U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, joined by U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones, hosted a press conference at the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, where she outlined the details of the historic Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. The Child TaxCredit will aid most working families with children in New York State, and the lawmakers are urging families to take all necessary steps to secure this crucial benefit. Starting July 15th, most families began receiving monthly payments of up to $250 for each child aged six to seventeen years old and $300 for children under the age of six. The American Rescue Plan Child Tax Credit is the largest anti-poverty measure in decades. Prior to its passage, tax relief was only available for individuals after filing taxes.
Approximately 39 million households across the country are expected to receive benefits without need for further action, including the families of more than 3.5 million children under the age of 18 years old in New York State. Individuals who filed their tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or signed up to receive COVID-19 stimulus checks, will automatically receive the tax benefit. However, families that did not earn enough money to file income taxes in previous years, or that welcomed a new baby or child into their family in 2021, must visit childtaxcredit.gov to sign up. The lawmakers were joined by NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, NYS Assemblyman Chris Burdick, White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, Cynthia Delfino, President/CEO of YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, Kathy Halas, Executive Director, Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc., and Margarita Pineiro, a Westchester parent and the Childcare Director for the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester who spoke to this historic tax credit’s impact on her own family’s monthly budget.
“We promised that help was on the way, and now it’s here. That’s why I’m asking every New Yorker to talk to your friends and neighbors and make sure they know about how to access the Child Tax Credit,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I will keep pushing for these credits to be extended in our relief plans moving forward because this really is one of the greatest tools we have to help fight child poverty in this country and to help New York families thrive.”
“The expanded, fully-refundable Child Tax Credit will literally cut childpoverty in half in America, and will benefit 122,000 children here in New York’s 17th Congressional District,” said Congressman Jones.“I was honored to help pass this historic tax cut for working families into law earlier this year as part of the American Rescue Plan, and I am thrilled that families in New York and around the country are now receiving these monthly payments. These payments will be transformative for working- and middle-class families like the one I grew up in, which is why we must now build on this historic progress by making this expanded, fully-refundable tax cut permanent. I’ll continue working with Senator Gillibrand and our Democratic colleagues to do exactly that.”
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “Over 700,000 children were living in poverty before the Covid-19 pandemic, and that has only been exacerbated during these challenging times. The New York State Senate Majority is committed to providing families in the Empire State with the resources and support they need to succeed, which is why we have provided record funding to address food and housing insecurity for those impacted by the pandemic. The temporary federal expansion of the Child TaxCredit is a critical lifeline that will go a long way to provide much-needed stability for New York’s families by providing up to $300 in extra funds per child. I strongly support Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s fight to make this expanded Child Tax Credit permanent and am thankful for her advocacy in Washington. Partnership at the state and federal levels is vital to combat poverty successfully, and we will continue to work together to do so.”
“I would like to thank Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, and the entire New York Delegation, for ensuring that families with children are getting this needed relief,” said New York State Assemblyman Chris Burdick. “The pandemic has wreaked havoc on so many lives and this tax credit serves as a lifeline to working families who have been struggling. Taking care of the vulnerable, the hard workers, the children; these are the values and priorities that I’m proud to fight for. I personally would like to see this expanded tax credit made permanent and am very pleased that President Biden is working hard to make that happen.”
“The Child Tax Credit is welcome relief for many White Plains residents who are still recovering economically from the pandemic. I want to thank our representatives in Congress, particularly Senator Gillibrand, for passing this important measure that will have a direct, positive impact on the lives of families right here in the City of White Plains,” said White Plains Mayor Tom Roach.
“I want to extend my thanks to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership, and for working with colleagues in the Senate for the Child Tax Creditwhich will bring some much needed relief to families who are struggling,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “When you don’t know how you’re going to make your next rent payment, or when you don’t know how you’re going to put food on the table, that becomes a real challenge for many families. The Child TaxCredit provision will provide the majority of parents with $3600 per year for each child under the age of six, or $3,000 for every childbetween the ages of six and 17, and we hope this stimulus money will help everyone get back on their feet again.”
Alfreda Williams, Vice Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators said, “There are few more important ways to strengthen society than to provide for our children and the families who raise them. Investment in children pays dividends for generations. The ChildTax Credit provisions in the American Rescue Plan are historic, giving us chance to lift more than five million children out of poverty this year. This gives true meaning and commitment to that well-worn phrase ‘Children are our future,’ instead of just paying it lip service. I thank Senator Gillibrand for all her good work, and I truly hope she and her colleagues will do all they can to make this tax credit permanent.”
“The extraordinary support from our leaders in Washington have made our childcare programs stronger,” said Cynthia Delfino, President and CEO of the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester.“Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is there for working families so they can entrust their children in a safe and learning environment while they work to provide for their families. The YMCA applauds her efforts to support childcare and families in New York State.”
“The U.S. has had a higher rate of childhood poverty than most developed nations. Pre-COVID, it was over 14%, more than 10 million children. COVID has made it worse,” said Kathy Halas, Executive Director of the Child Care Council of Westchester. “That sad fact can end with the new Child Tax Credit. Westchester County has over 100,000 families with children under age 18, many of whom stand to benefit from this critically-needed help.”
“My family and I are immensely grateful that this new child tax creditexists,” said Margarita Pinero, Westchester Parent and Childcare Director of the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester. “It will relieve the financial burdens and will allow us to enroll our two boys, one of whom requires special needs services, enrichment opportunities that would normally be outside our budget.”
Senator Gillibrand fought hard to deliver direct relief for New Yorkers in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. She pushed for the inclusion of several provisions in the relief package, including expanding eligibility for more low-income earning families to access the fully refundable Child Tax Credit.
This critical investment targets low- and middle-income families. Families that did not earn an income are still eligible to receive the full credit. For the first time, the Child Tax Credit is also available to families in Puerto Rico and other US territories. Additionally, parents who are undocumented but whose children have a Social Security number are eligible for the credit, and can claim these benefits using their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Background:
Qualifications to Receive the Full Child Tax Credit Payments:
- Married couples with children under 18 and income under $150,000
- Families with a single parent (also called Head of Household) with income under $112,500
Qualifications to receive at Least $2,000 of the Child Tax Credit, Totaling $166 per Child Each Month:
- Married couples with children under 18 and income under $400,000
- Families with a single parent (also called Head of Household) with income under $200,000
Non-filers can sign up for the Child Tax Credit here.
The best way to get questions answered about the CTC is to contact the IRS directly. IRS can be reached at 800-829-1040, Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. For constituents who need help filing, certain taxpayers may qualify to get free tax return preparation and electronic filing help at a location near where they live. They can find their nearest Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and TaxCounseling for the Elderly site by calling 800-906-9887. Language assistance is available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and a number of different languages.
For constituents who cannot reach IRS or VITA, please contact our office for assistance by emailing casework@gillibrand.senate.gov or by submitting a request for help through the Senator’s website athttps://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/help/help-for-new-yorkers.
For more information from the White House on the Child TaxCredit, please click here.