Periodic Payment Of The Earned Income Tax Credit

There has been a shift over the last two decades in public policies designed to provide income support to impoverished households. A focus on encouraging and supporting work has guided this shift, and the tax system has become as important as the welfare office. Emblematic is the nation's largest anti-poverty program: the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A key difference between the EITC and other forms of income support is timing. The norm for programs such as cash assistance, Food Stamps, and Social Security is monthly payment.