Your one-time grocery rebate payment might be delayed — here's why

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Millions of Canadians are expecting to receive their grocery rebate payments on Wednesday, July 5. However, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says some issues might cause delays in payments.

Canada’s one-time grocery rebate program was launched to help people struggling to make ends meet as food prices soar. It was introduced by the Liberals in the 2023 fiscal budget.

“The Grocery Rebate will be double the amount of your GST/HST credit payment from January 2023,” reads the Government of Canada site. “The amount is calculated based on your family situation in January 2023 and your 2021 adjusted family net income.”

Eligibility varies according to your situation. If you’re single, you could receive a maximum payment of up to:

$234 (no children)
$387 (with one child)
$467 (with two children)
$548 (with three children)
$628 (with four children)

If you’re married or have a common-law partner, you could receive up to:

$306 (no children)
$387 (with one child)
$467 (with two children)
$548 (with three children)
$628 (with four children)

Seniors will get up to $225 extra on average.

On Tuesday, the CRA tweeted that the next grocery rebate and GST/HST credits will be issued tomorrow, but there are two hurdles that could prevent you from getting your money on time.

The next Grocery Rebate and GST/HST credit will be issued tomorrow, July 5th!

Looking for info on how much to expect, or when future payments will arrive? Get it here: https://t.co/dUTjnxAxum #CdnTax pic.twitter.com/kdd3Ex6M47

— Canada Revenue Agency (@CanRevAgency) July 4, 2023

First, the CRA warns that some Canadians may experience a delay in the mail delivery of their CRA benefit and credit cheques due to wildfires across the nation that have disrupted the postal system.

It suggests keeping an eye on Canada Post for delivery updates. Additionally, registering for direct deposit using the government’s My Account feature can help avoid interruptions.

Secondly, the CRA’s debt recovery program could affect your payment, too.

“The CRA has resumed its work to address taxpayer debt. Tax refunds, benefit, and credit payments may be applied to pay outstanding balances,” a second notice on the government agency’s grocery rebate page reads.

Earlier in March, the CRA’s tax offsetting program caused delays in child benefit payments. Many parents claimed that their child tax benefit had been clawed back.

The tax offsetting process involves “proactively applying tax refunds and benefit payments (such as the GST/HST credit) to tax and other government debts.”

Canadians can check the status of their benefits by logging into their CRA My Account. If you’re facing financial hardship repaying your government debt, contact the CRA at 1-888-863-8662 for benefit debt and 1-888-863-8657 for tax return debt.

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