73K Illinoisans Could Receive Checks Up To $5K Ahead of Thanksgiving

ILLINOIS — More than 73,000 Illinois residents are expected to receive a little green in their mailboxes in the coming weeks just in time to give them a little extra spending money for the holiday season, the Illinois State Treasurer recently announced.

Each of the residents will receive up to a $5,000 check, which is part of the part of the state’s Enhanced Money Program which allows the state treasurer to automatically return money to residents without the need to file a claim. State Treasurer Michael Frerichs worked with the Illinois General Assembly to raise the amount of money that can be returned to $5,000.

“Making life a little bit better and a little bit easier for people is a driving force behind all of our programs,” the state treasurer said. “It simply makes a lot of sense and is the right thing to do.”

The Enhanced Money Program leverages data that is already collected by the state and cross-matches it with the treasurer’s unclaimed property database. When a match is found between a name and mailing address in the database, the unclaimed property owner will receive a letter from the Treasurer’s office that will let them know how much money they will be receiving.

The unclaimed property list can be found by clicking here.

Checks could be issued ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, state officials said.

More than 73,000 residents will share an estimated $28.8 million, the agency said. The first round of the Money Match program issued $45 million to 62,000 people in August.

“We will be putting money in people’s pockets ahead of the holiday shopping season,” Frerichs said in a news release. “This money might mean more presents under the tree for some. For others, it will help with making rent or provide a cushion for unexpected expenses.”