Local MP Gary Schellenberger said the federal government’s enhanced Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) “is making life more affordable for hard-working moms and dads in Ontario and across the country.”
“More families will now be able to benefit and have more money to spend on their priorities as a family,” stated Shellenberger in a press release marking the first installment of the increased benefit on July 20.
The increased child care benefit pays almost $2,000 every year for each child under 6 and $720 for each child aged 6 through 17.
With a retroactive payment from Jan. 1, the federal government transferred almost $3 billion to 3.8 million families recently, which it touts as “the largest single-day direct payment to families in history.”
The UCCB has increased to $160 per month from $100 per month for each child under the age of 6, and a new benefit of $60 per month has been introduced for each child aged 6 through 17.
Payments of $520 for each child under 6, and $420 for each child aged 6 through 17 were set be delivered to families across Canada.
About 3.8 million families will benefit from the boosted UCCB – double the number of families that previously qualified.
While the majority of families in Canada are waking up to this welcomed boost to their bank accounts, the government estimates about 200,000 families may have missed out because they did not apply. Families that are not currently receiving the UCCB, that have never received the UCCB, or that have never applied for the Canada Child Tax Benefit and have children under 18 in their care are encouraged to go to www.canada.ca/taxsavings to find out how to apply.
