EITC Expansion for Childless Workers Would Save Billions—and Take a Bite Out of Crime
According to a report from the Center on American Progress, expanding the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers without dependent children would generate an additional $1.7 – $3.3 billion in societal benefit each year from reduced crime and improved public safety. EITC Expansion for Childless Workers Would Save Billions—and Take a Bite Out of Crime examines how the EITC expansion supported by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and President Obama could lead to reductions in crime similar to those that have been associated with increases in the minimum wage. The report finds that the benefits of enhanced public safety alone, including less property damage, fewer lives lost and lower medical costs, would pay for half of the expansion’s expected cost.