OTTAWA,
ON, June 27, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canada
Revenue Agency (CRA) is responsible for collecting individual
overpayments for all COVID–19 benefit programs, such as the
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
(CERB), the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the Canada Worker
Lockdown Benefit (CWLB).
Starting in July 2024, for
individuals who have not responded or co-operated, and who have
been determined to have the financial capacity to pay, legal
warnings will be issued and legal measures could be taken to
recover monies owed. Legal measures are only taken when there
is no cooperation from an individual with ability to repay the
debt.
How to pay your debt
Paying off your debt immediately remains the best way for you to
avoid legal measures. It's important to note there are no penalties
and interest on emergency benefit overpayment debts.
We offer a number of options for you to make a payment even
without having to contact us, such as online or through a financial
institution. We encourage individuals to follow the directions they
receive in any correspondence from the CRA without delay.
If you can't pay on time
The CRA remains committed to supporting Canadians who, for
different reasons, are not able to repay their debts. If you cannot
pay the total amount owing immediately, we encourage you to contact
the CRA to develop suitable payment arrangements based on your
ability to pay. Not contacting the CRA when receiving a legal
warning will result in legal measures that could be avoided.
Debt Collection
The CRA has always been transparent that eligibility to programs
relied on individuals to establish their own eligibility based on
provided criteria and would later be reviewed. As expected, we are
still conducting a meticulous process of reviewing emergency
benefits payments. This ongoing process started by issuing initial
contact letters to some benefits recipients to request documents to
support their claims. The second step was to issue Notices of
Redetermination to individuals who were deemed to be ineligible for
a portion or all of their claim, or who did not respond to the
initial contact letters.
In May 2022, the CRA began its
collection approach by sending letters favouring voluntary payment.
Then in February 2023, the CRA
started issuing collection letters to individuals who had not made
an effort to resolve their overpayment. The CRA also made several
attempts to reach individuals by phone.
To get more information
Visit How to make a repayment: Repay COVID-19 benefits -
Canada.ca or contact the CRA at 1-833-253-7615, between
Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
(ET).
Canadians expect the CRA to ensure benefits are only paid to
those who are entitled, and to do so in a manner which recognizes
individuals' and families' financial situations. As expected, we
are still conducting a meticulous process of reviewing emergency
benefits payments.
Contact
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca
Stay connected.
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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency