First payments were due on July 15
Torrance Harvey was wearing a stylish white sportjacket as he approached the microphone. “It feels like Christmas whenever Congressman Maloney shows up,” he grinned.
Mayor Harvey of Newburgh was one of a few speakers at a press conference arranged by Sean Patrick Maloney. The Congressman usually selects scenic locations for his announcements. But on July 8, nature worked against him.
A rainstorm forced him to move indoors for a discussion of the Child Tax Credit. As it poured outside, Rep. Maloney and his audience stood in the children’s section of the Newburgh Public Library.
Mr. Maloney referred to the new program as “Social Security for families.” On July 15, families will receive a government payment in their bank account if they have dependent children and a combined annual income of less than $150,000.
These payments will arrive monthly through December. The recipients won’t have to do anything to get them. There are no forms to be filled out. The federal government has the information it needs from the tax returns it received for 2019 or 2020.
The payments are $300 per month for children who are five years old or younger, and $250 for youngsters between the ages of 6 and 17. There is also a one-time payment of $500 for dependents who are enrolled in college and are age 24 or younger.
But it’s not exactly like Christmas. The money is an advance rather than a gift. Instead of getting a larger refund next year, qualified families will get monthly payments over the next six months. It’s not taxable income, and the money may help families with an immediate need.
Many people can’t wait for next year, the Congressman reasoned. “There are homes where the groceries are gone on Thursday that were supposed to last until Saturday.” He estimated that the new program will help 128,000 people in his Congressional district. That’s close to 20 percent of his constituents.
The program is due to expire at the end of this year, but Mr. Maloney said he would like to extend it. He was not the only one who was enthusiastic. Jackie Hernandez operates the Ark of Learning Day Care Center in Mountainville. She predicted that the program would help many people in the area, including her own family.
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson observed that we have a very small tax credit in New York. “And there’s no better program than cash,” he quipped.
Then he suggested that if people have a problem they should call Sean. The Congressman laughed and then shared the phone number (561-1259) of his Newburgh office.
