Deadline approaching to sign up for advance Child Tax Credit

The aerial view on Philadelphia Downtown over the residential district of the city
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As part of a final push, Mayor Jim Kenney continues to urge all eligible caregivers of children 17 and under to sign up for the advance Child Tax Credit by the Monday, Nov. 15 deadline at www.getCTC.org/philly.

Kenney joined Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and nonprofit leaders for a tour of Ceiba, a nonprofit organization that promotes economic development and financial inclusion of the Latino community, and to discuss Philadelphia’s outreach efforts to sign families up for the benefit.

Expanded as part of the American Rescue Plan signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021, the Child Tax Credit increased from $2,000 to $3,000 per child for children over the age of six and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of six. The IRS will pay half the total credit amount in advance monthly payments, which began in July. Individuals can claim the other half when they file their 2021 income tax return.

“Since July, the families of more than 60 million children have benefitted from the advance Child Tax Credit – including more than two million children in Pennsylvania,” Adeyemo said. “This monthly tax relief is helping parents cover the costs of raising kids while pursuing careers, which is why President Biden announced a plan to extend it through his Build Back Better Framework.”

The City of Philadelphia estimates the benefit has the potential to lift an estimated 75,000 Philadelphians out of poverty and cut deep child poverty in half. Since September, the city has partnered with Philly Counts and nonprofit organizations Campaign for Working Families, Ceiba, and Impact Services to conduct direct outreach to approximately 37,000 low-income Philadelphians who are likely to qualify. As a result, more than 1,000 Philadelphians have signed up through the customized online portal, totaling more than $4 million in payments. Another 544 people have scheduled appointments to get assistance from Campaign for Working Families.

“My Administration has made it a priority to invest in our children’s futures, and the advance Child Tax Credit has the potential to be transformative for tens of thousands of Philadelphia families,” Kenney said. “This money is already making a big difference for families by helping them pay bills, buy groceries or other essentials, or save for an emergency, so we want to ensure that every dollar is claimed. If families have not received this benefit, there is still time to sign up to get the money that they deserve.”

Those who have filed tax returns in 2019 or 2020, or signed up to receive the federal stimulus payments, will receive the payments automatically and do not need to take any action. Those who have not filed tax returns in the last two years because they have little to no income can sign up by visiting www.getCTC.org/philly.

The advance payments do not count as income, so they will not affect other public benefits like SNAP, TANF cash assistance, SSI, or Medicaid.

The expanded Child Tax Credit is only for the 2021 tax year. However, Biden has proposed extending it for 2022 as part of his Build Back Better Framework.

“We must end child poverty permanently, not just for one year,” Kenney said. “We urge Congress to support the Build Back Better Framework so that our children have a real opportunity to succeed.”


Metro is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on economic mobility. Read more at brokeinphilly.org or follow on Twitter at @BrokeInPhilly.