Why do claims get delayed or rejected?
The short answer
Almost always because of documentation, not entitlement. A rejection rarely means you are not entitled to the shares — it usually means something did not match, was missing, or was submitted through the wrong route.
That matters because it means most rejected claims can be refiled successfully once the underlying issue is fixed.
Which of these is you?
The route changes depending on your situation. Open the one that matches — you can ignore the rest.
The name does not match The most common single cause.
Registers were written by hand over decades. Initials were used instead of full names, spellings drifted, and married names replaced maiden names without the register ever being told.
None of that affects entitlement. It affects the evidence needed to show the two names are the same person, and there is an established way to provide it.
The signature has changed Expected over thirty years, and still a common reason for return.
A signature recorded decades ago rarely matches one made today. This is resolved through attestation rather than being a barrier, but a claim submitted without addressing it will usually come back.
The wrong route was used Costly, because it is usually discovered late.
A holding transferred to the IEPF cannot be claimed through the registrar alone, and a claim on behalf of someone who has died needs entitlement established first. Submitting through the wrong route can mean months lost before anyone tells you.
A query went unanswered The quietest cause, and the most avoidable.
Registrars and the IEPF Authority routinely raise queries before settling a claim. A query is part of the process, not a rejection — but an unanswered one leaves the claim sitting indefinitely with nobody chasing it.
The company is slow to verify Outside anyone's control, but manageable.
An IEPF claim depends on the company's nodal officer verifying it before the authority acts. Where a company is unresponsive or has changed hands, this is usually where the delay sits, and it needs persistent follow-up rather than resubmission.
See also
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