Missing a Chance for a Solid Punch at Poverty

This commentary provides an explanation and critique of the new federal Child Tax Benefit, which replaces Family Allowances and the refundable and non-refundable child tax credits.  While the same scheme will give working poor families up to $500 more a year, low-income families on welfare or Unemployment Insurance will get the same amount of child benefit as they received under the old system.  The value of the new Child Tax Benefit, like the programs it replaces will erode over time because benefits are not fully protected from inflation.  The Child Tax Benefit is a weak anti-poverty weapon which should be replaced by a fully-indexed program providing larger benefits to lower-income families.

ISBN – 1-895796-03-2