| DATE: | February 24, 2022 |
| SUBJECT: | Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) |
| TO: | All SNAP State Agencies All Regions |
On Aug. 10, 2021, I wrote to you about the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) which provides support for American families, state governments and communities to rebuild lives and respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. That letter specifically highlighted important opportunities to support low-income families by advising them of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Thank you for your work so far.
As we enter tax filing season this year, I ask you to once again consider opportunities to promote the CTC, with the understanding that you will use non-SNAP funds for this work. Please encourage all SNAP applicants and recipients to file taxes. Even if a family did not earn enough to be required to file taxes, they are eligible for the CTC and potentially thousands of additional dollars in benefits. Filing taxes will mean many families who are eligible for CTC will also get thousands of dollars in additional tax relief through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Many families received about half of their CTC in monthly payments in 2021. Families will get the rest of the CTC they are owed by filing taxes this year. Families who did not receive monthly CTC payments will receive the full credit amount when they file tax returns.
In addition, this year, for the first time, the EITC can be worth up to $1,500 for some workers without kids at home — nearly triple the credit in 2020 because of changes made by the American Rescue Plan. Please refer your clients to new ChildTaxCredit.Gov for information on how to get free assistance filing taxes.
Receiving the CTC and/or the EITC will have no impact on anyone’s eligibility for, or lower the amount of, other federal benefits.
Thank you for raising awareness of this ground breaking anti-poverty effort. Attached is a CTC tool kit with some materials to get you started. I look forward to continuing to work with you to spread the word about filing taxes and the assistance the CTC and EITC can provide to help low-income families. Please contact your regional office with any questions.
Ron Ward
for Jessica Shahin
Associate Administrator
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program