Now Expired Expanded Child Tax Credit Led to Improved Adult Health and Nutrition

Author: University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Published: 2023/06/24 - Updated: 2023/06/27
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Observational Study
Topic: U.S. Social Security - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: The Expanded Child Tax Credit, which expired at the end of 2021, has not been renewed due to concerns of the credit being overly generous, particularly to lower-income families with limited tax liability, and the lack of an associated work requirement. Currently about one in six U.S. families with children lives in poverty, leading to poorer health and shorter life expectancy.

Introduction

"Changes in Self-Reported Adult Health and Household Food Security With the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit Monthly Payments" - JAMA Health Forum.

The policy, which expired at the end of 2021, has not been renewed due to concerns among legislators over the credit being overly generous, particularly to lower-income families with limited tax liability, and the lack of an associated work requirement. The findings published June 24, 2023, in JAMA Health Forum could inform the debate over the policy's future, said Dr. Jordan Rook, a fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program at UCLA and the study's lead author.

Main Item

"Cash transfer programs like the 2021 Child Tax Credit expansion may be powerful tools in improving the health, wellbeing, and nutrition of families," said Rook, who is also a general surgery resident at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Evidence like this can help guide the public, the media, and politicians as they advocate for and debate the policy's future.

Currently about one in six U.S. families with children lives in poverty, leading to poorer health and shorter life expectancy, according to the research team.

The credit was fully refundable, meaning that all low-income families with children were eligible to receive the entire credit, regardless of their work status or income.

These monthly payments reduced poverty by 40% in households with children, according to the researchers. But the policy, a temporary measure to assist families during the pandemic, expired on December 31, 2021.

The researchers used data taken from about 39,500 respondents to the National Health Interview Survey from January 2019 to December 2021. They found that prior to initiation of the monthly payments, 60% of credit-eligible adults reported excellent or very good health and 88% reported having food security that is, access to sufficient food to meet normal dietary needs. Among ineligible adults, 55% said they had excellent or very good health and 89% reported food security.

They then used a study design known as a "difference-in-differences" technique to compare changes in health and food security between credit-eligible families and credit-ineligible families to estimate the impact of the Child Tax Credit monthly payments. Based on this technique, they estimate that following the start of the payments, eligible adults were 3 percentage points more likely to report excellent or very good health and 1.9 percentage points more likely to report food security than ineligible adults.

"Assuming the conservative estimate of one adult per household, this represents improved health for 1.08 million adults, and newfound food security for 684,000 households," Rook said. "These changes potentially represent important gains in health and nutrition for hundreds of thousands of US families because of this pandemic-era policy."

The study has some limitations, among them the possibility that job losses and expansions to other social programs such as unemployment and SNAP during the pandemic might have affected the findings.

Study Authors

Additional study authors are Dr. Cecile Yama, Dr. Adam Schickedanz, Dr. Steven Lee, and Lauren Wisk of UCLA; and Dr. Alec Feuerbach of SUNY Downstate /Kings County.

Funding

The contents do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences and published on 2023/06/24, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences can be contacted at uclahealth.org NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.

Explore Similar Topics

: The SSA ends its RDRC cooperative agreements, citing cost savings and policy alignment with President Trump's executive order on DEI programs.

: U.S. Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will increase 2.5 percent in 2025.

Citing and References

Founded in 2004, Disabled World (DW) is a leading resource on disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility, supporting the disability community. Learn more on our About Us page.

Cite This Page: University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences. (2023, June 24 - Last revised: 2023, June 27). Now Expired Expanded Child Tax Credit Led to Improved Adult Health and Nutrition. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved April 25, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/social-security/usa/child-tax-credit.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/social-security/usa/child-tax-credit.php">Now Expired Expanded Child Tax Credit Led to Improved Adult Health and Nutrition</a>: The Expanded Child Tax Credit, which expired at the end of 2021, has not been renewed due to concerns of the credit being overly generous, particularly to lower-income families with limited tax liability, and the lack of an associated work requirement.

While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, it's important to note that our content is for general informational purposes only. We always recommend consulting qualified healthcare professionals for personalized medical advice. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.