Britons are missing out on £217million in forgotten NS&I cash ISAs earning a paltry 0.25 per cent interest rate

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 1 October 2026.

Nearly 43,000 NS&I cash ISA accounts have fallen dormant, collectively holding more than £217million in forgotten savings that earn just 0.25 per cent interest — twenty times less than the best deals now available on the high street. That total has grown by almost five times since 2020/21, when the figure stood at just £36.7million. NS&I designates an ISA as dormant after 15 years of inactivity, leaving savers stuck on discontinued rates.

The number of dormant NS&I ISAs has surged from 8,621 in 2020/21 to nearly 43,000 in 2024/25.

With savings rates at some banks now reaching as high as five per cent, holders of forgotten accounts are missing out on dramatically better returns.

Savers with £6,626 or more in dormant accounts face a separate new warning over their financial exposure.