Drivers have forfeited over £3.6 million in unused Dart Charge payments over the past two years, with the majority of the funds being retained by the Government. A recent Freedom of Information request uncovered that there were £1,812,379 of unclaimed Dart Charge payments in the 2023/24 financial year, in addition to £1,790,559 from the previous year, totaling £3,602,938 in unutilized payments.
The Department for Transport (DfT) informed This is Money, the source of the FOI request to National Highways, that most of these expired payments are not reimbursed and are thus kept by the Government. Dart Charge payments, which amount to £3.50 each way and are utilized by drivers crossing the Dartford Crossing between Essex and Kent, remain valid for a year before expiring.
Drivers have the option to request a refund for Dart Charges within the 12-month expiration period. For individuals with dormant Dart Charge accounts, any remaining funds are reimbursed to the account holder using the original payment information. The Dartford Crossing witnesses up to 180,000 vehicles passing through daily.
A spokesperson for the DfT stated that all Dart Charge revenue is directed to the DfT and is allocated to transport projects benefiting communities in Essex and Kent, such as the Lower Thames Crossing. The Government raised the Dart Charge in September 2025, marking the first increase since 2014. This coincides with the approval for the Lower Thames Crossing, aimed at easing congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
The Lower Thames Crossing will link the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex through a 2.6-mile tunnel beneath the Thames, set to be the longest road tunnel in the UK. The project, initiated in 2009, has seen over £800 million of taxpayers’ money allocated towards planning.
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