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.
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.
Information sessions on the proposed dental and housing benefits
To support social service providers, community organizations and others who may be working with clients who could be eligible for the proposed benefits, the CRA, in collaboration with Health Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), will be hosting information sessions after Royal Assent is received and applications open.
Please add your name to the waitlist to be contacted by email when registration for the information sessions is available:
Here is how your clients or members can get ready so they can get their money faster!
We encourage you to share the following steps with your clients or members to ensure they can quickly receive the money they need for dental care and housing when applications open.
Sign up for My Account: My Account will be the quickest, easiest and most secure way for your clients or members to apply for the new proposed benefits. It also allows them to view and manage all of their tax information in one place. They can register now using one of our convenient sign-in options.
If they are registered for ESDC’s My Service Canada Account, they can securely access CRA’s My Account without having to sign in or revalidate their identity. The link will take them 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 your clients or members are signed up for direct deposit, they can receive their payment within 5 business days! They can sign up for direct deposit today in My Account or through many financial institutions.
Make sure personal information is up to date: To make it easier for your clients or members to apply when the time comes, they should make sure their personal information such as their address, banking, marital status, and child information are up to date. They can quickly view and manage their personal information in My Account.
Filing 2021 tax return: In order to receive the new proposed dental and housing benefits, your clients or members will need to make sure they have filed their 2021 tax return. Filing taxes is easy with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or using NETFILE-certified software. They can also file online through a tax preparation service provider that is certified to use our EFILE service.
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, your clients or members may notice security features such as multi-factor authentication and that they are required to provide an email address. These security enhancements will help them feel confident and safe using our digital services to view and manage their tax and benefit information.