The Impact of the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) on Families Raising Children with Disabilities

The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided temporary enhancements to the existing CTC for the tax years 2021 and 2022, including increasing the credit’s maximum value and removing the minimum income criterion for refundability. As a result, even households with no income were eligible for the full credit. These temporary changes supported families who were at higher risk of financial hardship, such as those raising children with disabilities.

In this report, researchers at the Catalyst Center at Boston University, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University of St. Louis, and Appalachian State University use a nationally representative survey of US families to explore the impacts of the CTC on families raising children with disabilities. The report describes the receipt, usage, and perceived impacts of the CTC payments for families raising children with disabilities, and how these elements compared with those of families without children with disabilities. The report also presents data on differences in usage among families raising children with disabilities based on race/ethnicity and income. The policy brief, designed for advocates and policymakers, summarizes the findings of the full report.