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UPDATE:
CRA just sent out the following update email for the dental program:
Applications for period 2 of the Canada Dental Benefit are now open!
Seeing a dental professional is important not only for oral health, but for overall health and wellbeing too. In Canada, a third of people do not have dental insurance, and many are unable to visit a dental health professional to get oral health services.
That’s why we are excited to announce that applications for period 2 of the interim Canada Dental Benefit are open as of July 1, 2023! During the first benefit period, the Canada Dental Benefit helped more than 315,000 children and we’re here to make it as easy as possible for families to get the financial support they need for dental care once again.
Here is information on who is eligible, how to apply, and how applicants can get ready now so that they can get their payments quickly once they apply.
Who is eligible and how much money can they receive?
To access the second benefit period, applicants must meet the all following criteria:
- They have a child or children under 12 as of July 1, 2023, and are currently receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for that child;
- They have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000;
- Their child does not have access to private dental care coverage;
- They have filed their 2022 tax return; and
- They have or will have out of pocket expenses for their child’s dental care services incurred in Canada between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, for which the costs have not been fully covered under another dental program provided by any level of government.
The interim Canada Dental Benefit provides families with a maximum of two payments per child and a maximum of $1,300 over the two periods.
The interim Canada Dental Benefit can provide an additional payment for some children who have dental costs more than $650 in one of the benefit periods. They would only meet the criteria for the additional payment if they are not applying for both benefit periods for that child. If they are eligible, the payment would be the same amount they received for the benefit period they applied for.
In the second benefit period, applicants can apply for one or two payments for each eligible child depending on their situation.
If they received a payment for a child in the first benefit period: that child will only be eligible for one more payment. They may apply for one of the following for their eligible child:
- A payment for dental care received between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
- The additional payment for the first period if their dental costs were over $650 between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.
If they did not receive a payment during the first benefit period: they could get up to two payments in the second period. If eligible, they could apply for both:
- A basic payment for their child’s dental care between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
- The additional payment for the second period if their child’s dental costs were, or will be, over $650 and they meet the criteria.
How to make the application process faster and easier:
Sign up for My Account: My Account is the quickest, easiest and most secure way to apply for the interim Canada Dental Benefit. It also allows users to view and manage all of their tax information in one place. They can register now using one of our convenient sign-in options.
Sign up for direct deposit: If your clients or members are signed up for direct deposit, they can receive their payment within 5 business days! They can sign up for direct deposit today in My Account or through many financial institutions.
Make sure personal information is up to date: To make it easier to apply when the time comes, individuals should make sure their personal information such as their address, banking, marital status, and child information are up to date. Users can quickly view and manage their personal information in My Account.
Filing 2022 tax return: In order to be eligible for period 2 of the Canada Dental Benefit, applicants will need to make sure they have filed their 2022 tax return. Filing taxes is easy with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or using NETFILE-certified software. They can also file online through a tax preparation service provider that is certified to use our EFILE service.
If you are unable to apply for this new benefit online, you can call us at 1-800-715-8836 to complete your application with an agent. Before calling, check the approximate wait times on Canada.ca and to validate your identity, make sure you have your SIN, address, date of birth, and a copy of your most recently assessed tax return.
Account security is our top priority!
The CRA continues to enhance the security of its digital services to further protect Canadians from fraudulent activity. When signing in or registering for My Account, your clients or members may notice security features such as multi-factor authentication and that they are required to provide an email address. These security enhancements will help them feel confident and safe using our digital services to view and manage their tax and benefit information.
Need More Information?
For more information on the interim Canada Dental Benefit, check the following resources:
- Who can apply – Canada Dental Benefit – Canada.ca
- How much you can get – Canada Dental Benefit – Canada.ca
- How to apply – Canada Dental Benefit – Canada.ca
- Return a payment – Canada Dental Benefit – Canada.ca
- Statistics – Canada Dental Benefit – Canada.ca
CRA recently sent the following email with new information on how to apply for dental benefits under the program:
Applications for the new Canada Dental Benefit are now open!
Seeing a dental professional is important not only for oral health, but for overall health and wellbeing too. In Canada, a third of people do not have dental insurance, and many are unable to visit a dental health professional to get oral health services. That’s why the Government of Canada has taken action to help those who need it most access dental care, starting with children under 12, by reducing cost barriers through the new interim Canada Dental Benefit.
We are excited to announce that as of December 1, 2022, applications for the new interim Canada Dental Benefit are now open, and that you may be eligible to apply! To make it as easy as possible for families to get the financial support they need for dental care, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is leveraging its experience in administering essential benefits to Canadians to deliver a smooth, secure, and user-friendly application process.
The information below will help guide you through some of the important questions that you might have when it comes to eligibility, how to apply, and how you can get your payments quickly:
Who is eligible and how much money can I receive?
The Canada Dental Benefit provides eligible families up-front, direct payments of up to $650 per year per eligible child for two years (totalling up to $1,300 ) for dental care services. Dental care costs retroactive to October 1, 2022 could be covered for qualifying children and families who were eligible as of December 1, 2022. In order to access the benefit, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You have a child or children under 12 as of December 1, 2022;
- You have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000;
- Your child does not have access to private dental insurance
- You incur out of pocket expenses for your child to receive dental care services between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, the costs of which are not fully covered or reimbursed by another program provided by any level of government;
- You are currently receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for that child; and
- You have filed your 2021 tax return.
How to Apply
You can apply for this new benefit now through your CRA My Account. If you apply online and are signed up for direct deposit, you can get your payment within five business days. Did you know that you can also securely access CRA’s My Account from your My Service Canada Account without having to sign in again or revalidate your identity? The link will take you directly to your CRA My Account within a single secure session.
If you are unable to apply for this new benefit online, you can call us at 1-800-715-8836 to get your application started. Before calling, check the approximate wait times on Canada.ca and to validate your identity, make sure you have your SIN, address, date of birth, and a copy of your most recently assessed tax return.
When applying, you’ll need to provide:
- the name, address and telephone number of your child or children’s dental care professional;
- the name, address and telephone number of your employer and your spouse’s or common-law partner’s employer; and
- the date (or expected date) of your child or children’s dental appointment.
How will I need to prove that I am eligible?
When applying for the benefit for the first benefit year, parents or guardians of eligible children will need to attest that:
- the child does not have access to private dental care coverage;
- the child has received, or will receive, dental care services between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023
Parents and guardians must keep their dental receipts for 6 years in case the CRA contacts them in the future to validate eligibility. Applicants that are found to be ineligible for the benefit during the verification processes will be will be required to repay the benefit they received.
How can I get ready to apply?
Here are some ways you can get ready before you apply so that you can get your money faster:
Sign up for My Account: My Account is quickest, easiest and most secure way for you to apply for the Canada Dental Benefit. It also allows you to view and manage all of your tax information in one place. Register now using one of our convenient sign-in options.
Sign up for direct deposit: If you are signed up for direct deposit, you can receive your payment within 5 business days! Sign up for direct deposit today in My Account or through many financial institutions.
Make sure your personal information is up to date: To make it easier to apply and get your payment, make sure your personal information such as your address, banking, marital status, and child information are up to date. You can quickly view and manage your personal information in My Account.
File your 2021 tax return: In order to receive the Canada Dental Benefit, you will need to make sure you have filed your 2021 tax return. Filing taxes is easy with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (if eligible) or using NETFILE-certified software. You can also file online through a tax preparation service provider that is certified to use our EFILE service.
Your account security is our top priority!
The CRA continues to enhance the security of its digital services to further protect Canadians from fraudulent activity. When signing in or registering for My Account, you may notice security features such as multi-factor authentication and that you are required to provide an email address. These security enhancements help you feel confident and safe using our digital services to view and manage your tax and benefit information.
Additional Resources
For more information on eligibility requirements, how to apply, and payment amounts for the new Canada Dental Benefit, visit canada.ca/dental.
Delivering dental care for children now | Prime Minister of Canada (pm.gc.ca)
Applications for the new Canada Dental Benefit are now open! – Canada.ca
Interim Canada Dental Benefit – walkthrough – YouTube
On November 17th, 2022 Canadian Prime Ministry Justin Trudeau announced a national dental plan benefit program for Canadians. Everything you need to know about the new program is contained below:
What is the new Canadian dental benefit program?
Under Bill C-31 the Canadian government will now help low income families with certain dental expenses.
When will the program start and become available and when can I apply?
The government is setting a tentative start date for the program for December 1, 2022 for Canadians to be able to sign up for the Canada dental benefit program. The government also is allowing expenses to be claimed retroactively to October 1, 2022.
Who is eligible for the dental benefits?
The program will be available to families with children under the age of 12 that have family incomes of less than $90,000.
How much with the dental payments be?
The amount of payments available for each family will depend on family overall net income:
- $650 will be available for each child for families with net income under $70,000
- $390 will be available for each child for families with net income between $70,000 and $79,999
- $650 will be available for each child for families with net income between $80,000 and $89,999
What type of dental expenses are covered?
We are still awaiting specifics, however the government outlined that they will be covering basic dental expenses such as dental exams, cleanings, x-rays and fillings.
Will this new benefit program reduce or change any existing benefits that families are receiving such as the child tax benefit?
According to the government release, no.
Is the Canada dental benefit taxable?
No.
How will the program actually work?
We are still awaiting details, however this is what we know so far:
- The program will be administered with the help of CRA using CRA online
- Taxpayers will have to attest that they are not already covered under a private dental plan, may need to provide out of pocket receipts and the use of the funds need to go towards eligible dental expenses
- You can try the new eligibility calculator here
Where can I get more information on the Canada Dental Benefit program?
- You can check back here for updates.
- You can visit the government page here
