For those in constant financial upheaval, the payments “provide some stability,” says Chuck Marr, senior director of federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, especially as the funds roll into bank accounts every month. The program pushed 3 million children out of poverty and reduced hunger by 3 percentage points in its first month alone. The CTC payments are already having a marked impact for poor parents. Most importantly, Gillespie says, “I didn’t have to jump through hoops just to get something.” The money didn’t stretch far, but Gillespie used it for bills and toiletries, back-to-school supplies and a haircut. In July, Gillespie received a $ 750 child tax credit (CTC) payment after Democrats increased the benefit and offered it to more families. “It was about what somebody else thinks we should have,” Gillespie says. After five years, she was no longer eligible to receive benefits if she was attending school - even though education was her ticket off of the program. To get cash benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Gillespie was required to repeatedly prove she met persnickety eligibility requirements, such as taking multiple courses on résumé building. “It’s been a revolving door.” But no government program gave her enough support to offer any stability. “I’ve been on countless programs,” Gillespie says with a laugh. 'I didn’t have to jump through hoops just to get something.'

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