News release

January Canada Child Tax Benefit payments

Ottawa, January 20, 2003... The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) will today issue Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) payments to more than 2.8 million recipients across Canada. The payments will total more than $664 million.

Recipients who are expecting a benefit payment and do not receive it by January 27 should contact the CCTB enquiry service at 1-800-387-1193. This service is available weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time).

This month marks the tenth anniversary of the Canada Child Tax Benefit. The CCRA administers this program, and issued the first payments on January 20, 1993. Since then, the CCRA has issued over 334 million payments worth more than $55.3 billion. Millions of Canadians have relied on these benefit payments to help them with the cost of raising children under the age of 18. The payments ensure that their children have the best possible opportunity to develop to their full potential as healthy, successful, and contributing members of society.

The CCRA will deposit CCTB payments directly into a recipient's account at a financial institution, on request. To take advantage of this option, the recipient has to complete Form T1-DD, Direct Deposit Request, which is available at any tax services office or tax centre.

Both spouses and common-law partners have to file a tax return to receive or continue to receive CCTB payments. Individuals who move should inform the CCRA immediately to ensure that there is no disruption in the delivery of their CCTB payments, even if they use direct deposit and their bank account does not change.

Each month, other entitlements are combined with the CCTB into a single payment. Therefore, the CCRA will also issue payments for the following provincial and territorial child benefit programs that it administers:

• BC Family Bonus
• New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit
• Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit
• Northwest Territories Child Benefit
• Nunavut Child Benefit
• Nova Scotia Child Benefit
• Saskatchewan Child Benefit
• Yukon Child Benefit

You can find more information about the CCTB on the "Media room" and "Child and Family Benefits" pages of the CCRA's Web site at www.ccra.gc.ca.

This document is also available for download in .pdf format.

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