A NEW initiative will see thousands of homeowners in one US state pocket surprise checks worth up to $5,000 – and they won’t have to lift a finger to claim them.
The payments are being rolled out under a fresh “Data Match” program, which state officials say will put millions back into residents’ hands.
Arkansas is mailing out unclaimed property checks (stock)[/caption]
In Arkansas, the Auditor’s Office confirmed that more than $650,000 in unclaimed property checks are being mailed out starting this week.
The new system allows the state to automatically send payments ranging from $50 to $5,000 directly to eligible individuals.
Auditor of State Dennis Milligan said the move was made possible after lawmakers passed Act 114 of 2025 earlier this year.
He explained that over 360,000 properties have already been flagged for review, meaning thousands could see checks arriving in their mailboxes soon.
“Thanks to the Arkansas Legislature, we’re able to begin mailing checks to people each week so long as we can prove they are owed this money,” Milligan said.
Unclaimed property can include uncashed checks, unpaid utility deposits, old insurance proceeds, and other forgotten financial items.
Letters notifying recipients of upcoming payments have been landing in homes since July 2, ahead of the first batch of checks.
Officials stressed that the automatic payouts apply only to individuals – not businesses, nonprofits, or claims outside the $50 to $5,000 range.
Those still need to file through the state’s official site at ClaimItAR.gov.
The “Data Match” process was unanimously approved during the 2025 legislative session and has already been adopted by two dozen other states.
It lets the state verify a person’s identity across multiple databases before sending money owed.
If a match is confirmed, residents will get a letter saying a check will arrive within 90 days, giving time to ensure the correct address is on file.
Payments up to $1,000 will arrive automatically, but bigger claims still require some extra paperwork through the Auditor’s secure website.
Heirs of deceased relatives, people owed mineral rights, securities, or tangible items must also stick to the traditional claims process.
How the Arkansas ‘Data Match’ payments work
- Payout range: $50 to $5,000
- Who gets it: Individuals only, one-owner claims
- No application: Checks are mailed automatically if identity is verified
- Verification: State matches personal data across multiple systems
- Timeline: Letter sent first, check follows within 90 days
- Over $1,000: Extra documents required via ClaimItAR.gov
- Not included: Businesses, nonprofits, heirs, mineral rights, securities, tangible property
- Total owed: About $83 million in this range available for payout
The Auditor’s Office is sitting on roughly $400 million in unclaimed funds in total.
Milligan said one of his top goals since taking office was finding more proactive ways to get that money back to rightful owners.
He’s already set up mobile offices in towns and cities across Arkansas, including a stop in Batesville in July, where $1.9 million alone is owed to Independence County residents.
Expanded efforts have returned $85 million to Arkansans during his tenure – more than the previous five years combined, according to his office.
The Data Match initiative officially launched August 5, with checks now being sent each week.
Milligan said up to 7,000 checks could be mailed weekly once the system is running at full speed, with about $83 million available in that payout range.
The Auditor’s Office also holds physical property from abandoned safety deposit boxes, ranging from gold bars and jewelry to war medals and even a Babe Ruth-signed baseball.
If an heir turns up later, they’ll receive the full cash amount the item sold for, Milligan confirmed.
