How to find unclaimed money from the government

Find unclaimed funds held by the government that might be owed to you.

What is unclaimed money?

If a business, financial institution, or government owes you money that you did not collect, it is considered unclaimed money or property.

You may be able to file for unclaimed money owed to you, or that was owed to a deceased relative if you are their legal heir.

Search by state

Most unclaimed money is held by state governments from sources such as bank accounts, insurance policies, or state agencies.

Search for unclaimed money from your state’s unclaimed property office. If you have lived in other states, check their unclaimed property offices, too.

Search other databases

There is no single place to look for all unclaimed money. Use each separate database in the links below to search for each type of unclaimed money.

• Unpaid wages – Search the Department of Labor’s database for back pay an employer might owe you.
• Pensions from former employers – Use the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) search tool to find an unclaimed pension.

• VA life insurance funds – Search the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) database for unclaimed insurance funds for veterans.
• FHA insurance refunds – If you had a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), search the HUD database to see if you are eligible for a refund.

• Tax refunds – Use the IRS Where’s My Refund? search tool if you have not received your tax refund.
• Stimulus checks – If you were eligible but did not receive one of the Economic Impact Payments, you may need to file or amend a tax return for 2020 or 2021. See the IRS guidelines for filing for a recovery rebate credit.

• Bank failures – Search the FDIC database for unclaimed funds from closed financial institutions.
• Credit union failures – Find unclaimed deposits from closed credit unions.