AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills and Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck are encouraging Mainers to claim outstanding pandemic relief payments.
The state estimates there are about 40,000 unclaimed payments available through Maine's Unclaimed Property Program, according to a news release from Mills' office.
During the pandemic, Mills and the Maine Legislature created several relief payment programs. Nearly 2.3 million payments were distributed during the pandemic However, about 40,000 of the checks totaling $19 million were never cashed, the release stated.
The unclaimed funds have been turned over to the Maine Unclaimed Property Program, and they can still be claimed. To find out if you have a payment that has gone unclaimed, visit www.maineunclaimedproperty.gov.
"My Administration worked with the Legislature to deliver multiple relief payments to Maine people to help them through the economic hardships caused by the pandemic," Mills said in the release. "Now, like then, we want to make sure that money goes directly back into the pockets of Maine people. I urge you to check the Maine Unclaimed Property program to make sure you are not owed a relief payment or other unclaimed property held by the state."
"Over 98 percent of the funds made it directly into the hands of Maine people to help with rising costs," said Maine Treasurer Henry Beck. "Now we want to do everything we can to get the remaining payments to their rightful owners and will be doing that through our unclaimed property system."
During the pandemic, the Mills Administration and Maine Legislature authorized three direct relief payments:
- In 2021, 524,912 Maine people who worked during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were issued a $285 Disaster Relief Payment.
- In 2022, 876,283 people were issued $850 checks to help Maine people deal with increased costs driven by pandemic-driven inflation.
- In 2023, 877,129 Maine taxpayers were issued $450 to help deal with record-high energy costs as part of Governor Mills’ Emergency Energy Relief Plan.
To find out if you have an unclaimed relief payment or other unclaimed property in your name, click here or call 207-624-7470.