Minister of families touts child benefit boost during Southwestern Ontario tour

Canadian families will notice a bit of extra cash when they get their monthly Canadian Child Benefit (CCB) this Saturday, thanks to an increase from the federal government.

Jean-Vves Duclos, the Minster of families, children, and development, said the maximum benefit is increasing to keep up with the increased cost of living.

"Everything costs more. Food, rent, clothing, day camps, [and] music lessons," said Duclos. He had stops scheduled in Chatham-Kent, London, Kitchener, and Milton on Wednesday to tout the top up.

"A single parent with two children in London, earning $55,000, currently receives about $700 nontaxable every month …  starting on Saturday, there will be an additional $30 nontaxable, per month, to that family."

The maximum benefit for a child under six will be $6,639 and for children between six- and 17-years-old will be $5,602.

Duclos says 9 in 10 families in London receive the CCB. He says parents with more money in their pockets are good for local economies.

"Middle class families are not going to be able to buy expensive yachts in Bermuda and elsewhere in the world.  They typically spend their money in the local community. And that explains part of the economic growth we've seen in London," he explained.

Duclos says more mothers and lower income parents will be able to go to work, because of financial support from the federal government.

The Canadian Child Benefit replaced the Universal Child Care Benefit and the Canada Child Tax Benefit in 2016. It started out providing a maximum of $6,400 to parents of children under six-years-old, and a maximum benefit of $5,400 for kids between six- and 17-years-old.

More than 1.3 million families across Ontario have received nearly $9 billion from the CCB in the 2017-2019 benefit year.