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Big news for families who receive the Canada Child Benefit — the rules for the program have been updated, and the change will make a difference for certain Canadian parents beginning this month.
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a lifeline for many families across the country, helping with the costs of raising children. Starting in January 2025, grieving parents will see a change in how the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) handles these government payments.
The CRA has announced that families will now be able to receive CCB payments for six months after the death of a child, as long as the parent or guardian is still eligible. The change, first introduced in Budget 2024, also applies to the Child Disability Benefit.
Previously, CCB payments stopped at the end of the month following a child’s death, which left families scrambling to cover unexpected costs like funeral expenses, which are not covered by the benefit. Now, with this extra six months of support, parents have a bit more breathing room to focus on what matters most during this difficult time.
Families are still required to report the child’s death before the end of the following month to access the extended payments.
The update comes nearly three years after a petition calling on the federal government to extend CCB payments for two months after a child’s death was presented to the House of Commons.
“Funeral costs, as well as other expenses associated with death, can be significant and there is no public program to help families to cover said expenses when a child dies,” the petition reads.
“It would be in line with the spirit of the CCB program to continue providing payments for two months after the death of a child to help with the burden of funeral costs.”
The rule change officially kicked in on January 1, 2025.
This summer, CCB payment amounts are also set to get their annual increase for inflation.
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