December Child Tax Credit Date: Here's When To Expect $1,800 Stimulus Check

American families can expect to get their final child tax credit in a matter of days, but it could be their last direct payment under the scheme as Congress continues to wrangle over how to continue it.

Part of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March, the expanded child tax credit has been viewed as a considerable success for the Democrats and by August, had lifted around 3.5 million children out of poverty, according to the Center of Poverty and Social Policy.

Since it was signed into law by President Joe Biden and started in July, the child tax credit has helped over 35 million families deal with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic with direct payments that have been expanded to up to $3,600 per child, from the previous $2,000.

Those who qualify for the full payments are couples earning less than $150,000 a year, single parents who file as heads of households on less than $112,500 and individuals on less than $75,000.

The payment received phases out by $50 for every $1,000 of income above those threshold amounts.

The amount parents receive depends on the age of the child. Eligible parents get $300 for each child who is aged under six and $250 for each child aged between 6 and 17 years old. The other half of the credit can be claimed as a lump sum on taxes in April 2022.

The sixth and final payment goes out on December 15 for those who have provided direct deposit information. Families who are receiving the payment by a physical check should expect to get it by the end of the month.

Those parents who missed any payments or opted out of advanced payments in later months will also receive up to $300 in cash for each of those installments.

It means those not receiving the payments for the first five months, but who chose and qualified for the December payment, may get the full first half of the credit from December 15. This would be $1,800 for a child under 6 years old, and $1,500 for a child between 6 and 17.

However, the deadline to apply for the child tax credit payment passed on November 15. Also, the final date to opt out of the last payment for those who prefer to get a higher tax refund in 2022, was November 29.

Those who do not receive the final payment can use the online portal of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to check if they are eligible and enrolled and for further information.

Meanwhile, the payments are currently set to expire at the end of the year, but the battle to continue them rolls on.

The Build Back Better Act, which was passed in the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate, would extend the payments, as well as other child tax credit enhancements, for one more year.

However, the roughly $2 trillion economic initiative has faced delays and objections by centrist Democrats such as Senator Joe Manchin (WV). The race is on though, with the IRS giving a deadline of December 28 in order to make the next payments on time for January 15, according to The Washington Post.