SPRINGFIELD — It is now a bit easier for the state of Illinois to get people money that they may be owed.

If you paid taxes in Illinois last year, Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs said he has all he needs to see if his office is holding money with your name on it.

Frerichs this week unveiled plans for his Money Match program. It matches people who file state taxes with the list of people in the state with unclaimed property.

“The Illinois Treasurer’s office has over $2 billion in unclaimed property,” Frerichs said. “It is my responsibility to return that property to the people of the state of Illinois. No matter how long it takes. We’re just making it easier to return it to people.”

To claim cash or property in the past, Frerichs said people had to go online to see if they were owed money. Now, Frerichs said his office matches names to addresses from state of Illinois tax returns.

Frerichs said he’ll be sending out about $12 million in checks in the next few weeks.

“These checks do not require turning over any personal information. People have already turned that information over to the state when they paid their taxes,” Frerichs said about how to know that checks from his office aren’t part of a scam. “If they receive something that says we will give them their money, and charge them a fee for doing so. That did not come from the treasurer’s office. We never charge a fee to return someone’s property.”

Frerichs said Money Match will only send people up to $2,000, and can’t send people anything that they may share with someone else.