Is President Trump giving a stimulus check in October 2025? What to know amid government shutdown

Stimulus checks are direct payouts from the government to taxpayers, during economic downturns, and is meant to encourage customer spending.

Americans have been left wondering if there will be a potential fourth stimulus check in 2025 or about the possibility of a tariff rebate, this month, as proposed by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump has floated the idea many times of sending direct payments to the US, funded by tariff collections. (REUTERS)

Stimulus checks are direct payouts from the government to taxpayers, during economic downturns, and are meant to encourage customer spending. The speculation about a stimulus check in October comes amid ANCHOR property tax relief checks being distributed among New Jersey residents, along with state inflation refunds, this October, as per the Austin American-Statesman.

Meanwhile, in New York, one-time payments of up to $400 in state-issued "inflation refund" checks are reportedly being given out.

Will there be a stimulus check this October?

There has been no indication that a fourth stimulus check will be issued as part of cost-cutting measures. Further, any stimulus checks that'll be given out to the public have to be approved of by the Congress.

With the government shutdown, any approval and subsequent distribution is expected to take time.

What to know about tariff-funded checks

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, has floated the idea many times of sending direct payments to the US, funded by tariff collections.

He reiterated this most recently on October 2, in an interview with One America News. Trump had said his team was “looking at something” and revenue from higher tariffs could be used to pay down the national debt and to make a ‘distribution to the people, almost like a dividend.'

The President had suggested these checks could be between $1000 and $2000. He further said: “But with growth, with the kind of growth we have now the debt is very little... You grow yourself out of that debt, it’s not a question of paying it. You grow yourself out. We’ll pay back debt, but we also might make a distribution to the people, almost like a dividend to the people of America.”