The Canada PRO Deposit is what payments would appear in your bank account from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for some government programs that provide direct deposits for eligible Canadians in two provinces: Ontario and Alberta. The primary purpose of Canada PRO Deposit payments is to help families and individuals with lower incomes receive financial support to make ends meet.
In Ontario, there are three programs under the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) which provides monthly payments to eligible households to assist with the costs of living:
Ontario Trillium Benefit payments appear in your bank account as a Canada PRO Deposit.
Alberta's program is called the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) which provides monthly payments to eligible parents or guardians to help with the costs of raising children.
To qualify for any Ontario Trillium Benefit, you’ll need to be an Ontario resident and meet at least one of the following conditions before June 1 following the benefit year:
Besides these eligibility criteria, you must also qualify for each credit or benefit.
The Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC) helps eligible families and individuals with lower incomes to offset high energy costs. If you qualify, you could receive up to $172 annually, or $265 for a family.
To qualify for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, you’ll need to be living in one of these areas:
Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance
You’ll qualify for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit if you live in one of the areas listed above and:
With the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, you’ll receive $172 for single Ontarians, while families can receive up to $265.
The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) helps low-income and moderate-income families and individuals with the costs of energy, property taxes or rent. If you qualify, you could receive up to $1,194 annually for a single person or $1,360 for seniors.
To be eligible for the credit, you must meet one of the following criteria:
With the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, you can receive up to:
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC) helps Ontarians offset the cost of sales tax on items they pay for. If you qualify, you could receive up to $345 annually for a single person, and up to another $345 for your spouse or common-law partner, and each dependent child under 19 years of age.
The Ontario Sales Tax Credit is in addition to any federal GST/HST credits.
To be eligible for the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, you’ll need to be an Ontario resident and meet the basic criteria for Ontario Trillium Benefits:
With the the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, you’ll get up to:
You’ll apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit when you file your personal income tax return each year. To do so, you’ll need to complete the ON-BEN Application Form.
If you don’t file your taxes and complete the ON-BEN form, you won’t receive any Ontario Trillium Benefit or Canada PRO payments for the year.
Since Ontarians over the age of 18 can qualify, if you will be turning 18 in the year you’re applying for the Ontario Trillium Benefit, you’ll still need to file a tax return and submit an ON-BEN form to receive your payments. You’ll start receiving your Canada PRO deposits after the month that you have turned 18. This means that you won’t have to wait an entire year after you’ve filed your taxes to receive the payments.
The Ontario Trillium Benefit will either be paid as a single payment in June of the following year, or as monthly payments for the year starting in July of this year, as Canada PRO Deposits by the CRA.
You can choose between getting either a single payment or spreading the benefit out over monthly payments if your total benefit to be paid is over $360.
If your benefit is less than $360, it will be paid as a single payment in July. If your benefit is less than $10 but more than $2, you’ll be paid $10 in July. Benefits under $2 are not paid out.
The OTB is paid out on the 10th of each month, with some payment dates before or after the 10th due to weekends and holidays.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) provides monthly payments to eligible parents or guardians to help with the costs of raising children. The benefit is based on family size and net family income, with higher payments available for lower-income families that work.
To qualify for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, you’ll need to:
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit pays out:
With four or more children, you can receive up to $3,325 per year if your income is less than $25,935. If your family income is more than $25,935, the benefit will be reduced.
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit encourages families to work by providing an additional benefit if they make more than $2,760 per year. This is called the working income component, and pays out an additional:
Families that make more than $43,460 will have reduced benefit payments.
You’ll be considered for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit automatically when you file your taxes and qualify for the Canada Child Benefit. There’s no separate form that you have to complete to apply for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit.
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit is paid out quarterly in four payments each year. You’ll receive these payments as Canada PRO Deposits by the CRA. If your benefit amount is $10 or less, you might receive less frequent deposits.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency
As a single resident of Ontario, if you qualify for all three Ontario Trillium Benefit credits, you can receive a maximum of:
For a total annual Canada PRO deposit of $1,711. Since this is over $360, you can choose to get monthly Canada PRO deposits of $142.59 or as a single payment of $1,711. You can qualify for greater OTB payments if you meet certain eligibility criteria.
For Alberta, if you were to have four or more children and met the income threshold, you could receive up to:
For a total annual Canada PRO deposit of $5,427. This would be paid out in quarterly Canada PRO deposits of $1,356.75 each, in August, November, February, and May.
Canada PRO Deposit dates for each of the provinces are shown in the table below for 2023.
Ontario | Alberta |
---|---|
January 10, 2023 | February 27, 2023 |
February 10, 2023 | May 26, 2023 |
March 10, 2023 | August 25, 2023 |
April 6, 2023 | November 27, 2023 |
May 10, 2023 | |
June 9, 2023 | |
July 10, 2023 | |
August 10, 2023 | |
September 8, 2023 | |
October 10, 2023 | |
November 10, 2023 | |
December 8, 2023 |
You’ll be considered for the Ontario Trillium Benefit and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit when you file your income taxes each year. With the Ontario Trillium Benefit, you’ll need to fill out the ON-BEN Application Form.
Yes, you must reapply for Canada PRO benefits each year by filing your income taxes. If you do not file an income tax return, even if you have no income, you will not receive any benefit payments.
Canada PRO deposits will be sent to your bank account if you have set up direct deposits with the CRA, or they will be mailed to you as a cheque.
No, Canada PRO deposits and their benefits are tax-free.
After Canada PRO deposits are sent out, it can take up to 10 business days for Ontario Trillium Benefit payments and up to five business days for Alberta Child and Family Benefit for you to receive your Canada PRO deposits.
These government benefits are meant to offset the high cost of living that impacts low-to-moderate income households, and to support the costs of raising your children. The Government of Canada does not impose any restrictions on how you spend your Canada PRO deposits. However, it is important to use the funds responsibly.
In addition to Canada PRO benefits, there are other resources available to help with the costs of raising children. Families may also be eligible for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) or provincial and territorial child benefits. All of these programs are designed to help families with the cost of raising children.
Disclaimer: