On Universal Childcare Benefit retroactive payments, true or not?

[rubyalabar]

During a seminar/orientation here in the Philippines about settling in Canada, it was mentioned that we can claim for Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) if we have children below 6 years old. One interesting thing that was mentioned is that we can apply for retroactive payments from the time my child is born, even if outside Canada. They said it depends on the province, but CRA does this for newly landed immigrants.

Is this accurate or not?

Because if it is, I can claim more or less C$5,000 dollars worth of UCCB since my daughter was born July 2005. (very doubtful though)

Thanks in advance for the feedback!

 

[rubyalabar]

anyone?

 

[Leon]

As far as I can see from http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/uccb-puge/pplctn-eng.html you must be living in Canada to be able to claim this benefit. It is possible that you can apply for it retroactively but on the other hand, why should Canada give you tax benefits for years that you were not living in Canada and not paying tax in Canada?

 

[rubyalabar]

i read through the website, and in Service Canada website as well. It says, if one is late in applying for UCCB that they will pay up to 11 months retroactively. Wiill it apply to new immigrants? Or to those whose children were born in Canada and were not able to file their application for UCCB right after the child was born?

 

[Leon]

i read through the website, and in Service Canada website as well. It says, if one is late in applying for UCCB that they will pay up to 11 months retroactively. Wiill it apply to new immigrants? Or to those whose children were born in Canada and were not able to file their application for UCCB right after the child was born?

As per my understanding of their website, you are only eligible if you live in Canada so if you apply late, say 6 months after you arrive in Canada, you would get it retroactively for 6 months and if you apply as soon as you arrive in Canada, you would get it from that day.

 

[rubyalabar]

Thanks Leon

 

[toby]

As Leon says, it would make no sense for Canada (i.e. Canadian taxpayers) to want to pay childcare benefits to all immigrants for the years they were living outside Canada. To do so would be financial suicide.

The government is not sitting on a huge pile of cash, waiting to disburse it to immigrants. This money comes out of the pockets of individual taxpayers -- at great cost to them.

 

[Baloo]

Maybe if immigrants want retroactive payments, Canada might agree, but only if they pay all the retroactive taxes

 

[rubyalabar]

i only asked because i attended a seminar in the philippines and this was mentioned. Anyway, my husband was foreign worker for 2 years and paying taxes prior to getting our PR so you can't really say that we want to claim the benefit without paying our share.

 

[Baloo]

i only asked because i attended a seminar in the philippines and this was mentioned. Anyway, my husband was foreign worker for 2 years and paying taxes prior to getting our PR so you can't really say that we want to claim the benefit without paying our share.

I understood why you asked.
Please note that my comment "Canada might agree, but only if they pay all the retroactive taxes", was humour, not an accusation.

 

[rubyalabar]

Hi baloo, i was actually responding to what toby said i know what you said was humour.

 

[Baloo]

Hi baloo, i was actually responding to what toby said i know what you said was humour.

Sorry, it is late......

My apologies.

 

[toby]

Hi baloo, i was actually responding to what toby said i know what you said was humour.

I apologize. I meant to say that I know you were just trying to confirm/correct something said in a seminar, but that got edited out. I wasn't accusing you of trying to pick the pockets of Canadian taxpayers. Sorry if I seemed to.

But I do get irritated by those posters who ask for advice on how to "beat the system"; e.g. how to land in Canada and immediately get the province's health-care program to pay for an expensive medical procedure. The money for this comes out of taxpayers's pockets, and these posters don't seem to realize that they are asking taxpayers to tell the posters how to bilk taxpayers.

 

[rubyalabar]

No need to apologise baloo and toby, no offense taken. I'm still jetlagged, hard to adjust to the 14 hour time difference that's why i'm still logged in... Anyway, have a nice day!