Cárdenas Encourages Valley Families to be on the Lookout for Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments Starting Today
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY — Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) is encouraging hardworking families in the San Fernando Valley to be on the lookout for advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit of up to $300 per month per child beginning today.
“Growing up in Pacoima and being the youngest of 11 kids with immigrant parents from Mexico, I know that every extra dollar can make all the difference for families,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “That’s why the expanded Child Tax Credit, secured through the American Rescue Plan, is personal to me. The payments beginning today will help thousands of families keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table, buy basic necessities and build better lives. Nearly all hardworking families – roughly 748,300 households in LA County – will now have the means to put their children on the path to success. Help is here, and hope is on the horizon.”
The American Rescue Plan, which Congressman Cárdenas voted to pass, authorized advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit through December 2021. Beginning today, qualifying families can get up to:
- $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5.
- $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17.
In California’s 29th Congressional District:
- 90% or 156,700 of children will benefit;
- 44,700 households will receive payments;
- 16,600 children will be lifted out of poverty; and
- 6,100 children will be lifted out of deep poverty.
In the San Fernando Valley, over an estimated total of 276,000 children will benefit from Child Tax Credit payments.
In Los Angeles County:
- 2,604,400 children will gain from the expanded Child Tax Credit;
- 748,300 households will receive payments; and
- 256,400 children will be lifted out of poverty.
Families who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 and who did not use the IRS Non-filers tool last year to sign up for the Economic Impact Payments, should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up today.
Undocumented parents with children who have social security numbers qualify for the payments. However, to get the Child Tax Credit both spouses must have either an SSN or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on or before the due date of their 2021 tax return.
Receiving Child Tax Credit payments is not considered income for any family. Therefore, it will not change the amount families receive in other Federal benefits. These Federal benefits include unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, SSDI, TANF, WIC, Section 8 or Public Housing.
A flyer on Child Tax Credit Payments can be found here.
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