The parliamentary budget office estimates the Canada Child Benefit program would cost $1.1 billion more over the 2021-2024 fiscal years if pandemic supports had not been paid out to families and the employment insurance program had not been interrupted by COVID-19.
The report, released Wednesday, focuses on the effect the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Recovery Benefits had on child benefit payments to families. It provided costing estimates for several scenarios.
The program would have cost the government $1.45 billion more if CERB and CRB payments were not considered income in assessing a recipient’s eligibility, the report said.
The child benefit was introduced by the federal government in July 2016 as a tax-free means-tested benefit….