The DOGE dividend plan, which would send checks for $5,000 to every American family, is still being talked about and there has been no official progress in the legislative process. Along with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is run by Elon Musk, this project aims to give government saves to nett taxpayers, excluding people who don’t pay federal taxes.
In February 2025, James Fishback, CEO of Azoria, suggested that 20% of DOGE savings, which are worth about $2 trillion, should be used to make these payments. Public comments say that Donald Trump said the idea is “under consideration” and Elon Musk said he would like to look into it.
What is the current state of the proposal? Could it work as a boost check programme?
It wasn’t until March 30 that there were public updates on the progress of DOGE dividends. A March 28 news story said that the initiative still needs to be approved by Congress, but there are no set times for the vote. There is talk that ships could start in April 2025, but only if lawmakers agree.
Fishback is working with politicians to write a bill, but he is having trouble because of things like high inflation and the possible effects of Trump’s tariff policies. In recent conferences, the Federal Reserve Bank has called the problem “speculative” but has not released a detailed analysis.
The plan would only send checks to families that pay more in federal taxes than they get in benefits. Taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes below $40,000 would not be eligible. People have talked about this condition’s fairness because it would leave out millions of low-income families.
Some people say the plan would make things even less fair, while others say it will help people who “support the tax system.”
What the stimulus checks mean for the American economy
There are risks, say experts. An economist at Case Western Reserve University named Jonathan Ernest told the Reno Gazette Journal that Trump’s policies could “destabilise the economy,” which would make the checks less useful. Others point out that the plan would not cause inflation because it would be paid for with savings instead of debt.
But trade tariffs that are being considered and signs of a slowdown make things less certain. Since March 30, the official DOGE website hasn’t had any new information about dividends. Instead, it has been focused on cuts to administration.
Other important U.S. news outlets point out that Congress hasn’t made any progress and the idea doesn’t look like it will be passed any time soon. To sum up, DOGE payments are still just an idea, even though Donald Trump said he would think about it.
There are other ideas that are very different from this one. For example, Trump sent stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
