Press Releases

The webinar can be downloaded here.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) hosted a webinar encouraging working families to be on the lookout for advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit of up to $300 per month per child beginning today, July 15^th through December. Blunt Rochester joined by a representative of the Internal Revenue Service, Laura Gendreau of the United Way, Cimone Philpotts of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Bernice Edwards of First State Community Action Agency, Stacey Hunter-Withers of Nehemiah Gateway, and a Delaware family to discuss the impact these new monthly payments will have on families. The webinar can be viewed here.

•  38,700 households, covering 85.8% of all children, in Delaware could get up to $300 per month per child July-December and even more after filing their taxes next year. 
• Nearly all families should get their monthly payments automatically beginning July 15^th with no further action required.  
• Families who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 and who did not use the IRS Non-filers tool last year to sign up for the Economic Impact Payments, should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up today. 

“Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments will help set America’s children up for success and put more money in the pockets of working parents sooner. It was critical that funding for this historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit was included in the final text of the American Rescue Plan, which I was proud to support earlier this year,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “I was proud to host today’s webinar with representatives from the federal government, Delaware’s nonprofit advocates, and a Delaware family to discuss the truly transformational impact of the Child Tax Credit payments. The purpose of today’s event was three-fold; to make people aware of these payments, to help them beware of potential scams, and to have them spread the word to their friends and neighbors! Families are still feeling the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and I am pleased that these monthly payments will ease this financial burden.”

Major Tax Relief for Nearly All Working Families:  

How Much Is the Child Tax Credit Expansion from the American Rescue Plan? 

The American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit to up to $3,600 per child for children ages 0 to 5 and $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17.   

The American Rescue Plan also authorized advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit through December 2021. Beginning in July and running through December, qualifying families can get up to:  

• $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5.  
• $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17.  

Families will get their remaining expanded Child Tax Credit when they file their 2021 tax return. 

Who Qualifies?

Families will qualify for a full credit if their income is below $75,000 for single filers, $112,000 for people filing as head of household, or $150,000 for people who are married and filing jointly. 

How Do I Get My Payment? 

• Nearly all working families should get their monthly payments automatically beginning July 15^th with no further action required. If you’ve filed tax returns for 2019 or 2020, or if you signed up to receive a stimulus check from the Internal Revenue Service, you will get this tax relief automatically. You do not need to sign up or take any action. 
• Families who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 and who did not use the IRS Non-filers tool last year to sign up for the Economic Impact Payments, should go online and use the IRS Child Tax Credit Non-filer Sign-up Tool to sign up today. 
• Families who got their refunds from the IRS through direct deposit will get these payments in their bank account around the 15th of every month until the end of 2021. People who don’t use direct deposit will receive their payment by mail around the same time. 
• Families will be able to determine their eligibility, check the status of their payments and more at IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021 later this month.   

Watch out for scams 

According to IRS.gov: “The IRS urges everyone to be on the lookout for scams related to both Advance Child Tax Credit payments and Economic Impact Payments. The IRS emphasized that the only way to get either of these benefits is by either filing a tax return with the IRS or registering online through the Non-filer Sign-up tool, exclusively on IRS.gov. Any other option is a scam. 

Watch out for scams using email, phone calls or texts related to the payments. Be careful and cautious: The IRS never sends unsolicited electronic communications asking anyone to open attachments or visit a non-governmental web site.” 

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