A special data request from the NC Department of Revenue showed that 157,000 families who received Extra Credit Payments in the last round had incomes so low that they were not required to file income taxes. Since the Extra Credit Grant Program has been extended through May 31 and a proposal is on the table to further extend the deadline in the Senate, the Department of Revenue is working with United Way’s network of direct service providers on outreach to increase awareness among low income families.
But for families with very low incomes, it isn’t just access to the Extra Credit Grant Program and ad hoc partnerships that could ensure their access to federal Economic Impact Payments and expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit. A more systemic investment in the infrastructure that can connect people to these programs and a community-driven public awareness effort akin to the efforts around vaccination should be a priority in North Carolina.