Several parents are complaining on social media that they have not received the Canadian child support families depend on to complete the month, for reasons currently unknown.
Some people claim to have received up to $500 less than usual with no explanation, and others claim to have received it in advance.
Canadian child support is usually paid every 20th day of the month.
A mother living in Longueuil has been on the phone with Canada’s tax authorities for almost five hours to try and get more information.
Given the inflationary context, some parents depend on Canadian child support.
Do you have debts?
One of the first questions to ask yourself, according to TurboTax spokesman Francois Gagnon, is, “Do you owe the government anything?”
According to this expert, the government reserves the right to confiscate or withhold an amount of Canadian child support if you are in debt.
“If you owe money to a federal agency or department, and that same or another federal agency or department owes you money, those funds may be applied to your debt. This may include, but is not limited to, amounts such as income tax refunds and GST/HST credits, as well as benefit payments or other applicable credits that you may be entitled to that portion of the crown,” he said.
However, he mentions that you should have been warned about your file or by letter.
The Canada Revenue Agency advises on its website that Canadian child support is recalculated based on the following situations:
- At the beginning of each payment period (in July) to reflect the information on the income tax returns you and your spouse or domestic partner filed for the previous year;
- After any reassessment of a tax return filed by you or your spouse or domestic partner that changes the amount of your allowance;
- After a change in your marital status;
- Following a change in the number of eligible children in your care;
- Whenever you tell us about changes in your situation that could affect your performance.