In an effort to help lower income Albertans make ends meet during these tough economic times, the NDP government has announced a new benefit for families.
The new Alberta Child Benefit is open to all families who earn less than $41,220 per year in net income.
It offers up to $1,100 annually for families with one child under the age of 18 and up to $2,750 for families with four or more children.
Irfan Sabir, the Minister of Human Services, says that it’s the NDP’s goal to help Alberta families facing hardship and the new benefit reflects that.
To qualify for the benefit, families must:
- File a 2015 tax return
- Live in Alberta for at least one month
- Have at least one child under the age of 18
- Meet the income requirements
Once the program is established, the government says that 235,000 children in 130,000 families will receive $195M in benefits.
The first payments are scheduled to be paid out in August.
The government also says that there are several free tax clinics for lower-income Albertans in place to help them file their tax returns.
For more information about the new Alberta Child Benefit, you can visit their website or contact staff via phone at 1-877-644-9992.
