U.S. child tax credit payments to begin in July

A poverty-fighting measure included in the COVID-19 relief bill passed this year will deliver monthly payments to households including 88% of children in the United States, starting in July, Biden administration officials said on Monday.

Freddie Joyner has more.

In one of the most ambitious attempts to combat U.S. child poverty in decades – the Biden administration will begin sending payments monthly to millions of American families beginning in July.

The launch of the program – announced Monday by the White House – is part of U.S. president Joe Biden’s COVID relief plan passed earlier this year - expanding a child tax credit to most parents.

The benefit will reach 39 million households and 88% of all children in the country BIDEN: "In addition to helping Americans hard-pressed and working families, experts have told us this will cut child poverty in America in half.

This tax cut sends a clear and powerful message to American working families with children: Help is here.” Parents will get up to $3,000 per child annually, or $3,600 for each child under the age of 6, in 2021, subject to income restrictions.

But Biden has gone a step further, asking Congress to extend the tax credit through 2025.

Officials are trying to help the economy recover from the pandemic.

Yet recent signs of higher inflation have raised concern that those costs could eat away at incomes and exacerbate inequality.