Fact Check: Are Stimulus Checks Scheduled To Go Out in 2025?

Stimulus checks have been a hot topic ever since the federal government first started sending them out in 2020. And while it's been a long time since a massive batch of these checks have gone out — the last ones were released in March and April 2021 — there's a renewed interest in seeing another round of payments.

That's due to a combination of facts, including that Donald Trump was in office when the first two batches of checks went out, and because of promises made by Elon Musk.

The billionaire has tried to ease rising resentment about his role in dismantling the government by promising that U.S. tax payers will get a cut of the money he claims to be saving by shuttering a large number of agencies.

But, when it comes to who will qualify for a stimulus check in 2025, the answers aren't exactly clear. Keep reading to learn more about possible stimulus checks, including who could be getting one in 2025.

As of the time of publication, there is no current nationwide stimulus package in the works. While some folks may still be waiting for their last stimulus check to come in — the IRS estimates that there are more than a million people still waiting on their 2021 payments of $1,400, according to CNBC — there do not appear to be any new checks approved by the U.S. government at this time.

And, if you are one of the million plus folks who are still waiting on your 2021 payment, CNBC says you'll need to act fast to get it. That's because the deadline to request payment is April 15, 2025.

Other than that, the rest of us are currently out of luck when it comes to a little added kickback from Uncle Sam.

If you feel like you heard that checks were going to be issued to taxpayers, you may be thinking of an off-the-cuff statement made by Elon Musk. That's because Musk hinted that some of the money he claims his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program saved could end up back in the pockets of taxpayers, to the tune of $5,000.

But, his comment may have been wishful thinking since neither Trump nor Congress has made any promises about those so-called savings.

And, according to Newsweek, when pressed for more details about the potential kickbacks to Americans, Musk was unable to offer a definitive yay or nay, instead pushing the decision back into the hands of the federal government.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like this is a popular idea amongst the powers that be, and Newsweek noted that the republican Speaker of the House was morally opposed to the idea.

"Politically, that would be great for us, you know, because everybody gets a check," Mike Johnson was quoted as saying.

"But if you think about our core principles, right, fiscal responsibility is what we do as conservatives. That's our brand and we have a $36 trillion federal debt. We have a giant deficit that we're contending with. I think we need to pay down the credit card, right?"

In short, we don't recommend counting on any extra money from the government in 2025.