December 7, 2022

Reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a historic opportunity to address hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of tens of millions of families across the country. That’s why more than 550 local, state, and national organizations working to end hunger signed on to a letter urging Congress to restore the expanded CTC and EITC in any end-of-year tax package.

These expanded tax credits expired at the start of 2022, and the consequences for families struggling with hunger and poverty are clear; There has been a 25 percent rise in the rate of food insufficiency among families with children.

Four key points on how the expanded CTC helped families put nutritious food on the table:

  1. Food insufficiency was reduced. Columbia University found that the CTC caused a reduction in food insufficiency by 19 percent among families with children.
  2. Families had more available funds to purchase food. Across all income levels, buying food was the most common use of the expanded CTC payments, according to the Urban Institute.
  3. Households improved healthy eating. According to Brookings, CTC-eligible households were 1.3 times more likely to increase fruit consumption compared to non-eligible households.
  4. Addresses rising food costs. More than 130 economists recently called for restarting the monthly CTC payments to offset the toll of inflation on family budgets, while attesting that the expanded CTC will not drive further inflation.

Reinstating the expanded CTC would not only improve families’ ability to put food on the table, but also benefit the economy and spur job growth. The Niskanen Center found that, if an expanded CTC was in place for another year, it would support the equivalent of more than 500,000 private-sector jobs.

Not only families with children struggle to make ends meet. And that is where an expanded EITC provided a tremendous boost before it expired. Last year, the expanded EITC put $700 more in the pockets of an estimated 17 million American workers than under the previous tax credit.

Take Action Today

Send the message loud and clear to your Members of Congress that failure to reinstate the extended CTC and EITC will only fuel hunger.

Keep up the pressure through the end of the year:

  • Tell your Members of Congress to reinstate the CTC and EITC this year and share this letter, signed by more than 550 organizations working to end hunger, that urges Congress to reinstate these vital expansions in any year-end tax package. Here are FRAC’s sample social media messages.
  • Lift up stories on how the expanded CTC and EITC — and their expiration — have impacted families and your community.
  • Submit a letter-to-the editor (LTE) to your local media. Use these model LTEs to get started.