Changes to Canada’s child benefit program take effect this month

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Parents can expect bigger child benefit cheques from the federal government starting this month. Moms and dads will no longer have to pay taxes on that money.

The government says 90 per cent of Canadian families will see bigger monthly payments. One of the changes will see low-income families get $6,400 yearly for each child under six.

Adrienne Montani with First Call, a child advocacy group, calls it significant. “It’s actually going to make a difference to thousands and thousands of kids across this country — next year, it’ll be a full 12 months — for expecially low-income families.

But she points out BC’s early childhood tax benefit is only worth $55 a month for the poorest families.

“In BC, we have a really… ungenerous one compared to other provinces. Ontario’s and Alberta’s are at least twice BC’s. It’s more like $100 or $110 a month in Ontario,” she tells us, adding those payments are made until the child turns 18.

BC payments stop after the child turns six.

Montani says one in five kids in BC lives in poverty.

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