What’s the status of dividends, other funds for Americans proposed by Trump?

(NEXSTAR) – After multiple rounds of COVID stimulus checks, you may have grown a little accustomed to receiving a check from the government.

There have been multiple “free money” proposals made since President Trump took office for his second term, though they have not all come to fruition. 

Here’s a look at seven of those proposals, and where they stand as of early March 2026.

These checks, worth $1,776, were sent to roughly 1.454 million service members in December. The bonus checks were classified as one-time basic allowance for housing supplements. 

While Trump said tariff revenue helped fund these payments, $2.9 billion was appropriated to the Pentagon for supplement payments in the One Big Beautiful Act. As The Hill previously reported, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed $2.6 billion for the “warrior dividend.”

The Trump administration had been promoting the possibility of $2,000 tariff rebates, dividends, or refunds, but those seem largely on hold after a recent Supreme Court ruling. 

While it wasn’t entirely clear how these funds would be disbursed – Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested last year that they could come in the form of tax decreases – the future of these dividends seems bleak. 

In February, the Supreme Court struck down the bulk of Trump’s tariffs without giving any guidance as to how the billions of dollars collected through tariffs would be refunded to importers. Several companies are already working to get those refunds, but only a few have said consumers have the chance to receive a portion of that money.

If the collected tariff revenue has to be returned to importers, it’s unclear what money could or would fund tariff dividends to Americans. 

Around this time last year, a proposal called for some of the savings found from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to be sent back to taxpayers. The program would use roughly 20% of the savings for so-called “DOGE dividends” worth $5,000 to be sent to American households, while the remaining 80% would be used to pay down the national debt. 

The idea didn’t gain much traction on Capitol Hill last year,  The Hill previously reported. Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said in November that using DOGE savings to send payments to Americans was “back on the table.”

As of early March, DOGE has reported an estimated savings of $215 billion, or $1,335.40 per taxpayer. The dashboard hasn’t been updated since January 1.

These do, in a sense, have free money associated with them. But it’s a bit more complicated than getting a check in the mail. 

Also part of the One Big Beautiful Act, Trump accounts are meant to serve as a savings account for children that grows as they do. They’re similar to retirement accounts and can only be accessed by the child once they turn 18. Funds can be used to purchase a house, pay for education, or start a business. 

Some children will qualify for $1,000 in seed money from the U.S. Treasury, while others may get start-up funds from philanthropic efforts.

While you can register your child (or children) for an account now, the accounts won’t be fully available until after July 4. 

Announced during the State of the Union in February, this is meant to give those without a retirement plan through their employer retirement funds. 

Trump said his administration would let those Americans access the same retirement accounts as federal workers and would match their contribution up to $1,000 starting next year. No other details were immediately available.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that Congress could use the budget reconciliation process to make the proposal a reality. 

Direct payments for health insurance

In January, Trump unveiled a framework to make health care more affordable, which would include a program to directly give Americans funds they could use to buy their own healthcare. 

A fact sheet for the so-called “The Great Healthcare Plan” says ‘big insurance companies” would no longer receive “billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments,” which would instead be used to fund direct payments to Americans. 

The plan requires action by Congress first.

Another portion of the plan meant to tackle prescription prices, TrumpRx, is already available. 

There have been other initiatives meant to put more money in your pockets. That includes the no tax on tips or overtime provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill. 

As of mid-February, the IRS reported that the average tax refund was up nearly 11% over last year, after federal officials predicted taxpayers would receive “very large” refunds this year.

Economy faces rough start to 2026

While Trump promised the new year would be a bumper year for economic growth, the start of 2026 has been marred by job losses, rising gasoline prices, and more uncertainty about the future. 

There is a gap between the boom that Trump has predicted and the volatile results he has produced — one that could set the tone in this year’s midterm elections as he tries to defend his party’s majorities in the House and Senate. With Trump’s tariffs drama ongoing, the war in Iran has suddenly created inflationary concerns regarding oil and natural gas. To the White House, it is still early in the year and stronger growth is coming.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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