July 20 marked the largest single-day direct payment to families in Canadian hi the Harper government transferred nearly $3B to 3.8 million families.
This was a result of retroactive payment from Jan. 1, 2015 for families who received the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), which was increased as part of the 2015 federal budget.
Prior to this year, families received $100/month per child from ages 0-6 years. The newly increased UCCB has been increased to $160/month per child up until the age of six and $60/month for children 6-18 years.
In addition to the boosted UCCB, families also received nearly $2B in tax refunds this spring through the Family Tax Cut initiative; this allows families with children under 18 to income split and reduce their household tax burden by as much as $2,000. Payments to those families who receive the Child Tax Benefit will remain unchanged.
“Our government is making life more affordable for hard-working moms and dads right here in our community and across the country by increasing the UCCB,” said Wild Rose MP Blake Richards in a recent press release.
“More families will now be able to benefit and have more of their hard-earned dollars to spend on their priorities as a family.”
With around 3.8 million families benefiting from the boosted UCCB, this is double the Canadian families who previously qualified, with the addition of payments for families with children between 6-18 years.
An estimated 200,000 families may have missed out because they did not apply; these families are encouraged to visit Canada/ca/taxsavings to find out how to apply.
Within the province of Alberta, an estimated $392M in UCCB payments was sent out to 480,000 families.
Combined with tax relief and other family measures introduced by the government since 2006, an average family of four can receive up to $6,600 in tax relief and enhanced benefits this year.
Low and middle-income families will receive two-thirds of the overalls benefits provided by the government.
“Now that the Harper government has balanced the budget, we are helping families balance theirs,” said Pierre Poilievre, minister of employment and social development, in a recent press release.
“Starting (Monday), parents should check their mailboxes and bank accounts to make sure they received Prime Minister Harper’s boosted child care benefit.”
