The second application period for the federal government’s dental benefits program begins Saturday, so parents or guardians of eligible children can receive up to $650 per child for dental services for the coming year.
The amount of Canada Dental Benefit available per child under 12 depends on their annual family income, from $260 if the family’s adjusted net income is between $80,000 and $89,999, to $390 if it is between $70,000 and $79,999 $, up to $650 if under $70,000.
As of July 1, parents can apply for the benefit through their Canada Revenue Agency online account if they meet the following criteria:
- their child is under 12 years of age as of 1 July 2023;
- Their adjusted family net income is less than $90,000.
- they do not have access to private dental insurance. and
- their dental care costs are not fully covered by another dental program provided by any level of government.
Health Canada advises that parents applying for the benefit should also have the contact information of their child’s dental care professional, as well as the contact information of their employer and the date (or expected date) of their child’s dental appointment.
Last November, the Liberals’ NDP-backed affordability bill, which brought both the dental care benefit and rent assistance to lower-income Canadians — known as Bill C-31 — became law. The first application period for the dental allowance started on 1 December 2022.
Last fall, the federal finance agency briefed reporters on how the system will work for Canadians wishing to apply for these benefits, billing the system as “streamlined and user-friendly.”
According to Health Canada, more than 315,000 children accessed the benefit during the first eligibility period, from October 2022 to June 2023.
However, The Canadian Press reported in April that hundreds of thousands of Canadians may have lost their jobs at the time because the program had a “disgusting” reception.
The development of a dental care plan was a key component of the Liberal-NDP confidence and supply agreement drawn up nearly a year and a half ago, with the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois voting against it.
“Through the Canada Dental Benefit, we are helping children gain access to dental care at an early age,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos wrote in a statement Thursday. “In this way, we support healthier oral health and prevent pain and infection, potential problems with eating, speaking, playing or learning, as well as other future health problems.”
The Liberals promised to expand the program this year to youth under 18, seniors and people living with disabilities, and by 2025 to all Canadian families with incomes of less than $90,000 a year, with no premiums for anyone earning less than $70,000 a year.
With files from CTVNews.ca Senior Digital Community Reporter Rachel Aiello
