REGINA - Those still expecting the $500 Saskatchewan Affordability Tax Credit cheques to arrive in their mailbox can still expect them any day.
“People can expect their cheques very soon,” said Finance Minister Donna Harpauer in speaking to reporters Thursday at the legislature.
Harpauer confirmed that as of Wednesday a total of 300,000 cheques had been sent out. The province has stated another 525,581 are still to be mailed.
As for a timeline for remaining cheques to go out, Harpauer said by the “end of next week or early the following week they will all be out.”
The cheques had been going out this week, with some reports of people receiving cheques as early as late last week. Since word that the distribution had started, Saskatchewan residents have been anxiously checking to see if their cheques have arrived.
If the $500 cheque does not arrive in the next week and a half, Harpauer advises contacting the Ministry of Finance directly and they will look into it. “There will be some that will be later because they were the later filers, as well,” Harpauer said.
There has been a bit of a controversy that has erupted in recent days, with reports that deceased people have also been receiving $500 cheques.
Harpauer explained there was “no perfect database” they could use, and decided the tax roll was the most current they could use. The issue has mainly arisen with those who passed away after March 2022. If someone filed their return prior to March 2022 and then passed away, “we have no way of knowing that," Harpauer said.
In cases where people who have filed taxes have since passed away, Harpauer advises the executor of the estate deposit it in the estate account. “We wouldn’t know if they did or some may return it, but that’s the advice we are giving.”
Harpauer also explained there is not a cheque issued if the tax return is filed by the executor.
The opposition New Democrats have consistently characterized the cheques as coming too late in addressing the affordability issues.
When asked about the distribution of the cheques, Opposition critic Aleana Young told reporters “$500 is $500. I don’t think there’s anyone in the province who isn’t hurting right now. And yes, that’s an increase of $500 for folks in the province.”
But Young noted that it “speaks to the crisis of affordability that we have right now in the province to say how little of a difference that will make to so many people.”
She pointed to costs of $1000 for groceries, an extra $60 for power, another $100 in SaskEnergy, lunchtime supervision fees of $200, “and on and on.”
“It feels so silly to say ‘yeah it’s $500’ because it’s a lot of money, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the increased costs that families are dealing with these days.”
