PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia officials are launching a new phase of their campaign to reach every family in the city that’s eligible for the child tax credit and help them get the money.
This phase will involve 17 non-profit community organizations. The city is spending $192,000 on it, what Mayor Jim Kenney calls an investment.
The non-profit groups will be finding the hardest-to-reach families and helping them get the tax credit. It is worth up to $3,600 per child per year, depending on the child's age.
The tax credit was designed to be easy to access. Beginning in July, the IRS automatically sent advance payments to everyone for whom they had tax information.
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This kind of effort is needed because families can only receive the tax credit if they file a tax return. Many of those eligible families earn so little, they don’t bother because they have no tax liability.
The city is spending $1.5 million to try to make sure all eligible families enroll and get the money. Officials estimate about 80% of them received advance payments.
This new effort will target the estimated 14,000 families that still haven’t enrolled.
"The groups that are receiving grants today will allow us to reach even deeper into our communities," said Kenney.
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"By focusing on harder to reach populations, we will advance racial equity in implementing the child tax credit, which is one of the most impactful anti-poverty programs in a generation."
The mayor said the program has the potential to lift 75,000 residents out of poverty. John Chin of the Chinatown Development Corporation, one of the awardees, notes everyone gains from that.
"That money circulates in the local economy and supports local businesses," said Chin.
Officials criticized Congress for failing to pass the Build Back Better bill, which would extend the program for another year.
Click here for more information on child tax credits from the City of Philadelphia.
