The US government is beginning to deposit child tax credits into the accounts of more than 35 million families. President Joe Biden has extended the coronavirus relief loan by one year. The result is that as of Thursday, most families will be eligible for monthly payments of up to $ 300 per child. Biden has cited the new monthly payments averaging $ 423 per family as key to halving the child poverty rate. But he also wages a broader philosophical battle about the role of government and parenting responsibilities. Democrats see this as a landmark program in the same vein as Social Security, saying it will produce better adult outcomes that will fuel economic growth. . However, many Republicans warn that the payments will deter parents from working and ultimately lead to long-term poverty. Around 15 million households will now receive the full loan. Monthly payments are $ 300 for each child under the age of 5 and $ 250 for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Payments are slated to expire after a year, but Biden is pushing to extend them until at least 2025 to make payments permanent – and that makes this first round of payments a test of whether the government can improve the lives of families. Some Republican lawmakers say the payments will reduce parents’ chances of finding work. The Republican Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, who successfully campaigned for the increase in the loan in 2017, the plans of the Democrats would convert the benefits into an “anti-work social check”, since almost every family is now entitled, regardless of whether their parents are working on the payment, Biden’s plan foregone marriage incentives and working conditions, but it will also destroy the child support enforcement system as we know it by sending cash payments to single parents with no child support orders in place, ”said Rubio in a statement on Wednesday. The government denied these claims. Treasury estimates show that 97% of recipients of the tax credit have wages or income from self-employment, while the other 3% are grandparents or have health problems. The loan also starts to expire at $ 150,000 for joint applicants, so there is no deterrent for the poor to work because a job would only bring them more income. Associated Press information was used in this report.

BOSTON –

The US government is beginning to deposit child tax credits into the accounts of more than 35 million families.

President Joe Biden has extended the coronavirus relief loan by one year. The result is that as of Thursday, most families will be eligible for monthly payments of up to $ 300 per child.

Biden has cited the new monthly payments averaging $ 423 per family as key to halving the child poverty rate. But he also wages a broader philosophical battle about the role of government and parenting responsibilities.

Democrats see this as a landmark program in the same vein as Social Security, saying it will produce better adult outcomes that will fuel economic growth. However, many Republicans warn that the payments will deter parents from working and ultimately lead to long-term poverty.

Around 15 million households now receive the full loan. Monthly payments are $ 300 for each child under the age of 5 and $ 250 for children between the ages of 5 and 17. The payments are set to expire after a year, but Biden is pushing to extend them until at least 2025.

The president wants to make the payments permanent after all – and that makes this first round of payments a test of whether the government can improve the lives of families.

Some Republican lawmakers say the payments make parents less likely to work.

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who successfully campaigned for a loan increase in 2017, said Democratic plans will turn benefits into an “anti-labor welfare check” as almost every family is now eligible for payment regardless of whether the parents have a job.

“Biden’s plan not only foregoes marriage incentives and work requirements, but also destroys the child support enforcement system as we know it by sending cash payments to single parents without ensuring child support orders are issued,” Rubio said in a statement Wednesday .

The administration denied these claims. Treasury estimates show that 97% of recipients of the tax credit have wages or income from self-employment, while the other 3% are grandparents or have health problems.

The loan also starts to expire at $ 150,000 for joint applicants, so the poor have no incentive to work because a job would only bring them more income.

Associated Press information was used in this report.