Budget 2019 announced new measures to further improve access to the Canada Workers Benefit
April 4, 2019 Ottawa, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
The Government of Canada is continuing to grow the middle class and help those working hard to join it by providing more support to low-income workers. Earlier this year, the Government of Canada introduced the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB), to help low-income workers take home more money while they work and encourage more people to join and stay in the workforce.
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, was in Ottawa to announce that low-income workers are now eligible to receive advanced payments of the CWB as of April. In addition, the Minister highlighted that Budget 2019 proposes $4 million over two years, starting in 2019-20, to conduct targeted outreach that would increase awareness of the CWB, including the advance payment provision, and to allow low-income workers to apply online for advance payments through Canada Revenue Agency's My Account portal.
The CWB is more generous than the Working Income Tax Benefit, which it replaces. For example, a low-income worker earning $15,000 a year could receive up to nearly $500 more under the program for the 2019 tax year than for 2018. This means more support to help cover essential expenses. The CWB will offer real help to more than 2 million Canadians who are working hard to join the middle class.
"The new Canada Workers Benefit will mean more money in the pockets of Canadians working to join the middle class. The implementation of this new benefit builds on the success of the Canada Child Benefit and the soon to be launched, Canada Housing Benefit. We will continue to look for ways to improve the benefit and support more Canadians working hard to join the middle class."
- The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
"The Canada Revenue Agency will calculate the benefit when Canadians file their taxes so that anyone who can benefit from it will receive it. We're also taking steps, as announced in Budget 2019, to allow low-income workers to apply online for advance payments of the benefit. Our government is committed to ensuring that Canadians are aware of the benefits and credits to which they are entitled and will continue to work for Canadians working hard to join the middle class."
- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue
Quick facts
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The CWB features a payment option that allows beneficiaries to receive up to four advance payments of the benefit throughout a year, totaling up to half of their estimated CWB entitlement for the year.
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It is estimated that low-income workers in Ontario will receive about $1.2 billion more through the Canada Workers Benefit during the 2018-19 to 2022-23 period as a result of Budget 2018 actions.
