The cheque is on it's way ... sort of

Ontario Ministry Of Community And Social Services
News Release

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Families who are eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit will soon begin receiving their one-time down payment cheques, Markham MPP Michael Chan announced on behalf of Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur.

"Moms and dads in low-income families work hard to provide opportunity for their children," said Chan.

"We are doing our best to support them every step of the way."

Starting this month, the Ontario Child Benefit will provide eligible low-income families with a down payment of up to $250 per child.

The benefit will grow to a maximum of $1,100 per child by 2011.

The Ontario Child Benefit will help more than 600,000 families and nearly 1.3 million children every year, at maturity.

To be eligible, a parent needs to file his or her income tax return, register for the Canada Child Tax Benefit, and meet other requirements such as Ontario residency and an income test.

"Investing in our most vulnerable is about giving everyone an opportunity to succeed in life," said Meilleur.

"Our government has made steady progress each and every year to help people and families get the supports they need to break away from poverty - and we have no intention of slowing down," she said.

"Our government is committed to supporting our most vulnerable citizens," said Mario Racco, MPP for Thornhill.

"The Ontario Child Benefit is just one way we are making sure that all children in this province have the opportunity for success," Racco said.

Since taking office, the McGuinty government has been transforming social assistance programs to create a simplified system that treats Ontario's most vulnerable citizens with fairness and dignity, and makes it easier for people to move from social assistance to employment.

By providing benefits for children outside of the social assistance system, the government is helping more people leave social assistance for work.

Other improvements to help low-income families in Ontario include:

- Increasing social assistance rates for the third consecutive year: three percent in 2005, two percent in 2006 and two percent in 2007.

- Raising the minimum wage to $10.25 per hour by early 2010.

- Extending health benefits for people exiting social assistance for employment.

- Allowing social assistance recipients to keep registered education savings plan (RESP) funds so that their children can get an education and escape the cycle of financial dependency.

"This is the right thing to do for our society and for the economy," said Meilleur.

"The strength of our province lies in its people - that's why we're working hard to help them succeed."

Ontario Child Benefit eligibility step-by-step

Depending on your family income, you may be eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit down payment of up to $250 per child if you meet these requirements:

- You are a primary caregiver of one or more children under 18-years-old, born on or before June 30, 2007.

- You (and your spouse or common-law partner) have filed your 2006 income tax return and it has been assessed. If you have not filed a tax return, you can download an Income Tax and Benefit Package from the Canada Revenue Agency website. You can also call the Canada Revenue Agency toll-free at 1-800-959-8281.

- You have registered for the federal Canada Child Tax Benefit. If you have not registered, application forms are available from the Canada Revenue Agency on their website at or by calling the Canada Revenue Agency toll-free at 1-800-387-1193.

- You are a resident of Ontario as of July 1, 2007.

If you meet all of the requirements above, a cheque for the Ontario Child Benefit down payment will be mailed out to you by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Beginning in July 2008, if you qualify and file your yearly tax return, monthly payments will be included with your Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) payments.

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