DOD is ready to begin issuing economic hardship payments to more than 200,000 service members, but the average check will be about $20 per month, Military.com reported, citing a senior official.

Congress authorized the payments for service members in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. But Congress didn’t fund it until it finally passed a spending bill in March, appropriating $43 million for the payments.

The official told Military.com that the funding amount allowed DOD to provide checks each month for the rest of the calendar year for service members up to E-3 in rank.

“We chose the paygrades because of the amount of money that Congress appropriated and what we could pay and what would fit within that appropriation,” the official said.

The House-passed fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill includes a focus on quality of life, including pay boosts for junior enlisted officers.

Army photo by Spc. Demond Dean