AMERICANS will see surprise checks worth up to $500 automatically hit their bank accounts in the coming weeks under a little-known Money Match program.
There are just two requirements in place in order to receive the cash, and you don’t even need to file a claim.
Americans will soon receive checks worth up to $500 automatically from a Money Match program[/caption]
The Money Match program aims to return unclaimed property to tens of thousands of qualifying Americans.
Unclaimed property refers to financial assets and other property that an owner has abandoned or forgotten, such as:
- Uncashed paychecks
- Insurance payments
- Checking and savings accounts
- Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
- Utility and security deposits
- Contents of safe deposit boxes
Businesses and financial institutions are legally required to report unclaimed property to the state after a certain dormancy period, with the state holding it until the rightful owner claims it.
All states operate unclaimed property programs dedicated to returning money to its rightful owners.
The Pennsylvania Money Match program, for example, was created in 2024 under a law that was unanimously supported by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Josh Shapiro.
It allows the state’s Treasury Department to return unclaimed property to its rightful owners.
Around 80,000 Pennsylvanians are expected to receive letters in September informing them that they have payments coming thanks to the Money Match program.
Those who are sent a letter should receive their checks for the unclaimed property roughly 45 days later.
The program returns unclaimed property with a single owner worth up to $500 automatically, without requiring owners to file a claim.
UP FOR GRABS
More than one in 10 state residents has unclaimed property available to be claimed, with the average claim standing at over $1,000, per Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s website.
When the department identifies individuals with unclaimed property that meets the law’s requirements, the Pennsylvania government automatically returns the money to residents.
“Treasury receives hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed property every year, often because of something as simple as a misspelled name or an out-of-date address,” Garrity wrote in a statement.
“But let’s be clear: this is YOUR money we’re talking about, and I want to return it to you.”
The treasurer admitted that while the program may seem too good to be true, it was in fact real.
Treasury receives hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed property every year, often because of something as simple as a misspelled name or an out-of-date address.”
Stacy Garrity
“The idea that the state government wants to give you money is different. But thanks to a lot of incredible bipartisan work involving Treasurer Garrity, the entire General Assembly and the Governor, this is really happening!” reads the department’s website.
“If you receive a letter from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department indicating that you have money coming thanks to Money Match, hold on to it!”
While Pennsylvanians with unclaimed property worth up to $500 should see the checks automatically, those owed a greater amount can submit claims through the state website.
Unclaimed property that has multiple owners or involves other complexities will also require the owner to file a claim through the traditional process on the Pennsylvania Treasury’s website.
Americans who live outside of Pennsylvania can see if they have any unclaimed property by visiting their own state’s website, missingmoney.com, or unclaimed.org.
One man received what he thought was a fake letter saying he was owed cash from his state’s $45 million Money Match program.
Another state is handing out checks worth $200 million total after uncovering billions in “unclaimed funds” – and cash is a click away.
Pennsylvania’s Money Match program allows the Treasury Department to return unclaimed property to its rightful owners[/caption]
