A new online tool is shedding light on a subject that has long fueled political tension in Alaska: the reduction of the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). The website, PFD Doomsday Clock, allows Alaskans to quickly calculate how much money they and their families have lost since the state government stopped paying out full statutory dividends in 2016.
Developed by concerned Alaskan Phil Izon, the tool uses publicly available data to estimate the gap between what residents would have received under the traditional PFD formula and what they actually received each year. Users simply input the number of eligible family members, and the site instantly displays a cumulative total of lost income.
For a family of four, the losses since 2016 can amount to more than $20,000, money that, under the original formula, would have been distributed directly from the earnings of the Alaska Permanent Fund. Instead, The Bill Walker Administration and legislatures have capped or restructured the payments, using portions of the fund’s earnings to cover perceived state budget shortfalls.
The site presents the information starkly, with a running counter and breakdowns by year. It’s a powerful visual reminder of how deeply the dividend issue cuts across Alaska’s political and economic landscape.
Since Gov. Walker’s Administration first reduced the PFD payout by half in 2016, critics have argued that the state has violated the intent and statute that governs the dividend program, which was created to ensure that all Alaskans benefit from the state’s resource wealth. Proponents of the reduced dividend argue it’s a necessary measure to maintain essential services amid fiscal challenges.
The release of the calculator arrives at a time when the current Legislature has reduced the dividend to just $1,000 in 2025. public pressure is once again mounting for lawmakers to return to the statutory formula. As debates continue.
With elections approaching in 2026 and budget debates ongoing, the PFD remains a potent symbol of what Alaska once was, and what it has become. Alaskans have a clear window into just how much it has cost them and their children.
