Delivering on the Governor's Affordability Committments

Governor Kathy Hochul is celebrating a FY 2026 New York State Budget that delivers all of the Governor’s affordability commitments and will put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of millions of families on Long Island over the coming year and beyond. These huge wins include drastically expanding the size of New York’s Child Tax Credit, including tripling the credit for children four and under, cutting taxes for 1.2 million middle class Long Islanders, and sending inflation refund checks directly to 1.3 million households on Long Island.

“The cost of living is too damn high for Long Island families, so I promised to put more money in your pockets — and we got it done,” Governor Hochul said.“Putting thousands of dollars back in the pockets of families means helping Long Islanders afford the rising costs of groceries, raising kids, and just enjoying life. When I said your family is my fight, I meant it – and I’ll never stop fighting for you.”

The Governor’s FY 2026 Enacted Budget totals $254 billion and does not raise income taxes — all while delivering nearly $4 billion in affordability relief statewide. On Long Island, that means direct benefits for hundreds of thousands of families, workers, and students.

Expanding New York’s Child Tax Credit
The FY 2026 State Budget includes Governor Hochul’s plan to give 215,000 Long Island families an annual tax credit of up to $1,000 per child under age four and up to $500 per child from four through sixteen. This is the largest expansion of New York’s Child Tax Credit in its history — benefitting approximately 355,000 children on Long Island. Governor Hochul’s expansion of the credit will significantly increase the size of the average credit going out to families, helping cut child poverty statewide by upward of 8 percent.