The Government of Canada has proposed new financial support measures to make life more affordable for Canadians.
- The proposed Canada Dental Benefit would provide financial support for eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year. Parents and guardians with children under 12 years old may be eligible to receive up-front, direct payments totalling up to $1,300 per child (up to $650 per year) if they obtain dental care for which the parent has out of pocket costs and does not have access to a private dental insurance plan.
- The proposed one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit would provide a $500 payment to low-income renters facing housing affordability challenges. This benefit would be available to renters who had an adjusted net income for 2021 of $35,000 or less for families, or $20,000 or less for individuals, and pay at least 30 per cent of their adjusted net income on rent for their own principal residence in Canada.
- The government will also double the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GST Credit) for six months for those who receive it. Payments will be issued starting November 4, 2022. For GST Credit recipients who have already received a payment this year, there would be no need to apply for the additional payment. The additional GST Credit amount would be issued to eligible recipients automatically. Six month doubling of GST credit payment starts November 4, 2022
Pending Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, applications for the new dental and housing benefits may be available by the end of the calendar year. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is getting ready to deliver a smooth, secure and user-friendly experience.
We encourage you to take the following steps to ensure you can quickly receive the money you need for dental care and housing when applications open.
Here is how you can get ready so you can get your money faster!
Sign up for My Account: My Account will be the quickest, easiest and most secure way for you to apply for the new proposed benefits. It also allows you to view and manage all of your tax information in one place. Register now using one of our convenient sign-in options.
If you are registered for ESDC’s My Service Canada Account, you can securely access CRA’s My Account without having to sign in or revalidate your identity. The link will take you directly to their CRA My Account within a single secure session, without having to sign in or register with My Account.
Sign up for direct deposit: If you are signed up for direct deposit, you can receive your payment within 5 business days! Sign up for direct deposit today in My Account or through many financial institutions.
Make sure your personal information is up to date: To make it easier to apply when the time comes, make sure your personal information such as their address, banking, marital status, and child information are up to date. You can quickly view and manage your personal information in My Account.
File your 2021 tax return: In order to receive the new proposed dental and housing benefits, you will need to make sure you have filed your 2021 tax return. Filing taxes is easy with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or using NETFILE-certified software. You can also file online through a tax preparation service provider that is certified to use our EFILE service.
Your account security is our top priority!
The CRA continues to enhance the security of its digital services to further protect Canadians from fraudulent activity. When signing in or registering for My Account, you may notice security features such as multi-factor authentication and that you are required to provide an email address. These security enhancements will help you feel confident and safe using our digital services to view and manage your tax and benefit information.
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