Millions of dollars in tax relief checks will be hitting mailboxes in the coming weeks for New Yorkers who are eligible for the Empire State Child Credit or the Earned Income Credit, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced. 

Hochul's office said the checks will arrive by the end of October. Approved earlier this year, taxpayers who claimed either one or both of the credits on their 2021 state tax returns will be eligible. 

"With this relief package, we're making good on our commitment to helping hardworking New Yorkers through the nationwide affordability crisis," Hochul said. "This program will put money back in the pockets of nearly two million New York families struggling to make ends meet in the face of the pandemic, inflation, and other rising costs."

All told, 1.75 million New Yorkers will be receiving a combined $475 million. 

The money was approved in the state budget earlier this year and recipients will on average have a check of $270. The money was approved as a way to offset rising consumer prices that began earlier this year. 

Checks wil also be hitting mailboxes just as the statewide election season will be in full swing.