News release

December Canada Child Tax Benefit payments issued one week early

Ottawa, December 12, 2001... The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) is pleased to announce that the December Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) payments will be issued one week earlier than usual. CCTB payments totalling more than $648 million, to more than 2.8 million recipients across Canada, will be issued tomorrow instead of December 20.

The CCRA hopes that, by making the payments earlier this month, it will help make budgeting easier for Canadian families at this time of year. The CCRA supports this kind of flexibility that contributes to the social and economic well-being of Canadians.

A new provincial program is being launched this month. Payments under the Mother Baby Nutrition Supplement (MBNS) program will be included with the December payment of the Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit. Funded entirely by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the MBNS is designed to provide monthly support to help ensure the health and well-being of expectant mothers and families with children under the age of one. The province will administer the pre-natal portion of the program, while the CCRA will administer the portion that covers payments to families with children under the age of one.

Clients who are expecting a benefit payment and have not received it by December 20 should contact the CCRA's CCTB enquiry service at 1-800-387-1193 for service in English or 1-800-387-1194 for service in French. This service is available weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time).

Clients can have their CCTB payments deposited directly into their account at their financial institution. To take advantage of this option, clients have to complete Form T1-DD, Direct Deposit Request, which they can get at their 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 must inform the CCRA immediately to ensure that their CCTB payments are not disrupted, even if they use direct deposit and their bank account does not change.

As other entitlements are combined each month with the CCTB into a single payment, payments for the following provincial and territorial child benefit programs administered by the CCRA will also be issued early:

• 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

Information on the CCTB can also be found on the "Newsroom" and "Child and Family Benefits" pages on the CCRA's Web site at www.ccra.gc.ca/benefits

CCTB12/01

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

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