CRA says Canadians to get grocery rebate payments in a few weeks

Millions of Canadians are closer to receiving hundreds more dollars from the federal government to help offset rising food costs.

You may be wondering when the proposed one-time grocery rebate will land in your bank account. It was introduced by the Liberals in the 2023 fiscal budget back in March as part of the Cost of Living Relief Act, or Bill C-64.

The House of Commons unanimously approved the legislation in April, and is set to pass the Senate by the end of this week.

Last Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said that Ottawa would roll out the payments in "just a few weeks."

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) agrees, but its definition of "a few weeks" might be different from what you're thinking.

In an email to Daily Hive, the CRA said it plans to begin issuing the payments two months from now. That would coincide with the next scheduled GST/HST credit payments.

"Pending the enactment of the proposed legislation, the Canada Revenue Agency expects to issue the Grocery rebate to eligible individuals in a few weeks, more precisely on July 5, 2023," said Sylvie Branch, spokesperson for the CRA.

Who's eligible, and how much will you get?

If Bill C-64 passes, the government says it'll provide $2.5 billion in targeted inflation relief for low to modest-income Canadians and families.

According to the budget, the grocery rebate will give eligible couples with two children up to $467 extra.

Single Canadians without children can get up to $234 extra, and seniors will get up to $225 extra on average.

However, the extra payment won't arrive as a separate deposit in your bank account. Instead, it'll be integrated with the regular GST/HST credit scheduled for July, says the CRA.

The plan did not get a good reception from Canadians when it was first announced. Canadians slammed the so-called grocery rebate, calling it a "band-aid solution" that doesn't address the real issues.