Commentary: In the COVID pandemic, financial help for farmworkers is the moral choice

Farmworkers risk their lives to bring food to our tables, and they need more money now. It is downright immoral to deny protections and a safety net to invaluable farmworkers, yet that is exactly what has happened. The recent COVID-19 Farmworker Study documented what many already know — our farmworkers and our food system are at incredible physical and economic risk caused by the pandemic with far too little support.

Among essential workers, California’s 800,000 farmworkers are uniquely vulnerable to COVID risk. FERN’s tracker found that, nationwide, more than 87,000 food and farmworkers have contracted COVID-19 and at least 373 have died as of Feb. 9. While face masks, hand sanitizer, social distancing and handwashing stations have become commonplace at retailers, restaurants and hospitals, many farmworkers say they remain unprotected. UCSF found that Latino food and farmworkers in California were nearly 60% more likely to die than before the pandemic.

Making matters worse, about 60% of farmworkers are undocumented immigrants and thus, cannot qualify for public assistance and federal benefits that help other Californians stay afloat, such as the federal stimulus payment and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. A lack of emergency financial support is driving farmworkers and their families deeper into poverty.

There is hope on the way: California recently expanded eligibility for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) and Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) to people who file their taxes with an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), including undocumented immigrants. About 600,000 Californians, including 200,000 children, can now benefit from expanded access to the CalEITC and YCTC.

These refundable tax credits put money back in the pocket of hard-working Californians who earn $30,000 a year or less to help with basic needs, like groceries, rent and diapers. The CalEITC varies by family size and income, and can be up to $3,027 for a family with three children. The YCTC provides a state tax credit of up to $1,000 for children under 6 years old. To claim these tax credits, Californians only need to file their taxes.

Some people who will now qualify for these tax credits earn so little that they are not required to file taxes. That’s why my organization, Golden State Opportunity, is working hard, along with partners and elected officials across the state, to make sure all newly CalEITC-eligible residents know about these tax credits and how to file taxes. We’re also connecting people with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax preparation available locally at no cost to low-income residents. No one should have to leave money on the table because they didn’t know it was available, especially in these challenging times.

Allowing people with ITINs to claim state tax credits is the moral choice that will help farmworkers, their families, and our food supply. It also makes financial sense. Tax credits help stimulate our economy by giving people more money to shop at local businesses and pay for the things they need. The additional cost of including people with ITINs is a small percentage of the total cost of state tax credits, but the return for our economy and for children and families living in poverty is immense.

To learn more, or to estimate your tax refund, visit CalEITC4Me.org.