Gov. Mike Dunleavy today said that the Permanent Fund dividend will come early this year — on Sept. 20.
“I am happy to announce that the PFD deposit day will be early this year, on September 20th, and the dividend is expected to exceed $3,200 per person. Alaskans have waited 7 long years to receive a fair and sizable dividend, and it couldn’t have come at a more important time,” he said. The distribution is about one month ahead of the usual payout in October and will go to all Alaskans with applications approved by Sept. 9, and who selected direct deposit on their application. For those who requested a paper check, the amount will be mailed to them the week of Oct. 3.
The dividend is expected to cost the state budget $2.1 billion. It is one of the largest components of the current year’s budget.
“Alaskans, especially in rural communities, will have to pay extraordinarily high fuel and heating oil bills this winter, and rampant inflation is forcing all Alaskan families to pay more for basic needs, like food and medicine. We need to stop determining what amount the PFD will be using an arbitrary political process. Alaskans deserve a constitutional amendment that protects the PFD from politicians and special interests, and sets out a funding formula we can all count on,” Dunleavy said.
While some Alaskans were hoping for an earlier distribution, the Permanent Fund division said it needs time to process as many outstanding applications as possible and to screen out fraudulent applications.
This FAQ sheet answers many common questions about this year’s PFD.
Governor Dunleavy made the announcement this afternoon in a video message to Alaskans on his official Facebook page.
