Is your Canada Child Benefit much lower, or nil, this month? You're not alone
CBC
Some parents who have been receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) say they were taken aback this week when they didn't get their normal payments.
Beginning this month, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) began recovering any CCB overpayments it made during the COVID-19 pandemic which in some cases it didn't collect between May 2020 and this month.
"I woke up and checked my account like most parents do on the 20th, and I had zero. It's a huge ding to us," said Jodi Waite, 43, of London, Ont.
Waite and her partner have six children, three of whom qualify for the CCB.
The CCB is a tax-free monthly payment delivered to eligible families with children under 18. Among other things, it's based on number of children, marital status and income.
Waite's family usually collects $833, but her CRA account shows she owes $3.724.97. So she didn't get her normal monthly CCB payment, which was issued March 20.
Waite says she doesn't owe the CRA $3,724.97, and that she plans to file a dispute saying that amount is based on an incorrect date when she and her partner moved in together.
Waite said she had no idea her CCB would be held back.
"It's kind of scary because as of a week ago, I checked my CRA and it said I was still getting my March payment," said Waite, who is on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
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A CRA spokesperson confirmed to CBC that CRA overpayments are being recovered.
"The first CCB payment impacted by offsetting is the March 2023 payment," said Sylvie Branch.
"If a recalculation shows that an individual was overpaid CCB, the CRA sends a notice of redetermination that includes a remittance voucher to inform the individual of the balance owing.
"The CRA may keep all or a portion of future CCB payments, income tax refunds, or goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credits until the balance owing is repaid."
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