April 02, 2020

Wyden to Introduce Bill Making Older Children and Adult Dependents Eligible for COVID-19 Relief Payments

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he plans to introduce a legislative fix that would make dependents 17 and older count toward what a family gets in direct payments from the bipartisan coronavirus relief package signed into law last week.

“Oregon families facing an economic tsunami from the impact of this public health crisis need financial help to make the rent, pay medical bills, buy groceries, cover college costs and more," said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. "This legislative fix to the recently passed bipartisan stimulus package will make sure assistance is available for families with dependents 17 and older, including older children with disabilities, college students and disabled parents.”

Under the CARES Act, an economic stimulus payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child will go to most taxpayers with incomes below $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers. The payment is structured as a tax refund and administered by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Under current law, no credit is allowed for dependents older than 16. This means there is no credit allowed for 17- and 18-year-olds, college students, and other dependent adults, such as a disabled parent cared for by the taxpayer—even though a taxpayer is providing the majority of the dependent’s financial support. Further, these dependents aren’t eligible to claim the credit for themselves on their own returns either. 

The All Dependents Count Act would expand eligibility for the $500 credit so that a taxpayer will receive a $500 credit for all dependents they care for—not just children age 16 and under.     

In addition to Wyden, the All Dependents Count Act is also supported by Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.).

Text of the bill is here.