Benefit cheques that will be coming out December and January in Ontario

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As the final month of the year approaches, many Ontarians are balancing holiday costs and rising living expenses.

To ease the strain, the Canadian government is sending out a round of benefit cheques to eligible recipients. Here are the payment dates for December 2024 and January 2025:

Canadian Pension Plan and Old Age Security

The Canadian retirement benefits system includes the Old Age Security pension, guaranteed income supplement, allowance, and allowance for the survivor, along with the Canadian Pension Plan.

• CPP: Residents over 65 are eligible for a maximum monthly payment of $1,306.57.
• OAS Pension: Individuals aged 65 to 74 with an annual income below $148,451 can receive up to $707.68 per month. Those 75 and over with an income below $154,196 may receive up to $880.44 monthly.

Eligible individuals should note that the OAS pension is reviewed quarterly—in January, April, July, and October—to reflect increases in the cost of living based on the Consumer Price Index. Importantly, payments will not decrease if the cost of living goes down.

Here are the next few payment dates:

• Dec. 20
• Jan. 29

Child Tax Credit

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) oversees the tax-free monthly Child Tax Credit benefit, designed for eligible families supporting children under 18. The CCB may incorporate the child disability benefit along with relevant provincial and territorial programs.

The upcoming payment dates are:

• Dec. 13
• Jan. 20

The Ontario Child Benefit offers up to $1,607 annually per child, depending on an individual’s family net income and the number of children under 18 in their care.

Ontario Trillium Benefit

The Ontario Trillium Benefit, disbursed on a monthly basis, includes the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the Northern Ontario Energy Credit and the Ontario Sales Tax Credit. The payment dates are as follows:

• Dec. 10
• Jan. 10

Canada Carbon Rate

The annual payment for a family of four in Ontario could be up to $976.

GST/HST refund

The next date for these quarterly payments is:

Single individuals may receive an annual amount of $496.

Those married or have a common-law partner are eligible to receive $650.

Parents with a child under the age of 19 could get $171 per child.

Veteran disability pension

The veteran disability pension is a tax-free monthly payment that supports veterans and service members with service-related injuries or illnesses. Payment dates are as follows:

Eligibility includes Canadian Armed Forces members, RCMP members, and Second World War or Korean War veterans, including some who served in the Second World War. Recipients can choose either Pain and Suffering Compensation—a lifetime monthly or lump sum payment—or a Disability Pension with added support for dependents.

Advanced Canada Workers Benefit

The Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) is a refundable tax credit to help low-income individuals and families who are working. The benefit consists of a basic amount and a disability supplement. These are the payment dates:

As per the CRA’s website, the maximum basic amount for the benefit is $1,428 for single individuals and $2,461 for families. Single individuals with an adjusted net income exceeding $33,015 are not eligible for the basic amount, while for families, the adjusted net income is $43,212.

The disability supplement offers a maximum of $737 for singles and families. Ineligibility applies to individuals if their net income exceeds $37,932, and for families, it’s a household income between $48,124 and $53,037, depending on spouse eligibility.

Advanced Canada Workers Benefit

The Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) is a refundable tax credit to help low-income individuals and families who are working. The benefit consists of a basic amount and a disability supplement. These are the payment dates:

As per the CRA’s website, the maximum basic amount for the benefit is $1,428 for single individuals and $2,461 for families. Single individuals with an adjusted net income exceeding $33,015 are not eligible for the basic amount, while for families, the adjusted net income is $43,212.

The disability supplement offers a maximum of $737 for singles and families. Ineligibility applies to individuals if their net income exceeds $37,932, and for families, it’s a household income between $48,124 and $53,037, depending on spouse eligibility.

Tax assistance for residents

Low-income seniors (65+ years) or individuals with disabilities who have owned and lived in their homes for at least one year can apply for an annual property tax rebate if they meet specific criteria.

To be eligible, every property owner must receive benefits under the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Program or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Alternatively, the spouse of an owner receiving GIS or ODSP benefits also qualifies.

Some instances include:

• If a married couple owns the property, either one must receive GIS or ODSP.
• If a married couple, along with a sibling, owns the property, the sibling and either spouse must receive GIS or ODSP.
• If two siblings own the property, both must receive GIS or ODSP.

Qualifying for the tax rebate automatically makes you eligible for a Stormwater Charge Subsidy.

Single-family homes receive subsidies on their Region of Peel water bill, while condominiums receive a mailed cheque from the City of Mississauga.

Applications must be submitted by December 31 of the current tax year, but submission is possible at any point in the year if all required documentation is available.

Carbon Pricing Refund

Small and medium-sized businesses in Canada are set to receive long-awaited carbon pricing refunds by the end of this year, according to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The federal government will distribute over $2.5 billion to approximately 600,000 businesses in December.

These payments will cover carbon price revenues collected from 2019 to 2024 in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies.

The amount each business receives will vary based on location and workforce size. Additionally, the government has finalized a 25 per cent tariff on certain Chinese-made aluminum and steel products, effective Oct. 22, while a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles came into effect on Oct. 20.

If you’ve missed some payments, here’s how you can get them

Residents who have applied for any of these benefits can check the status of their payments online in their “My Account” if they have created an account on the CRA website.

The Canadian government emphasizes that these cheques never expire.

The CRA cannot void the original cheque and reissue a new one unless requested by the account holder. This process involves verification, potentially requiring the completion of forms and the issuance of a replacement cheque if deemed necessary.

If you haven’t received a payment or missed some, the CRA suggests waiting ten days from the payment date before reaching out. Those without a CRA account or who do not have email notifications set up can check on uncashed cheques or missed payments by calling 1-800-959-8281.

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