Making Dental Care More Affordable: The Canada Dental Benefit

Making Dental Care More Affordable: The Canada Dental Benefit

Seeing a dentist is important for our health, but it can be expensive. 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.The Federal government is proposing the new interim Canada Dental Benefit for eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year. It would provide financial support for parents and guardians of children under 12 years old if they receive dental care and do not have access to a private dental insurance plan. Children already covered under another government dental program may also be eligible if not all dental care costs are paid by that program. Families would be able to apply for a payment for each eligible child.

This is the first stage of the Federal government’s plan to deliver dental coverage for families with income under $90,000, and will allow eligible children under 12 to get the dental care they need while a comprehensive national dental care program is developed.The proposed Canada Dental Benefit would provide eligible parents or guardians with direct, up-front tax-free payments to cover dental expenses for their children under 12-years-old.

The target implementation date for the Canada Dental Benefit is December 1, 2022, pending Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent of enabling legislation, and the program would cover expenses retroactive to October 1, 2022.
The Canada Dental Benefit would provide payments as follows to families without dental coverage:

• $650 would be provided for each eligible child if the family’s adjusted net income is under $70,000.

• $390 would be provided for each eligible child if the family’s adjusted net income is between $70,000 and $79,999.

• $260 would be provided for each eligible child if the family’s adjusted net income is between $80,000 and $89,999.

It is estimated that 500,000 Canadian children would benefit from this targeted investment of $938 million.
To apply for the Benefit, parents or guardians of eligible children would need to apply through your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) My Account. In addition, they would need to attest that:

• Their child does not have access to private dental care coverage;

• They will have out of pocket dental care expenses for which they will use the Benefit;

• They understand they will need to provide documentation to verify out of pocket expenses occurred (e.g. show receipts), if required.

The Canada Dental Benefit would not reduce other federal income-tested benefits such as the Canada Workers Benefit, the Canada Child Benefit, and the Goods and Services Tax Credit.The federal government remains committed to providing dental care to Canadians, and continues to take needed steps to build a comprehensive national long-term dental care program.

Applications may be available after December 1, 2022 and may include dental services that occur on or after October 1, 2022. Sign up for your My Account to access this benefit when it becomes available.