In recent years, fewer state governments are giving out stimulus checks or rebates independent of federal programs.
Most current initiatives are either wrapping up payments from previous years or are ongoing benefit programs that haven't announced exactly when new payments will be made.
Which States Are Sending Out Payments in 2026?
Colorado is the only state with confirmed payments for early 2026. These payments are part of the TABOR refund program, which requires the state to give back extra money if it collects more than needed.
The money being sent out this year is from a budget surplus in 2025. Individual taxpayers can receive up to $1,130 if they lived in Colorado all of 2024 and filed their state taxes on time.
Most refunds were sent by direct deposit or check. There are currently no plans for additional payments later in 2026.
New Jersey’s Unique Relief Programs
New Jersey has several programs to help residents, including ANCHOR, StayNJ, and Senior Freeze. Applications for most 2025 benefits closed in October, but the new StayNJ program begins in 2026.
StayNJ helps seniors by reducing property taxes. Payments from this program will be sent four times a year. Residents should watch for updates from the state tax department, and usually one application covers all these programs.
Combined, these programs can give out significant amounts of money, with the ANCHOR program offering up to $1,750 for some homeowners.
States Not Giving Out New Stimulus Checks in 2026
Some states gave one-time payments in 2025, which may have carried over into early 2026. For example, New York sent inflation relief checks of up to $400 in fall 2025, but there are no plans to repeat this in 2026.
Virginia gave tax rebates of $200 for individuals and $400 for couples based on 2024 tax returns. Most people received these rebates by the end of 2025 or in early 2026, but no new payments have been announced for this year.
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