Expiration of the Expanded Child Tax Credit and Energy Insecurity in US Households With Children, 2021–2022

Bibliographic Data

ID11037673
AuthorsCecile Yama (0000-0002-7434-9497, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), Jordan M Rook (0000-0003-3579-4704, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), Lauren E Wisk (0000-0003-2932-4140, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), Rebecca N Dudovitz (0000-0001-9457-0562, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), Diana Hernández (0009-0003-8041-4325, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), David P Eisenman (0000-0003-4320-1331, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.), Kathryn M Leifheit (0000-0003-3980-9715, Cecile L. Yama and Jordan M. Rook are with the National Clinician Scholars Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Lauren E. Wisk, Rebecca Dudovitz, David P. Eisenman, and Kathryn M. Leifheit are with the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Diana Hernández is with the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.)
Year2025
Volume115
Issue8
Pages1312-1321
Publication date2025-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2025.308105
PMID40472299
OpenAlexW4411053671
LanguageEN
References cited15

Objectives. To assess the relationship between the expiration of the expanded child tax credit (ECTC) and changes in energy insecurity among US households with children from 2021 to 2022. Methods. We used nationally representative survey data to evaluate changes in energy insecurity among credit-eligible versus -ineligible households during and after the ECTC expansion. We performed difference-in-differences analyses to estimate changes in energy insecurity in the 2 groups and conducted stratified analyses by percentage of the federal poverty line. Results. There was a 0.95 percentage point increase in inability to pay energy bills (95% confidence interval = 0.07, 1.85) among households with children but no difference in other measures of energy insecurity. Stratified analyses showed that households at 200% to 399% and 400% to 599% of the federal poverty line experienced increases in energy insecurity after expiration of the ECTC. We saw no differences in the lowest-income groups ( Conclusions. The expiration of the ECTC was associated with increased inability to pay energy bills, suggesting that the credit prevented some forms of energy insecurity in households with children. Associations were limited to middle-income groups, indicating benefits were limited to this income stratum. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(8):1312–1321. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308105 )

Business · Confidence interval · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Expiration · Poverty · Psychiatry · Public economics · Sociology · Tax credit · Demography · Energy and Environment Impacts · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine