Pennsylvania is sending surprise holiday cheques to nearly 100,000 residents through its innovative ‘Money Match’ program, returning over $22 million in forgotten funds without any paperwork amid the ongoing holiday season, CBS News reported.
The payments are part of the first full year of the program, which is designed to automatically return certain unclaimed funds to residents without requiring them to file a claim.
Launched in 2024 by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, the initiative automatically mails cheques for unclaimed property up to $500 when ownership can be verified confidently. Treasurer Stacy Garrity emphasised that these are legitimate payments from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, rebates, and similar assets turned over to the state.
Who is eligible to receive these cheques?
Unclaimed property accumulates when owners can’t be located, but traditional recovery required searching databases and filing claims, often taking months. Money Match streamlines this for simple cases: if the amount is $500 or less and tied to one owner, the state skips the process and sends a cheque directly. Garrity urged recipients to deposit them promptly, noting the program’s first-year success exceeded goals by returning over $50 million total, Marca reported.
‘These are real cheques’
Treasurer Garrity said residents should not dismiss the cheques as suspicious.
“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said. State officials also encouraged people to cash or deposit the checks as soon as possible. Letting them sit unopened or unused undermines the purpose of the program, which is to move money back into the hands of the people who earned it.
Who is not eligible?
While automatic cheques have thrilled many, they cover only straightforward claims. Money Match does not apply to every unclaimed property case. The program is limited by design. Larger amounts, more complex ownership situations, or cases requiring additional verification still require residents to file claims through the traditional unclaimed property system, according to Marca.
Pennsylvania holds about $5 billion in unclaimed funds, with over one in 10 residents potentially owed money, larger sums or complex cases still need manual claims via the state’s website.