2010, where it peaked at nearly $35 billion. It then decreased again to around $30 billion in 2020. When you

take into account the effects of inflation, the decline is even greater. Moreover, there seemed little evidence that

families were suffering a reduced standard of living as a result of TANF—although, on the other side, there was

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15.3 • The Safety Net 367

not much evidence that families had greatly improved their total levels of income, either.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

The earned income tax credit (EITC), first passed in 1975, is a method of assisting the working poor through

the tax system. The EITC is one of the largest assistance program for low-income groups, and as of December

2021, about 25 million eligible workers and families received about $60 billion in EITC. For the 2021 tax year,

the earned income credit ranges from $1,502 to $6,728 depending on tax-filing status, income, and number of
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