The Working Families Tax Credit has returned $200 million to the pockets of Washingtonians living on a low income since its launch in 2023. This policy supports our communities while helping make our tax code more economically and racially just. However, due to an arbitrary age restriction, young adults 18-24 and working seniors who are not able to claim a child on their tax return are excluded, even if they meet the eligibility requirements. SB 5768 would fix this and expand the WFTC to 100,000 adults who are making very low wages - less than $19,000 a year if single and $26,000 a year if married.   

Everyone deserves a boost from the Working Families Tax Credit, whether they are a young person working their way through college, or a senior putting in long hours to make rent. Importantly, this expansion targets young adults who are not claimed on their parents' tax return, meaning they do not have familial financial support; for example, young people exiting the foster care system. SB 5768 would provide a small cash safety net to help young people and working seniors build long-term financial stability. 

Costs of living are outpacing wages in our state, and rent prices are a major expense for working Washingtonians. SB 5771 would add an additional boost of $300 for renters receiving the Working Families Tax credit, which would help renters work towards financial stability instead of allowing renters to fall deeper into poverty. Both SB 5768 and 5771 make common-sense expansions to the Working Families Tax Credit that invest in supporting young people, seniors, and renters towards long-term financial stability.

Tell your Senator: pass both SB 5768 and SB 5771!

Our state is facing a revenue shortfall over the next four years. Governor Ferguson has committed to exhausting options for budget cuts instead of pursuing options for progressive revenue, but we must urge lawmakers to take the opposite approach.
 
Even a 6% cut to vital resources like the Department of Social and Health Services would take over $702 million away from programs that serve low income families in Washington. During hard times, families rely on TANF, SNAP, and other services to get by, and these cuts would strand people who need support. Our state is still recovering from the harm that cutting vital programs and services caused during the Great Recession, and it would be a mistake to repeat this approach.
 
Instead of balancing the budget on the backs of Washingtonians living on a low income again, we should ask those who can afford it to pay their fair share. When families face difficult times financially, they don't just tighten their belts, they look for new opportunities for income. Washington has a clear opportunity - with progressive revenue, we can afford to meet this budget shortfall and maintain funding for vital programs that support our state's most vulnerable residents.
 
Tell your lawmakers: Pass progressive revenue, not budget cuts!

Statewide Poverty Action Network
1501 N 45th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
United States

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