PRIME Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday launched applications for the interim Canada Dental Benefit for children under 12 who do not have access to private dental insurance. Eligible families can apply right away.
The Canada Dental Benefit will provide eligible parents and guardians with direct, tax-free payments of up to $650 per child, per year – to a maximum of $1,300 per child over the next two years – to help cover out-of-pocket dental care expenses for their children under 12.
The benefit is available to parents and guardians with an annual adjusted family net income under $90,000 who do not have access to private dental insurance. This benefit is expected to help up to 500,000 Canadian children get the dental care they need and is the first step toward providing dental coverage for Canadian families who need it most.
Trudeau said that delivering dental care for children under 12 is a key part of the government’s plan to continue making life more affordable this year and building an economy that works for all Canadians.
Quick Facts
- A third of Canadians currently do not have dental insurance, and in 2018, more than one in five Canadians reported avoiding dental care because of the cost.
- Eligible families can apply for the Canada Dental Benefit starting now through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) My Account portal or, if they do not have internet access, by phone at 1-800-715-8836. To access the benefit, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- They have a child or children under 12 as of December 1, 2022, and are currently receiving the Canada Child Benefit for that child;
- They have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000;
- Their child does not have access to private dental insurance;
- They have filed their 2021 tax return; and
- They have had or will have out of pocket expenses for their child’s dental care services incurred between October 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, for which the costs are not fully covered or reimbursed by another dental program provided by any order of government.
- Parents and guardians will need to keep the receipts for the dental care services that their child received with the Benefit for six years in case the CRA contacts them to validate eligibility.
- A national dental program is under development, with the goal of expanding dental coverage to under 18-year-olds, seniors, and persons living with a disability in 2023, with full implementation for all families with incomes under $90,000 by 2025.
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