The U.S. federal government has sent out three nationwide rounds of COVID‑era “stimulus checks” (formally called Economic Impact Payments) so far.

How many stimulus checks were there?

  • There were three main rounds of federal stimulus checks tied to the COVID‑19 emergency.
  • These were authorized by three different laws: the CARES Act (first round), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (second round), and the American Rescue Plan Act (third round).

Quick breakdown of the three rounds

  • First check (CARES Act, 2020)
    • Up to $1,200 per eligible adult , plus extra per qualifying child.
* The IRS issued about **160+ million payments** in 2020 under this first round.
  • Second check (Dec 2020 law)
    • Typically $600 per person , plus $600 per qualifying child.
* Total cost estimated around **$164 billion**.
  • Third check (American Rescue Plan, March 2021)
    • Up to $1,400 per eligible adult , plus $1,400 per qualifying child , with faster phase‑outs at higher incomes.
* Treasury notes this was the **third round** of direct relief payments.

“Latest news” and rumors

  • As of early 2026, there is discussion but no fourth COVID-style nationwide stimulus check approved by Congress.
  • President Trump has floated the idea of new “tariff dividend” checks around $2,000 , but these remain proposals facing political and legal hurdles, not guaranteed payments.

Forum / trending discussion angle

Online forums and social media threads often mix older COVID stimulus facts (the three checks already sent) with new rumors about more checks coming, which can cause confusion.

Many recent “latest news” posts drawing clicks in late 2025 and early 2026 are about speculative or misleading claims on new checks rather than confirmed legislation.

TL;DR: If you are asking “how many stimulus checks were given out?” in the context of the COVID response, the answer is three federal rounds of stimulus checks so far , with later talk of additional checks still in the proposal/rumor stage only.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.