Canada's New Grocery Rebate Would Give Up To $234 To Eligible Canadians — Here’s How It Works

What is the Grocery Rebate?

Put simply, it's a one-time increase to the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC). That's it! It has a special name presumably for political branding reasons, but for all intents and purposes, what the Grocery Rebate means is that eligible Canadians will receive a supplement to their January 2023 GSTC than they would in normal, non-economy-ruining years.

Who is eligible for the new Grocery Rebate?

The government classifies the GSTC as helping "low- and modest-income individuals and families." This materially means that families with a 2021 net income below $39,826 are eligible for the maximum amount in GSTC, and therefore will also receive the full Grocery Rebate this year.

How much does the Grocery Rebate give to eligible Canadians?

The maximum amount given by the Grocery Rebate is $153 per adult, $81 per child and $81 for the "single supplement," which is granted to some single adults without children and single parents. So the maximum rebate a single person with no children could get is $234 ($153 + $81).

There are some other technical details that further clarify precisely how much you'll get depending on your income.

For example, you'll get less money depending on how much greater than $39,826 your 2021 net income was, and for single adults without children, the single supplement is offered depending on how much more than $9,919 your income was.

When will Canadians receive their Grocery Rebate?

Canadians can expect to receive their money "as soon as possible following the passage of legislation," which means soonish probably but we can't say exactly when. What we do know is that the payment will operate through the GSTC system, so the legislation we're waiting for is simply to raise the maximum GSTC payout to allow the government to inject that extra cash into our bank accounts.