Could you be receiving a check from the government?
Possibly? In February, President Donald Trump mentioned that he was contemplating a plan for a $5,000 payment, intended to be funded by savings from the Department of Government Efficiency and distributed to taxpayers as a dividend.
“There’s even a — under consideration, a new concept where we give 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying down debt,” Trump stated during his address at the FII Priority Summit in Miami.
The idea was initially put forward by James Fishback, a user on X.
Here’s what you should know about the proposed DOGE check.
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency, officially known as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative established by Trump and headed by ‘special government employee’ and billionaire Elon Musk.
DOGE aims to reduce federal expenses, simplify regulations, and modernize government technology and software to boost efficiency and productivity.
Will there be a DOGE check? How much will it be? When can I expect one?
Should Musk achieve his target of $2 trillion in spending cuts by the following year, Fishback mentioned that 20% of the DOGE savings could translate to $5,000 per taxpaying household. However, it remains uncertain whether DOGE will reach that target.
Additionally, there’s no assurance that such a scheme would materialize. Any stimulus payment from the U.S. government would require Congressional approval.
Who would qualify for the DOGE stimulus check if it happens?
The proposed refund would only be issued to households that are net-income taxpayers — those who pay more in taxes than they receive back — with lower-income Americans likely not qualifying for the payment, according to various news sources. The Pew Research Center indicates that most Americans with an adjusted gross income below $40,000 effectively pay no federal income tax.
The suggested DOGE refund would be allocated per household rather than to individual taxpayers, including those receiving Social Security benefits who meet the tax criteria.
Trump has not provided any additional specifics or details about the potential ‘DOGE dividend’ or its likelihood.
When should you anticipate a DOGE stimulus check?
There has been no confirmation that DOGE will provide a stimulus check as a result of cost-reduction efforts. Any government-issued stimulus payment would need Congressional approval. Don’t anticipate a check in the near future.
When it was proposed, DOGE aimed to save approximately $2 trillion annually. DOGE claims to have already saved $115 billion through government cuts, although this figure has not been independently verified and is disputed.
-USA TODAY Network reporters Maria Francis and Marley Malenfant contributed to this article.
This article was initially published in The Providence Journal: Will RI residents receive the supposed $5,000 DOGE check? Discover who may qualify.
