New York to Send 1 Million Checks to Parents for Up to $330 per Child

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference in New York on Dec. 19, 2023. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Many parents in New York will see checks arrive from the state over the next weeks, Governor Kathy Hochul said.

The payments come as a one-time supplement to the tax benefits provided by the Empire State Child Credit, a program meant to help New Yorkers pay for child care.

The state estimates it will spend $350 million on the checks. The funding has already been allocated as part of this year’s state budget.

“We’re delivering $350 million in direct financial assistance to low- and moderate-income families statewide through the child tax credit program,” the governor said at a July 30 press conference announcing the initiative. “One million New York families with children will be receiving a check in the mail by the end of August.”

The checks will automatically hit the mailboxes of families who received an Empire State Child Credit of at least $100 for tax year 2023. Eligible taxpayers don’t have to do anything to claim the payments.

“We already know what people’s income is so we know their eligibility,” Ms. Hochul said. “We’re just trying to make it easier on them instead of having to file papers or go online.”

(Source: New York State Department of Tax and Finance) / Eligible New York families may expect to receive a check that looks like this.

Each eligible family can expect to receive up to $330 per child. The total amount is determined based on their income as reported in their tax filings.

If that amount is less than $10,000, the payment will match 100 percent of the benefit the family received through the Empire State Child Credit. Families earning $10,000 or more will receive less, but can still expect at least 25 percent of what they received from the credit.

The Empire State Child Credit is available to families in which a single parent or head of household earns $75,000 or less annually, or in which a married couple file joint returns and earn $110,000 or less per year. It has to be actively claimed by taxpayers for each tax season.

In 2023, the Hochul administration and the state Legislature expanded the program to apply to children under 4 years old, covering 600,000 more children each year.

As the new school year approaches, Hochul said she hopes the checks will make back-to-school shopping more affordable for families who are struggling to make ends meet.

According to the latest estimate by the National Retail Federation, parents on average will spend more than $875 for each child to go back to school this year. That includes $310 for electronics, $425 for clothes and shoes, and $142 for school supplies.

“With this check, this is how parents will be able to cover the cost of back-to-school supplies and even some clothes in there,” Hochul said.