Benefit payments can make a huge difference in your life. Having a regular source of income can relieve some of your day-to-day stress and help you and your family live a better life.
Now that it’s tax time, here are some tips to help you make sure you’re getting the benefits and credits you’re entitled to:
1. If you have children under 18 in your care, you could get Canada child benefit payments every month. You need to apply if you haven’t already. Then just make sure you do your taxes on time every year, even if you don’t have any income. You can also get payments for up to 10 years ago, if you were eligible and have the documents requested by the Canada Revenue Agency.
2. If you need help doing your taxes, a community volunteer may be able to do your taxes for free. Look online for a free tax clinic in your neighbourhood.
3. Sign up for direct deposit to get your benefit payments deposited directly into your account. That way, you’ll still get your payments no matter where you are.
4. If you stopped getting benefits and credits, call the CRA as soon as possible and they’ll help you figure out why your payments were stopped and tell you what you need to do to keep getting them.
5. If you know of an organization in your neighbourhood that helps those in need, like a library or community centre, know that they can request a free in-person visit from a CRA outreach officer. During this visit, the officer can answer questions on benefits and credits, distribute informational materials and more. Go to canada.ca/cra-outreach to learn more or to request a visit.
