Premier Doug Ford has announced eligible Ontario taxpayers will receive a $200 rebate cheque early next year.
The decision comes ahead of the province’s upcoming 2024 fiscal review and economic update, which will include the rebate.
The rebate is a part of a $3 billion plan to provide financial support for nearly 15 million Ontario residents.
Those eligible must be 18 years old or older at the end of 2023, reside in Ontario as of Dec. 31, 2023, and have filed their 2023 Income Tax Return by Dec. 31, 2024.
In a press conference last week, Ford said the rebate is meant to help families who are struggling financially due to the federal carbon tax and high interest rates.
“This $200 taxpayer rebate will give Ontario taxpayers, especially families with children, some much-deserved help so they can make ends meet,” he said.
Michelle Andy, an office assistant, says as a low-income worker, the rebate will help.
“I thought it was great, I need the help,” says Andy.
“Any extra bit of money helps.”
Andy says she can use the rebate to help alleviate some of her monthly expenses.
“I could use it for groceries, or to pay my phone bill,” says Andy.
“One thing it could really help me with is my insurance, because car insurance is so high.”
Andy says there are people who could really benefit from the rebate.
“When you are making a lot of money $200 may seem like nothing, ” says Andy.
“But when you aren’t making much money, $200 is a huge help.”
Eaton Kwan, an engineering consultant, says the rebate could be better used for other economic issues Ontarians face.
“With kids in school right now I think there could be improvements to how much educational funding we are getting, or public health we are getting,” says Kwan.
“Those things would be more helpful than this kind of nonsense.”
Kwan says the rebate is not going to make a difference for many Ontarians in the long-run.
“It may make up for the difference for low-income families for one month at most,” says Kwan.
“I have two little kids and the rebate will most likely be used for them.”
Kwan says he isn’t convinced this is money the government has to give out.
“I don’t believe the government just has $3 billion to give away,” says Kwan.
“Rather than something that is actually helping Ontarians it just feels like another ploy.”
Kwan says the rebate is going to feel more like a tax-credit like the climate incentive or child benefit.
“It’s an ineffective way to change the standard way of living,” says Kwan.
“But It’s a way for the Ford government to say hey look what we did, we closed down the science centre, put alcohol at the corner stores, and gave you $200.”
The government will begin mailing cheques to rebate recipients in early 2025.
