Be Aware, Get Your Share

Federal and Provincial Benefits for Residents

Are you living on a low or modest income or getting social assistance?

Are you aware that if you file your taxes each year you can get your share from government programs?

Families with children

Filing your income tax return is the key to receiving benefits that may give you up to $13,000 in extra money. Your spouse or common-law partner must also file an income return. Here are examples of the extra money that may be available to you as a parent each year:

  • Canada Child Benefit up to $7,437 per child each year
  • Canada Learning Bond of up to $2,000 ($500 initial bond, $100 per year up to age 15) per child born on, or after, January 1, 2004
  • Child Disability Benefit up to $3,173 per child each year
  • Canada Workers Benefit up to $2,461 for the parent each year
  • Canada Workers Benefit Disability supplement up to $737 for the parent each year

If you file your taxes, and you are eligible for these programs, you may receive payments for each of these programs. But, you will not get this money if you do not file your taxes and continue to apply for the Canada Child Benefit.

Even more money may be available if you have more than one child. For example:

Federal GST/HST Credit

  • up to $992 per family with two children
  • plus $171 for each additional child

PEI Sales Tax Credit

  • up to $220 per family each year

For more information, go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca or call 1-800-387-1193.

Caregivers

If you support a spouse or common-law partner, or a dependant with a physical or mental impairment, the new Canada caregiver tax credit may be available to you.

For more information, visit www.canada.ca.

Single people without children

You may be eligible for up to $3,000 in extra money, including:

  • Canada Workers Benefit up to $1,428 for the worker each year
  • Canada Workers Benefit Disability credit up to $737 for the worker each year
  • Federal GST/HST Credit of up to $496 per year
  • PEI Sales Tax Credit of up to $165 per year

Even if you didn’t file your taxes in years past,  you may receive benefits for eligible years you missed, as long as you file your taxes for those past years.

Seniors

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provides a monthly non-taxable benefit to seniors receiving Old Age Security who have a low income and are living in Canada.

Once you have made an initial GIS application, your income tax information from your federal Income Tax and Benefit Return will be used to renew your eligibility for the GIS or other income tested benefits in the following years.

Get the GIS application online at www.servicecanada.gc.ca (then search GIS) or visit a local Service Canada location. To see the most up-to-date benefit amounts for Old age Security and GIS visit this link ​ or call 1-800-277-9914 for information.

These benefits are in addition to federal GST/HST and PEI Sales Tax Credits.

Post-Secondary Students

Low and middle income students can apply for needs-based support in addition to bursaries.

Recent Post-Secondary Graduates

If you graduated from a post-secondary program before the 2018-19 academic year with more than $6,000 in student loans per annum, you may be eligible for a debt reduction grant to help reduce your provincial student loan balance.

Need a hand to complete your income tax return?

The Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, a collaboration between community organization-volunteers and the Canada Revenue Agency, may be able to do your taxes for free. This free tax-help program is available to eligible taxpayers who have modest income and simple tax situations.

To see if you qualify for assistance and for details on tax-help clinics call 1-855-516-4405 or visit Canada.ca/taxes-help.

Locations for Free Tax Clinics in 2024

LOCATION

DATE

TIMES

Clinic Details

Murphy’s Community Centre, Room 207- 200 Richmond St.

Charlottetown, PE

Mondays - March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th & April 8th, 15th 22nd & 29th

Tuesdays - March 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th & April 2nd 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th

No Clinic on Easter Monday

Monday 9am - 12pm, 1pm -4pm, 6pm-9pm

Tuesday 9am - 12pm, 1pm -4pm

By Appointment (In-person Clinic)

Call for appointment

902-566-9602

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre

97 Queen St.

Charlottetown, PE

March 7th - April 27th

Thursday 6:30pm - 8pm

Saturday 1pm - 4pm

Thursday Drop-off only

Saturday Walk-in & Drop-off

For info call or email

902-894-1126

info@cpapei.ca

Cornwall Public Library

15 Mercedes Dr.

Cornwall, PE

March 5th - April 25th

Tuesday & Wednesday

1pm - 8:30pm

Thursday, Friday & Saturday

9:30am - 5:30pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-629-8415

Morell Public Library

89 Red Head Rd.

Morell, PE

March 6th - April 27th

Tuesday 3pm - 6pm,

Wednesday 10am - 2pm

Thursday 3pm - 6pm

Saturday 10am - 3pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-961-3389

Mount Stewart Public Library

104 Main Street

Mount Stewart, PE

March 6th - April 25th

Tuesday & Thursday

10:00am - 2:30m

Wednesday

3:00pm - 6:00pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-676-2050

Hunter River Memorial Library

19816 Route 2,

Hunter River, PE

March 5th - April 27st

Tuesday 4pm - 8pm

Wednesday 2pm - 5pm

Friday & Saturday

9am - 2pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-964-2800

Kinkora Public Library

45 Anderson Rd.

Kinkora, PE

March 5th - April 26th

Tuesday 11am - 4pm

Wednesday 4pm - 7pm

Friday 9am - 1pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-887-2172

Montague Rotary Library

53 Wood Islands Rd.

Montague, PE

March 4st - April 27th

Monday, Friday & Saturday

10am - 4pm

Tuesday 10am - 5pm

Wednesday & Thursday

10am - 8pm

Drop-off only

For info call or email

902-838-2928

montague@gov.pe.ca

O’Leary Public Library

18 Community St.

O’Leary, PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday 10am - 4pm

Thursday 4pm - 8pm

Friday 12pm - 4pm

Saturday 10am - 2pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-859-8788

St. Peter’s Public Library

1968 Cardigan Rd.

St. Peters, PE

March 7th - April 25th

Tuesday & Thursday

10am -1:30pm

Wednesday 1pm-6pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-961-3415

St. Eleanors Lions Club

121 East Dr.

Summerside, PE

March 7th - April 25th

Thursday 9am - 4pm

By appointment (In-person clinic)

Call for appointment

1-855-888-6837

Tignish Public Library

103 School St.

Tignish, PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday 11am - 5pm

Thursday 2pm - 8pm

Saturday 10am - 1pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-882-7363

Alberton Public Library

11 Railway St.

Alberton, PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday 3pm - 8pm

Wednesday & Friday

10am - 4pm

Saturday 10am - 2pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-231-2090

Stratford Public Library

25 Hopeton Rd.

Stratford, PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday & Wednesday

9:30am - 8:30pm

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 9:30am - 5:30pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-569-7441

Souris Volunteer Tax Clinic

75 Main St.

Souris PE

March 6th - April 24th

Wednesday 9am-2pm

Drop-off, Walk -in & By appointment

For info call or email

902-215-0620

vchaiss@hotmail.com

John Howard Society

206-155 Queen St.

Charlottetown PE

February 28th - April 30th

Monday to Friday

9am - 12pm

By appointment, Drop-off  & Walk-in

For info call or email

902-566-5425

johnhowardsociety@pei.aibn.com

Summerside Rotary Library

57 Central St.

Summerside PE

March 4th - April 28th

Monday 12pm - 8pm

Tuesday 10am - 9pm

Wednesday & Thursday

10am - 6pm

Friday & Saturday

10am - 5pm

Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Drop-off during Library open hours

For info call 902-436-7323

Borden-Carleton Public Library

244 Bordon Ave.

Bordon-Carlton, PE

March 6th - April 27th

Monday 10am -2pm

Wednesday 4pm -8pm

Saturday 9am -1pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-437-6492

Kensington Heritage Library

6 Commercial St.

Kensington PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday, Friday & Saturday

10am - 4pm

Wednesday 10am - 6pm

Thursday 10am - 8pm

Drop-off only

For info call 902-836-3721

Bibliothèque Publique Dr. J Edmond Arsenault

5 Acadian Dr.

Charlottetown PE

March 5th - April 27th

Tuesday 8:30 am - 3:30pm

Thursday 12pm - 8pm

Saturday 9am - 1pm

Drop-off/Virtual

For info call 902-368-6092

carrefour@gov.pe.ca

IRSA Immigrant and Refugee Services Association PEI

Carriage House

2 Kent St.

Charlottetown PE

March 9th - April 28th

Saturday 1pm - 5pm

Sunday 5pm - 10pm

Monday 9am - 1pm

Walk-in

By Appointment

For info call or email

(902) 628-6009

info@peianc.com

Georgetown Genevieve Soloman Memorial Library

47 Kent Street

Georgetown PE

March 5th – April 26th

Tuesday 3:00pm-7:00pm

Wednesday 9:00am – 1:00pm

Thursday & Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm

Drop off

For info call or email:

902-238-3003

georgetown@gov.pe.ca

Super Clinics on PEI - 2024

LOCATION

DATE

TIMES

Clinic Details

Montague Super Clinic

Cavendish Wellness Centre

21 Sullivan Drive

Montague PE

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

3pm - 7pm

Walk -in

Other service providers present offering information and services:

Canada Revenue Agency

Service Canada

Office of Net Zero, along with efficiency PEI

PEI Seniors Navigator

Employment & Social Development Canada

Charlottetown Super Clinic

Murphy’s Community Centre Room 200 Richmond St.

Charlottetown, PE

Monday, March 18, 2024

9am - 4pm

By appointment 902-566-9602

Other service providers present offering information and services:

Canada Revenue Agency

Service Canada

Office of Net Zero, along with efficiency PEI

PEI Seniors Navigator

Employment & Social Development Canada

Summerside Super Clinic

St. Eleanors Lions Club

121 East Dr.

Summerside, PE

Thursday, March 28, 2024

9am - 3pm

By appointment 855-888-6837

Other service providers present offering information and services:

Canada Revenue Agency

Service Canada

Office of Net Zero, along with efficiency PEI

PEI Seniors Navigator

Employment & Social Development Canada

Other Programs

Some provincial programs require proof of income to be eligible. The only proof that the Government of PEI accepts is the notice of assessment which the Canada Revenue Agency sends after you file an income tax return.

Families can get help from programs like these:

Seniors Independence Initiative

Eligible seniors can get help with services like light housekeeping, meal preparation, grass-cutting or snow removal.

Provincial Children’s Benefit

The upcoming PEI Children’s Benefit is set to launch January 2025. This benefit will support low to medium income families, helping to offset the costs of raising children. This Benefit will be in addition to the Canada Child Benefit.

 

Published date: 
March 11, 2024
Social Development and Seniors

General Inquiries

Department of Social Development and Seniors
2nd Floor, Jones Building
11 Kent Street
PO Box 2000
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8

Phone: 902-620-3777
Toll-free: 1-866-594-3777
Fax: 902-894-0242

DeptSDS@gov.pe.ca