The Canadian government set up an interim Canada Dental Benefit for kids under 12 to help families pay for dental care. The new Canada Dental Benefit is now accepting new applications. Families can apply for funding for each child. They can get up to $650 per child per year for two years (totaling up to $1300 for each child) in direct payments for dental care services. Read on to learn more about this exciting news!
WHAT IS THE NEW PLAN FOR CANADA DENTAL BENEFIT?
Getting dental care is important for both your oral and overall health. The most common health problem for kids is tooth decay, but it can be stopped. This is true everywhere, not just in Canada. Oral diseases often start in preschool, so get in the habit of doing good things right away. One-third of Canadians, which is a big problem, don't have dental insurance. This means that they can't prevent or treat oral health problems by going to a dentist or another oral health specialist because it costs too much.
On December 1, 2022, the Canadian government started the Canada Dental Benefit as a temporary solution for kids under 12 who don't have private dental insurance. Starting in 2022-23, Health Canada would get $5.3 billion over five years and $1.7 billion every year after that to help pay for Canadians' dental care. This benefit will help up to 500,000 kids in Canada get the dental care they need (Canada Dental Benefit - Canada.ca, n.d.). Now, many parents in Canada can give their kids the dental care they need without worrying about the cost. It's the first step towards helping Canadian families in need get dental coverage. The government will keep working on making a long-term dental care program for Canadians.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR CANADA DENTAL BENEFIT?
To qualify for the benefit, you must meet all of the following requirements:
you have a child under 12 on December 1, 2022,
you receive Canada Child Benefit (CCB),
you have a family net income of less than $90,000,
your child has no dental insurance,
you have filed their 2021 tax return,
you payment for your child's dental care to eligible dentists between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023,
your child's dental care expenses are not covered or reimbursed by another government dental program.
HOW MUCH YOU CAN GET?
Each qualified child can receive up to $1300 tax-free ($650 per year for two years), depending on the family's adjusted net income.
If the family's adjusted net income is under $70,000, each qualifying child receives $650.
If the family's adjusted net income is between $70,000 and $79,999, each eligible child receives $390.
If the family's adjusted net income is between $80,000 and $89,999, each eligible child receives $260.
For certain children who have dental costs that are higher than $650 during one of the benefit periods, the program may offer an extra payment as a supplemental assistance. The submission period will begin on July 1, 2023 for that.
WHEN YOU WILL GET THE MONEY?
Two time periods are covered by the benefit.
On December 1, 2022, the CRA opened the application portal for the Timeframe #1. For children and families that met the requirements as of December 1, 2022, the benefit will cover dental care back to October 1, 2022.
In order to be eligible for the benefit, families should submit their applications prior to their children's dental appointments.
The quickest way to get your Canada Dental Benefit payment is through direct deposit, so make sure to to set up direct deposit with CRA, and that your direct deposit information is current and up to date. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is in charge of handling all the applications and payments for the dental benefits. It will usually take between 5 and 10 business days to process a payment.
HOW CAN YOU APPLY FOR CANADA DENTAL BENEFIT?
You will get two options to apply for the Canada Dental Benefit either by phone or online. You can submit application for each of your children at the same time or independently.
Apply by Phone: Call the CRA at 1-800-715-8836 between 8 am and 8 pm local time, Monday through Friday, and 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday to apply for the Canada Dental Benefit.
Apply through Online Portal: You can apply online through either your "CRA My Account" or through your "Service Canada Account". The services are available online every day from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. (EST).
It is needed that parents or guardians fill out an eligibility form for their children, in which they state when and how many of their children require dental care, as well as whether or not those children are covered by any other dental insurance.
They will also need to confirm their identity during application, Each eligible child's dental care provider's name, address, and phone number must be included, as well as the anticipated date of any eligible dental appointments.
AFTER YOU APPLY
Families who are eligible can start applying now. For the purpose of application validation, the CRA advises parents to save six years' worth of dental receipts.
Although current applications are only open for parents and guardians with children under 12 years of age, it will expand to include anyone under 18, as well as seniors and people living with a disability in 2023 with full implementation by 2025 (Chapter 6: Strong Public Health Care | Budget 2022, n.d.).
REFERENCES:
Canada Dental Benefit - Canada.ca. (n.d.). Canada Dental Benefit - Canada.ca. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/dental-benefit.html
Here’s who can get free dental care under Canada’s new budget | News. (2022, April 8). Here’s Who Can Get Free Dental Care Under Canada’s New Budget | News. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/dental-care-canada-budget-2022
Chapter 6: Strong Public Health Care | Budget 2022. (n.d.). Chapter 6: Strong Public Health Care | Budget 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.budget.canada.ca/2022/report-rapport/chap6-en.html#2022-0