Can you trace this policy?

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated: 05:55 EST, 30 March 2005

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I received a letter from a firm of solicitors last year saying I had a policy with United Friendly Assurance that was due to be paid out. However, since then I have heard nothing and am wondering if this policy is traceable. C.R., Swansea

The Association of Friendly Societies (020 7397 9550) says: Since the Second World War tens of thousands of Friendly Societies have ceased to exist, and old policy documents from way back are still coming to light.

The society you are interested in may still exist, or have only recently ceased to do so, and where that is the case we can often help immediately.

If that doesn't provide an answer, your next port of call is the Registry of Friendly Societies (020 7676 1000). It has a database that shows what happened to many of the friendly societies that dissolved or transferred engagements to another society over the past 50 years.

If your Friendly Society was not registered neither of these resources is likely to find it - and until 30 years ago societies were not required to be registered and many weren't. One possibility is the National Archives (020 8876 3444) at Kew, which has sometimes turned up records of societies that could not be traced elsewhere.

Finally, a word of warning if you should track down a long-lost society, and it or its successors still exist. If you are looking for a pot of gold at the end of the Friendly Society rainbow, please remember that any sums involved could well be small. The policy may have lapsed, or been paid out, long ago.

Even if that is not the case, historically societies sold low-cost policies, with premiums perhaps at a rate of pennies per month rather than pounds, and so the maturity value or death benefit if any would often not amount to much by today's standards. Better to see your researches as an interesting excursion into your family history than a nice little earner.

• United Friendly is now part of Royal London group of companies. Call 08708 50 60 70 for more information.