The Government of Canada has announced a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit, which aims to help low-income renters with the cost of renting. You may be eligible for a tax-free, one-time payment of $500 if your income and the amount that you pay on rent qualify.
This is a program for low-income renters with adjusted net incomes below $35,000 for families, or $20,000 for individuals who pay at least 30 per cent of their adjusted net income on rent and are paying rent for their own primary residence in Canada.
In order to receive this $500 payment to help cover rent, applicants need to confirm they:
- Have filed their 2021 income tax and benefit return
- Are at least 15 years of age as of Dec. 1, 2022
- Are a resident in Canada for tax purposes in 2022
- Have their principal residence in Canada as of Dec. 1, 2022
- Have paid rent for their own shelter in 2022; and
- Have paid at least 30 per cent of their 2021 adjusted net family income on rent in the 2022 calendar year.
Applicants who meet all these criteria, are invited to apply starting December 12, 2022.
Applicants need to be ready to provide some basic information such as their address, who they paid rent to, and how to contact that person, as well as how many months spent at certain residences if they’ve moved throughout the year.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will administer this one-time payment. To apply for this new federal one-time payment, you do not need to receive other housing benefits such as the Canada Housing Benefit, which is co-funded and delivered by the provinces and territories.
*Please note: The CRA routinely checks to confirm that recipients are entitled to the payment they received, so they recommend keeping your records and receipts to support the amounts in your application.
If your application is selected for review, the CRA may ask you to provide additional information.
If you have received a payment and are later found to be ineligible, you will be contacted to make arrangements to return the payment. If you are found to have misrepresented or concealed information to make a fraudulent claim, additional consequences and penalties may also be applied.
The Government of Canada website has a checklist of application criteria you can fill out in advance. You can access that checklist by clicking on the button below that says, “Get Ready to Apply.”
To apply when the application link is open, and for more information about this benefit, please visit the Government’s website HERE.
