Who gets the benefit cheques in Ontario and how much might you receive?

The Ford government is set to give Ontarians rebate cheques in the new year valued at $200.

The province said its meant to help residents “struggling with the high costs of the federal carbon tax and interest rates.”

“We’re doing everything we can to keep costs down for Ontario families, but the federal carbon tax and high interest rates are still hurting taxpayers across the province,” Premier Doug Ford said in a news release earlier this week.

“This $200 taxpayer rebate will give Ontario taxpayers, especially families with children, some much-deserved help so they can make ends meet.”

Who qualifies?

Most Ontarians are set to receive the tax-free $200 rebate.

To be eligible, a person must have been 18 years or older at the end of 2023, a resident of the province on Dec. 31, 2023 and have filed their 2023 tax return by the end of 2024.

They also must not be incarcerated or bankrupt in 2024.

There was no mention of income levels in the announcement.

What about families with children?

Families will also get an additional $200 for each eligible child.

Those who qualify for a Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment in 2024 will get an additional $200 for each child under the age of 18.

The extra payment would be made to the individual(s) who gets the CCB payment for the child, who must live in Ontario.

“In the case of a shared custody arrangement in respect of a child, payments would be split based on the most recent CCB available,” the government said.

That means a family of five with two adults and three eligible children will receive $1,000 overall.

Families with children who didn’t receive the CCB this year will still be given an opportunity to get the rebate “through an alternative process,” the province said.

How much will this cost the province?

The cheques are expected to cost the province $3 billion.

Around 12.5 million adults and 2.5 million children are expected to receive the money.

The province said it’s able to send out the cheques because of higher-than-expected revenues as a result of the impact of inflation on provincial sales taxes, as well as the impact of changes to the federal government’s capital gains tax.

When will the cheques be sent out?

Cheques will start to be mailed out in early 2025.

“We encourage taxpayers to watch their mailboxes for this taxpayer rebate in early 2025 as we continue making life more affordable for Ontarians while retaining prudent, responsible fiscal management,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said.

With Ontario families stuck shouldering the Liberal carbon tax and high interest rates, we’re stepping in to help.

Today, I announced that we’re providing Ontario taxpayers a $200 tax-free rebate, with another $200 for each eligible child, to help with their household budgets.… pic.twitter.com/MzFvBetNlM

— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 29, 2024