Check if you have unclaimed benefit cheques from the government

A variety of circumstances may contribute to Canadians not receiving or cashing their Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) cheques.

This includes instances where individuals have moved or changed addresses without updating their information; recipients who have passed away or mistakenly believed the payment to be an error; or cheques that have been lost or stolen.

Annually, the CRA sends out millions of payments in the form of refunds and benefits, delivered through either direct deposit or cheque issuance.

According to the CRA’s website, unclaimed funds totalling approximately $1.4 billion lie within uncashed cheques over the years.

As of May 2022, an estimated 8.9 million cheques remain uncashed with the CRA.

The objective is to ensure that this money is returned to its rightful place—”in the pockets of taxpayers,” the CRA notes.

In 2020, the CRA introduced a feature allowing taxpayers to access and retrieve unclaimed benefit and credit payments through My Account —with the option of receiving electronic notifications via email. Canadians can now review their uncashed cheques with the CRA, some dating back to 1998— ensuring they collect payments rightfully belonging to them.

Since the CRA initiated this effort in February (2020), Canadians have redeemed approximately two million uncashed cheques, amounting to $802 million, between Feb. 10, 2020, and May 31, 2022.

The Canadian government emphasizes that these cheques, never expire or have a stale date. As a result, the CRA cannot void the original cheque and reissue a new one unless specifically requested by the account holder— a process that involves a verification, potentially requiring the completion of forms, with the issuance of a replacement cheque if deemed necessary.

Individuals holding a cheque for someone who has passed away, are advised to deliver the cheque to the person managing the tax affairs of the deceased. Alternatively, they can return the cheque to the CRA. If the individual is tasked with handling the tax affairs of the deceased, they should deposit the cheque into the estate account and complete the final tax return

Taxpayers can log into My Account, by selecting “uncashed cheques” under “related services,” and easily check for CRA cheques left uncashed for six months or more.

Representatives can also view uncashed cheques for clients through the Represent a Client Service.

Another option for individuals to swiftly receive payments directly into their bank accounts, is to  enroll in direct deposit through My Account.

Individuals without a CRA account or those who have not enabled email notifications can inquire about uncashed cheques by calling 1-800-959-8281.

With a little over a month left until the end of the year, here are all the benefit cheques coming to Canadian households before Christmas