STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 During the course of a daily mailbox run, New Yorkers might just find a check worth $5,000 delivered directly from the New York state government. <\/p>\n
The money is part of a lost-and-found-like program called Unclaimed Funds, which is run by the New York Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli\u2019s Office of Unclaimed Funds. <\/p>\n
Since September 2025<\/a>, the maximum amount of money New Yorkers could see come through the mail was $250. But recently, DiNapoli announced<\/a> that the $250 threshold is now a remarkable $5,000 threshold. <\/p>\n \u201cSpeeding up the return of lost money is priority of mine, and my office worked with the State Legislature in 2024 to create a way to fast-track money to people,\u201d DiNapoli said in a written statement<\/a>. \u201cAfter a successful first year, we are increasing the threshold up to $5,000. In these challenging economic times, every little bit helps as the cost of gas, groceries and everyday essentials rise.\u201d<\/p>\n From January 2025 to April 2026, the Office of Unclaimed Funds distributed a staggering $48 million to New Yorkers through more than 210,000 mailed checks. <\/p>\n According to the statement, the returned money comes from things like: <\/p>\n Old bank accountsInsurance refundsStock certificates Uncashed checks Utility depositsUnused gift cards <\/p>\n Now, the check won\u2019t just arrive in the mailbox without prior warning; the Office of Unclaimed Funds dispatches \u201ca notification letter<\/a>\u201d to eligible New Yorkers before sending out the funds. <\/p>\n But for New Yorkers who maintain a healthy dose of scrutiny at such a monstrous check arriving in the mail, the comptroller\u2019s office offers a portal to double check the authenticity of the money. <\/p>\n