Making Life More Affordable for Canadians This Year

Canadians are feeling the rising cost of living, particularly through higher food prices and rent. While inflation is a global challenge – caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine – we are helping families weather its impacts by working to put more money back in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join it this year.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the government’s first pieces of legislation introduced in the upcoming Parliamentary sitting would make life more affordable for Canadians who need it most.

The measures in these bills would:

• Double the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) for six months, delivering support to roughly 11 million individuals and families who receive the tax credit, including about half of Canadian families with children, and more than half of Canadian seniors. Single Canadians without children would receive up to an extra $234 and couples with two children would receive up to an extra $467 in their pockets this year. Seniors would receive an extra $225 on average.
• Provide a Canada Dental Benefit to children under 12 who do not have access to dental insurance, starting this year. Direct payments totalling up to $1,300 per child over the next two years (up to $650 per year) would be provided for dental care services. This is the first stage of the government’s plan to deliver dental coverage for families with income under $90,000, and will allow children under 12 to get the dental care they need while we develop a comprehensive national dental care program.
• Provide a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit to deliver $500 to 1.8 million Canadian renters who are struggling with the cost of housing. This more than doubles our Budget 2022 commitment, reaching twice as many Canadians as initially promised. This new one-time federal benefit will be in addition to the Canada Housing Benefit currently co-funded and delivered by provinces and territories. The federal benefit will be available to applicants with an adjusted net income below $35,000 for families, or below $20,000 for individuals, who pay at least 30 per cent of their income on rent.

These measures build on the strong action we have been taking since 2015 to make life more affordable and build an economy that works for all Canadians. From cutting taxes for the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest one per cent, to delivering a Canada Child Benefit and raising it every year to continue putting more money back in the pockets of nine out of 10 families with children, to cutting regulated child care fees in half on average by the end of this year for families across the country, we are delivering support for the middle class and those working hard to join it.