In 2023 the office of Illinois Treasurer Michal Frerichs returned nearly $276 million dollars to Illinois residents via the ICash Program. 

ICash takes unclaimed property from a variety of sources and returns it to its rightful recipients, be they the person intended to receive the money or property or their next closest family member. To see if you have money, Treasurer Frerichs recommends going to the ICash website...

Unclaimed property from Safety Deposit boxes, life insurance policies or uncashed checks are typically what the ICash Program returns to Illinois residents though there is property sometimes recovered from Safety Deposit boxes. 

That property is auctioned off throughout the year with the cash value of the property earmarked to be returned to the rightful owner. 

The State of Illinois does not keep the money nor can it use the money.