If you’re still waiting to get your $200 “rebate” cheque from the province, you’re far from alone — only about half of them have been mailed out so far.
As of Jan. 28, the Ontario Ministry of Finance said 7.5 million of the approximately 15 million payments have been sent out. However, there have already been reports of issues with the rollout, along with confusion of when exactly some people can expect to receive their $200.
Here’s everything you need to know about the rebate cheques and what to do if you’re having any trouble getting or depositing them.
Who is eligible for a cheque?
All Ontario taxpayers over 18 years old who filed their 2023 income tax will receive a cheque by mail, the province has said. Families who qualify for the federal Canada Child Benefit payment could also receive an additional $200 for every child under 18 in their household.
Those who were bankrupt or incarcerated last year do not qualify for a payment, however.
The province estimates the payouts will cost the treasury $3 billion, despite a $6.6-billion budget deficit.
The timing of the cheque rollout — which began on Jan. 17 — overlaps with Ford’s call for a snap election earlier this week.
Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford, whose Conservative government announced plans to send out cash to Ontarians back in the fall, said at his election campaign kickoff event in Windsor on Wednesday that the payouts are meant to give people back their money to reinvest in the economy.
“The worst place you can give your money is the government because they know how to waste it,” he added.
What should I do if I can’t deposit my cheque?
Earlier this week, some people on social media posted about having issues depositing their cheques with their bank.
Ford put the blame on RBC on Wednesday, and for its part, the bank apologized for the “inconvenience” in an emailed statement to the Star.
“We undertake several steps to authenticate cheques that are cashed for deposit, ensuring that they are legitimate and received by the intended recipient. On very rare occasions, our protocols may result in a cheque being returned when it should have been processed, which is what occurred in this instance with a handful of cheques,” RBC continued.
Anyone who had issues with RBC does not need to redeposit their cheques, the bank wrote, noting that it resolved the problem on its end and credited peoples’ accounts.
Ford also acknowledged that Ontario residents who have moved or not updated information with the provincial government could also experience issues cashing in their money.
“We do have a hotline set up for people,” Ford said.
According to the provincial government’s website, people should contact Service Ontario at 1 (833) 351-0409 or 1 (888) 821-9056 with any problems they face.
What should I do if I haven’t received my cheque?
The cheque may still be on its way.
Ontarians can verify the cheque amounts for adults and children, the mailing address of the cheque and whether or not it has been mailed out on the Service Ontario website.
The system will require an account login, the last four digits of an individual’s Social Insurance Number, their date of birth and the postal code of the mailing address used in the Canada Revenue Agency tax return.
A person can only check their status a maximum of three times a day, the website reads.
What if I want to donate my cheque?
Some people online have posted that they plan to donate their $200 to charity — or even the Ontario NDP or Liberals — due to what they see as a waste of taxpayer money.
“There are a lot of people who $200 is nothing. But together it can do a lot,” Erin Brubacher, an organizer with 200dollars.ca, told the Star over the phone. The 200dollars.ca website was created soon after Ford announced his plan to send out the payments as a way to “redirect as much of the $3 billion to public good.”
People don’t give their donation to 200dollars.ca, but rather pledge to give it to another organization.
According to Brubacher, the website has seen 10,000 visits — which she noted doesn’t equate to a donation pledge — and pledges from people across over 100 communities around Ontario. Most of these donations are to food banks, she said, but housing and health care are other popular areas.
Brubacher also stressed that not everyone should donate their cheque money.
“If $200 is making a difference for your family when you receive it, then we wouldn’t want you to do anything but keep it.”
Other organizations, like Daily Bread Food Bank and Parkdale Food Centre have also started social media campaigns to encourage people donate to their causes.
With files from Estella Ren
