

Anyone wishing to report the theft of their property must attend a police station in person and bring with them some form of identity ideally containing their name, date of birth and current address.

Lost Driving Licence:

If you have lost your driving licence you will need to apply for a replacement. See link to DVLA in related information.

Lost Passport:

You must report the loss or theft of your passport to HM Passport Office. Fill in and sign a Lost or Stolen (LS01) Notification form and return it to the IPS. The address is on the form.

The form is available from,

  • UKPS offices
  • The Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000
  • Post Offices and some World Choice travel agents
  • Immigration officers at ports of entry into the UK
  • Police Stations

Alternatively, you can do so online, using the link in Related Information.

You should fill the form in even if you do not wish to replace your passport. The system has been introduced in order to help combat identity theft.

If you are abroad when your passport is lost or stolen you need to report it as such and cancel it online. If you experience difficulties online you can go to the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate and they will assist you in cancelling your passport and obtaining emergency travel documents.

Once you have reported your passport as lost or stolen you will be able to apply for a replacement passport.

Found Passport:

If you find a British Passport you must send it to HM Passport Office as soon as possible. Instructions on how to do so can be found in Related Information.

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Related Information
Answer

You will need to apply for a new licence. If you had a paper licence you will need to apply for a photocard licence. You can apply for a new licence online via the link below:

Replace a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed driving licence

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Related Information

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