Alberta parents say they didn’t receive August child and family benefit

Some parents say they are out money unexpectedly as the August Alberta child and family payment failed to be deposited in their accounts last week.

“Right now, I can’t even afford to buy clothes for my daughter for back to school, and groceries is so limited right now because I was expecting that money to come in,” said a mom who called into the CityNews newsroom, asking to remain anonymous.

Another listener says the nearly $700 payment goes straight toward her childcare costs for her two kids.

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The mom says she is frustrated with how long it is taking the government to investigate.

She says she was told to wait three days to get a call back and it could take until next month for the money to arrive. She adds she knows of several other parents in the same situation.

“I put a post on Facebook to see if anyone else was having problems or if it was just me,” she said. “It turns out there’s actually quite a few families that are going through the same thing and they called too, just to see. And they called and said they probably won’t see the money until Sept. 27 — it’s going to take them a month to sort all this out.”

The delay comes down to some sort of technical issue, though few details are known at this time.

Ashli Barrett with the province’s children and family services department said in a statement to CityNews that the Alberta Child and Family Benefit is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on Alberta’s behalf.

“Alberta’s government has reached out to the CRA to determine if there are any issues with the August payment. Individuals should contact the CRA directly with questions about their payments,” she said.

Information on how to contact the CRA can be found here.

According to the Government of Canada, the Alberta child and family benefit (ACFB) is a tax-free amount paid to families who have children under 18.

From July 2023 to June 2024, parents in Alberta can receive $1,410 ($117.50 per month) for the first child, $705 ($58.75 per month) for the second child, $705 ($58.75 per month) for the third child, $705 ($58.75 per month) for the fourth child.

The government says the benefit is reduced as family income exceeds $25,935.

If an adjusted family income is between $25,935 and $43,460, they may be eligible for partial benefits.

ACFB payments are made separately from Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments and are issued in August, November, February, and May.

The program is fully funded by the Alberta government.