Millions of dollars in unclaimed benefits - Harper Government looking for hundreds of thousands of families not currently registered for the increased child care benefit

NANAIMO, BC, June 25, 2015 /CNW/ - An estimated 510 families with children in Nanaimo are eligible to receive money under the Harper Government's boosted Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), but are at risk of not receiving the benefit unless they apply. The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, today asked for help from the media and the public to encourage families to apply for the benefit.

The majority of families with children, approximately 3.8 million, are known and will automatically receive the increased UCCB or be contacted by the Government to confirm their information. However, an estimated 200,000 eligible families in Canada, including 23,800 families in British Columbia, are not currently captured by the Government's UCCB system and may miss out on receiving money that is owed to them unless they apply. In 2015 alone, this represents potentially millions of dollars in unclaimed benefits.

Under the boosted UCCB, families will receive almost $2,000 per year for each child under 6 and $720 per year for each child aged 6 through 17. The new benefit amounts will be retroactive to January 1, 2015 and be reflected in monthly payments to families in July 2015. The increases to the UCCB are expected to more than double the number of families that benefit from 1.6 million to more than 4 million.

If your family is not currently receiving the UCCB, has never received the UCCB, or has never applied for the Canada Child Tax Benefit and you still have children under 18 in your care, please go to www.canada.ca/taxsavings to find out how you can apply.

Quick Facts

• All families with children will benefit from the new Family Tax Cuts and Benefits Plan, which includes the Family Tax Cut, and the boosted UCCB, Child Care Expense Deduction and the Children's Fitness Tax Credit.
• Combined with tax relief introduced by the Harper Government since 2006, a typical family of four can receive up to $6,600 in tax relief and increased benefits in 2015.
• Low- and middle-income families will receive two-thirds of the overall benefits provided by the Harper Government's new family measures.
• The Family Tax Cut will eliminate or significantly reduce the difference in the federal tax payable by a one-earner couple relative to a two-earner couple with a similar family income.

Quote

"Now that the Harper Government has balanced our budget, we are helping families balance theirs. That's why we want to ensure that every family with children receives the boosted Universal Child Care Benefit. If you've ‎got kids under 18, you qualify. It doesn't matter how much you make or the type of child care you choose. Apply now so you can receive the money that is owed to you."
– The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development

Associated Links

www.canada.ca/taxsavings
Backgrounder on new measures: Helping Families Prosper

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Aaron Bell, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment and Social Development, 819-994-2482, [email protected] ; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]