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Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario

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Expand Access to the Canada Child Benefit!

March 28, 2022

The Canadian Government has determined that based on their immigration status, some parents are not entitled to receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for their children.

One of the eligibility criteria for the Canada Child Benefit, as specified in the Income Tax Act, is the immigration status of the child’s parents. As a result, many children in Canada whose families are striving to make Canada their home permanently are unfairly and arbitrarily excluded, including:

  • Children of refugee claimants awaiting a determination of their claim
  • Children who cannot leave Canada for reasons beyond their control, such as those whose parents are from countries where Canada has issued a moratorium on removal because of dangerous conditions
  • Children who are Canadian citizens, but whose parents do not fall within the limited immigration eligibility categories.

We know that the CCB has had a major effect on lifting children and families out of poverty. Continuing to restrict access to the benefit for some children and families just doesn’t make sense. The government must stop fighting children and their vulnerable parents in court, and expand access to the CCB right away!

What you can do:

Learn more about the issue by reading our co-authored report “Every Child Counts” (2018) by clicking here.

Write a letter to your MP asking them to support our call to expand access to the CCB and:

  • Eliminate subsection 122.6(e) of the Income Tax Act and allow all parents who follow the law and file taxes with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) the ability to receive CCB for their children.

Find your MP using your postal code here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en

Talk to people and organizations in your community using points from the CCB backgrounder document posted here (PDF only)

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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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1500 – 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
Tel: (416) 597-5820 • Toll Free: 1-866-245-4072 • Fax: (416) 597-5821

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This site contains general legal information for people in Ontario, Canada. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem. ISAC is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization. ISAC is funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). The funding for this website is also provided by LAO. The views expressed in any of ISAC’s publications (including written, oral, or visual) are the views of the clinic and do not necessarily reflect those of LAO.