The United States may soon experience a government shutdown as early as this week, adding another hurdle to the proposed $5,000 DOGE dividend payments for citizens.
DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, aims to reduce federal spending by trillions, which includes cuts to government jobs, funding, and more. Led by Elon Musk, the agency, in collaboration with President Trump, is contemplating distributing 20% of DOGE savings to taxpayers in the form of $5,000 stimulus checks.
So, are DOGE checks really on their way? Here’s what you need to know about the potential timeline.
When will DOGE checks be issued? It’s still under consideration
Don’t anticipate a $5,000 DOGE dividend check appearing in your bank account anytime soon. As of now, the concept is still under discussion by the Trump administration, following an initial proposal made to Musk by investment firm CEO James Fishback in February.
“With $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, we’re talking about a $5,000 refund per household, with the rest aimed at reducing the national debt,” Fishback stated on X.
Any government-issued stimulus payment would require Congressional approval. Fishback is optimistic that a bill will be proposed soon after discussions with lawmakers, but many politicians—including House Speaker Mike Johnson—remain doubtful, arguing that any savings should be directed toward the national debt.
As of now, there is no established timeline for DOGE payments, so we will have to wait and see when a DOGE check might arrive.
DOGE must achieve a substantial $2 trillion savings target before distributing checks
In order to provide $5,000 stimulus checks to the populace, DOGE needs to achieve its ambitious $2 trillion savings target, which would render the initiative financially viable, according to the Columbus Dispatch. In a January interview with political strategist Mark Penn, Musk suggested that DOGE might realistically cut $1 trillion instead, as noted by USA TODAY.
“I think we’ll aim for $2 trillion. That’s the ideal scenario,” he remarked. “But I do believe we need to have some buffer. If we pursue $2 trillion, we have a strong chance of landing on one (trillion).”
DOGE claims to have already saved $105 billion.
Who is eligible for DOGE dividend checks?
According to Fishback’s proposal, DOGE will only distribute payments to households above a specific income threshold and to net-income taxpayers (those who pay more in taxes than they receive back), thereby excluding lower-income Americans from receiving this refund, as reported by USA TODAY.
This article was originally published by The Columbus Dispatch: Are $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks actually on the way? Here’s what to know.
