The Canada Revenue Agency Will Review Around 200K Canadians’ Benefits In 2023 — Here’s Why

Canadians should be sure to keep an eye out for a potential letter from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) notifying them that it's reviewing their benefits this year.

Online, the CRA says it sends about 200,000 such letters every year to Canadians whose information needs updating or who may be receiving incorrect benefit or credit amounts.

"The CRA is responsible for ensuring that benefits are issued only to eligible individuals and families. In pursuit of that goal, the CRA routinely carries out randomly-selected validation reviews, based on impartial criteria," the federal agency told MTL Blog.

Some of the information the CRA may seek includes residency, marital status, and the identity of a primary care provider for a child, all things that could determine eligibility for some federal programs and the payment amount beneficiaries could receive.

The agency could ask for supporting documents, which it says can be submitted via mail or fax, or even online through a CRA My Account.

Despite what may seem like an overwhelming situation, Christopher Doody, media relations representative for the CRA, told MTL Blog that "it is not the CRA's intention to cause anyone emotional or financial hardship."

The CRA assures that people who get letters won't stop receiving benefits. And in the event that someone doesn't respond, the CRA will just make its own adjustments, the agency explains online.

And Doody says that "if a benefit recipient is having difficulty getting the requested information, cannot meet the deadline stated in the letter or, if they have any questions, it’s important that they call the telephone number in the letter as soon as possible."

Furthermore, if you are unsure about the legitimacy of your letter or have concerns about the number provided, the CRA encourages you to call 1-800-959-8281 in order to verify its authenticity.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.