Does Connecticut Owe You Money In 2025? Check Your Mailbox

CONNECTICUT — In an uncharacteristic act of bureaucratic knot-cutting, the State of Connecticut is making it a little easier for many residents to collect some money.

The state maintains a database of more than 1 billion dollars in unclaimed assets under its control, including payroll checks, refunds, bank accounts, matured certificates of deposit, liquidated securities, and insurance proceeds. The funds, enumerated on the State Treasury Department's so-called "Big List," stay frozen in Hartford until they are claimed by the owner or that person's heirs, but will be remitted to the Office of the Treasurer by business entities after the business loses contact with a customer for a period of three to five years.

In previous years, it was up to the resident to sift through the database and claim what's theirs. Beginning in 2025, a new program called CT Big Match will be handling that, for most claimants.

"We anticipate that about $2.5 million in unclaimed property will be returned directly to more than 15,000 Connecticut residents through the CT Big Match program in the coming months, without recipients even having to file a claim," said Treasurer Erick Russell earlier this year. "Our goal is to get this money back to its rightful owners, and this new system is greatly simplifying the process."

If you are the sole owner of unclaimed property worth less than $2,500, you may be eligible for CT Big Match. Residents whose address is a match with state records of abandoned property will receive a letter in the mail informing them of the match and how much money they can expect to receive. About 6 to 8 weeks after receiving the notification, the resident's check will arrive in the mail, according to the Treasury Department. Checks began shipping earlier this summer, and by the end of July, the agency had sent out more than 15,000 checks.

Residents who don't qualify for CT Big Match automation can still check for their hidden assets by logging onto The Big List website, and just entering their name or business and begin the search.

If you're in the money, you will need to upload some documents that prove you're you, and obtain a claim number. From your first mouse click to the check showing up in your mailbox, expect to wait about three months.

To search for unclaimed money that may be lying in a different state's treasury, check this list of treasurer's offices.

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If you don't have money lying in the state treasury, the government suggests checking for unclaimed funds from bank failures or unclaimed deposits from credit union closures. You could also check for unclaimed or undelivered tax refunds or a refund from an FHA-insured mortgage.

Finally, you can check for unclaimed back wages, pension money or life insurance funds. Here is how to find out how to search for these unclaimed funds.