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To help Canadians cope with rising prices, the federal government is issuing a one-time grocery rebate on July 5. See if you qualify.
If inflation and the high cost of living have affected you or your family, relief is coming. In May, the Cost of Living Act (Bill C-46) passed, putting into motion several key plans to make life more affordable for Canadians—including a new, one-time grocery rebate. If you have questions about the Canada federal budget grocery rebate, including amounts, eligibility and when it will be paid out, read on.
Inflation in Canada hit a significant high of 8.1% in June 2022, raising consumer prices on everything from liquid soap to lumber. And in the past 12 months alone, food prices have increased by 8.9%, a statistic that won’t shock anyone who’s bought lettuce since last summer. That’s where the grocery rebate comes in.
The Canada grocery rebate, introduced in the federal government’s 2023 budget, is a one-time payout to 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians, intended to offer some financial relief to people struggling to make ends meet. The payment is an increase to the maximum goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit a person is eligible for—the increase is known as the grocery rebate.
The rebate is available to individuals with net income of less than $32,000 and to families who earn less than $38,000. As the rebate is considered part of your GST/HST credit, you’ll have to be a Canadian resident and have filed your 2021 tax return. The rebate amount will be calculated based on your 2021 adjusted net family income and your “family situation” as of January 2023. Note: You might be eligible for the one-time grocery rebate but not for the July 2023 GST/HST credit, or vice versa—the grocery rebate is based on 2021 tax returns, and the GST/HST credit is based on 2022 tax returns, the federal government stated on its website.
The amount you may be eligible to receive will depend on your net income and the amount you receive as a GST/HST credit. The grocery rebate will be twice the credit amount you received in January 2023. The maximum amount, rounded to the nearest dollar, will be $153 per adult, $81 per child and $81 for the single supplement.
This means that couples with two children can receive up to $467, single Canadians without children can receive up to $234, and seniors can receive up to $225.
The grocery rebate was paid along with the July GST/HST credit starting on July 5, 2023. Canadians will receive it automatically by direct deposit or government cheque. If you think you’re eligible but haven’t received a deposit or cheque, the government asks that you wait 10 days before getting in touch.
You don’t have to! If you’re eligible, including having filed your 2021 taxes, you’ll receive the payment automatically. If you haven’t filed your 2021 taxes, you can still do so—even if you have no income to report for that year.
If you receive an email or a text message offering to give you the grocery rebate, don’t reply or click any links—it’s a scam. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued multiple warnings about grocery rebate scams. Read more about CRA scams.
🚨 #Scam alert! 🚨
If you received an email or text message claiming to be from the CRA about the Grocery Rebate, it’s a scam!#Tax #Canada #BeScamSmart🧵/1 pic.twitter.com/dlSzC5Pdxj
— Canada Revenue Agency (@CanRevAgency) July 10, 2023
With food costs still stubbornly high, Canadians are feeling the pinch in their household budgets. Read our tips on saving money on groceries, from meal planning and bulk buying to food rescue apps and grocery rewards credit cards. Redeeming rewards points is another effective way to cut your grocery bill. With PC Optimum points, for example, you can redeem for groceries at Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills and more (10,000 points is worth $10).
The Cost of Living Act also includes further implementation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan, an increase to the withdrawal limits for registered education savings plans (RESPs) so students can cover their costs, and changes to the Canada Workers Benefit so beneficiaries can get their money in hand sooner.
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The government always uses the people just above the poverty level as cash cows
Forgive the rich, give to the bottom,
and take from the middle
I don’t know why they waited so long to help Canadians you look at the USA the help they have been getting it makes me sick that the government can sit back and let us poor people struggle and go hungry.They should live on what disability get for a month to see how it feels to worry where your next piece of bread is coming from how to pay your bills and your little ones crying they are hungry.SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! Maybe if Trudeau is removed from parliament we might have a shred of hope.
That’s great, it’s about time but considering the high cost of living, it’s not really enough if the bloody cost still keeps rising, what’s the point of the rebate if that’s the case, it’s ok for that crowd but what about others who are SUFFERING FOR FOOD, TO KEEP THEIR HOMES, THEIR JOBS,TO MAKE THEIR CHILDREN ,ELDERS AND VETERANS ARE FED AND HEALTHY. Next thing, people are going to start putting up tents or making tents and huddle together just to keep warm. Shameless ,cold hearted, gutless government. Forgets where they came from.
They announced a 500. Grocery rebate to Canadian … but you don’t get that. Your getting a percentage on if your married, if you have kids, if your signal, if your a senior.. as a Canadian citizen you are not getting the full 500… how does that seem fair. Grocery shopping cost the same no matter what your living situation is, something doesn’t sound right..
The grocery rebate should be every month. We pensioners and veterans are living in poverty. Instead of sending millions to other countries. Look after Canadians first.
Very poor robin gibson
Hello!
Thanks for the info. I do have a question though. You mentioned filing our taxes for 2021. Shouldn’t it be for 2022? Just wondering if calculations are made from the previous tax year or a year back. Not sure how it works, so forgive me, am just seeking to understand.
Thank you!
Hi JaCate, The calculation is made using 2021 tax returns. However, a person can qualify for the grocery rebate and not qualify for a GST/HST credit in July 2023, which is based on 2022 tax returns. You can refer to the Government of Canada website for details: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/goods-services-tax-harmonized-sales-tax-gst-hst-credit/grocery-rebate.html
Its sucks for my 19 yr old
I just did his taxes this year and lives on his own he misses out on all this money because he didn’t do it in 2021 he was only 17 . And if it comes out the GST he doesn’t get it till he was 19 anyways. He’s missing out on all these extra rebates and he lives on his own
Would really like to meet the idiots that believe that the Government taking tax dollars in to then give it back minus all the costs to collect and distribute, is a good idea. My guess is they are all in Eastern Canada where they think a moron for a Prime Minister is a good idea. On second thought I have no need to meet someone so lazy or stupid.
What if you don’t receive the gst are you still eligible for grocery rebate.
Every Canadian should be entitled to that rebate the only ones who are gonna benefit from this is people on incomeassistance and the elderly get less then people on assistance which isn’t fare either everybody has had it hard even the ones making 40,000.00 to 50,000.00 a year isn’t a lot of money
Why would it be based on 2021 income when it’s not payed out till 2023?
Why is there a distinction between single adults and seniors?
I would like to get info how to invest.
Seniors already starving & not enough pension at all
If you. Pay rent 1bedroom apt. It will cost 2677$ Do we get that pension? But people come from Ukraine the Government paying more yhan we get. Trudeau Government thinking about it. If Trudeau house have enough food & all politicians have more than enough. They never care about seniors.
The rebate should be given to all Canadian that filed for taxes not just low income families that’s just not fair
What happened to the B.C. $164 to the people offered by Mr. Eby?? We were to receive last year?
Thank you
Groceries rebate should be permanent for now, until inflation goes down, because prices for groceries are very high, rent, banks increase mortgage rates , gas prices are high, every thing is getting high and higher, so this groceries rebate will help!! But it will be good if it can continued it will help all Canadians, especially low incomers in this challenging time.
Thanks for the info.
Is there a proposed increase for persons on federal disability?
Why do single seniors get less than single younger people ??
This will do nothing
I think it is ridiculous to hand out that small amount of money. What can you buy for a measly small amount of money at a grocery store. Must be nice that our Canadian government can fork out money to other countries. And all we get is peanuts. That’s a slap in the face.
Why is there a difference of grocery rebate amount for single Canadians w/o children and seniors? Are seniors expected or assumed to eat less?
I never got Geines payments can you please explain me
Why are seniors who helped build our country and worked all their lives here ALWAYS at the bottom of the list and receive the least amount of help?….we worked hard all of our lives only to be treated like second class citizens in our own country and basically discarded at the end of our usefulness
If inflation affects everyone, why are we not ALL eligible? Horrible!
People just over the 49,999 don’t get nothing , BUT buy groceries just like everyone else.
The lower class gets everything , but the ones 65 to 75get frig all. It’s time for a new government
Any suggestions how a Single Senior can make additional income without the govt doing clawbacks which sort of ‘defeats the purpose.
Ideas for jobs that may pay in cash?
Thanks Shirley
Oh boy do you think this is going to help out now the very poor that slightly get along are now getting to ask eachother for help again and then you end up with barely anything someone said this was suppose to be 230 like but no as usual the government bs always
I want to know if all these people can live on 1250.00 dollars a month I know I’m struggling irs about time you raise the oas for use seniors instead of wasting our money on less important things
The ones that don’t have gst should get it to
If you’re given to one family give to all ,am out off work because car accident cens March 2 and not alot comes in
Yes, so true Patricia Ginson. All canadians should get. I live alone,support self. I struggle like the rest. Can’t afford to eat.But apparently 50,000 is alot of money, according to gov’d. I not even get gst.
are single senior citizens the same as single people because the payout is different
Nothing for me here: I am single in Kebek and earned $64 000 last year !
These x-tras from the Feds should go to the im-poverished, dis-enfranchised but not me. According to me Federal papers, I am entitled to GST refunds of about $64 per four months. If such is true, I will recycle that $64 into the economy: I will give it away to a charity that shall help those in need much before I. Like Dans la Rue or the Montreal SPCA !
You know, I wish people would stop with dividing – seniors, vets, but shit on odsp & social assistance. Everyone has a story!
The real enemy is the government, & as soon as they make increases, then the people won’t need government. It’s coming – what do you think the 2nd coming is all about?
Once money is eliminated- so is the government which we’ll no longer need!
Trudeau and Ford government support the rich, screw the poor. No wonder both government are in deep debt because of this.
Trudeau was hoping to buy votes from low income Canadians as he gives out grocery rebates.
I cant wait for my cows and ploughs to kick in…this is nothing compared to that..
Well I’m not a senior but why do they get paid less then one adult I guess the government don’t like seniors,Same with Covid oh it’s the seniors that are dieing,Oh they the government don’t give a shut about seniors they are the bottom of the stack.sad very sad and that’s my opinion I’m aloud that.
Why are they going to give lower income people grocery rebates on the 2021 income that we made while they were given people 2000 a month while in 2022 they made way less because they were no longer getting the same amount of money because they were just making minimum wages
To me an extra 100 dollars every 3 months is not much help,if it was every month yes,but only getting it when we get gst,no. I’m a senior, it’s pretty tough. The cost of groceries will probably double again by October
I am sick of Doug Ford all gravmenr I try to live on odap I did not ask to sick and have to stay home cancr is bad thing so maybe they can live on it the just like
It’s all good but it dosent help us pepole over,,65 they should add more to our old age penchion to help us service most months I Go hungry by the end of the month they should hick it up atlest a few hundred dollars to help with living
Middle class and poor always suffer rich people’s are enjoying along with government as middle class and poor we can cry only can’t do nothing it’s system work that way nothing else
I’m so excited. I can eat again. I will be getting app. $102.00 based on my salary from 2021. I’m now a senior on a fixed income. What a joke.
I’ll be lucky if I receive $88.00 for the grocery rebate. It’s a little help but what can that buy in this day and age.
I wonder what grocery the MP are buying each week. I’ll bet my $88 that it is in the hundreds. .
Always grateful for help, but what kind of magic is an amount somewhere between $81 and $225 as a ONE-TIME payment supposed to do to help cope with an 8.9% rise in food costs in the past 12 months plus whatever %age is coming in the next 12 months? If it was going to be a payment of $225.00/month for a year, I could make it work some magic
Corrupt politicians in this country they are above the law no one judge them, Steeling people tax money and give to other countries no limit!!! What is $225 dollars value? A pound of peaches today more than $6 as a senior buying fruits is out of my list !! I call on G8 countries to remove Canada from the world riches countries, Most Canadian suffering cost of living specially seniors.
This is a small band aid on a huge problem.
Why does this government continually hustle us with pretend rebates. Who makes $32,000 of less in Toronto and for Justin Trudeau $32,000 is just 5 days in a swanky hotel. Child care $10 a day. How many get this. And stats show there a few younger people than ever before. Fewer babies born as we hit a record low fertility rate a few years ago. People are struggling under this Liberals gov and Trudeau. How can the housing minister own so many rental properties but cannot tell Pierre the average cost of a home or rent in Canada?
How is it that the Heritage Minister has not Canadian Heritage and doesn’t even know our history either? How did this beautiful country become such a struggle for its population, while the Ministers and in particular got rich?
It’s bad when everybody’s struggling and our great leader, Trudeau brings his own chef when he goes out of town
Yes got a gst and a trillium in 2021 took three years for this payment to come to us people are getting it and some are not how is that fair the government is full of hog wash and don’t give a crap about they are all about there pockets being full. From an angry Canadian that is passed cause I did not get the rebate pissing government officials
Stull haven’t receivrd mine