Cheques from the Ontario government are arriving ahead of an early election Premier Doug Ford is set to trigger next week, but some of the rebates have been addressed to people who passed away in the last year, the province confirmed.
The cheques were announced by the government in the Fall Economic Statement and entitle every taxpaying adult, and their children, to $200 each from the provincial government.
Now, as rebates begin to land, the government has heard reports of cheques made out to family members who have died since filing their taxes in 2024.
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That’s because the government is billing the $200 cheques as a tax rebate, they’re being made out to everyone who filed taxes last year, including those who have passed away.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance confirmed to Global News cheques had been issued to deceased people and said that their estates could still take those cheques to the bank and cash them in.
They said the process at each bank or institution may vary — but that proof of death should be brought along with the cheque. Tellers can call the Ministry of Finance to confirm the cheques can still be cashed, the government said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has framed its $200 cheques as an affordability measure, returning tax dollars paid by people across the province, but critics have said it was essentially a vote-buying scheme ahead of an election.
The cheques were originally set to be funded from a $3-billion windfall generated by Ottawa’s plans to change the terms of the capital gains tax which now look unlikely to pass into law.
The cheques were put in the mail on Jan. 17, the government previously said.
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