About 10 percent of children live in households with a Social Security program beneficiary or are beneficiaries themselves. Many have low incomes limiting the resources available to spend on caring for these children. The Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion in 2021 increased income for many households and reduced poverty dramatically for children. Children in Social Security beneficiary households stood to gain as CTC benefit receipt did not affect Social Security payments. In fact, poverty fell substantially for these children, however, there were disparities based on demographic characteristics, geography, and Social Security program type.

On this April 11, 2023 webinar we explore this topic with researchers, Madelaine L’Esperance, Jevay Grooms, Tim Smeeding, and Shogher Ohanessian as well as discussant Jessica Pac, Co-Director of UW-Madison’s Center for Child Welfare Policy & Practice.