January 12, 2023, Ottawa: The auditor general in December 2022 said a “minimum” of $27.4 billion in suspicious COVID-19 benefit payments needs to be investigated by the Canada Revenue Agency because the government did not manage the various pandemic relief programs efficiently.
The auditor general’s 92-page report highlighted the government’s success in quickly setting up the six aid programs that doled out a total of $210 billion to individuals and corporations. Still, it also noted the CRA’s “lack of rigour” in identifying and recouping potential overpayments. The auditor general called on the government to “act now” before it’s too late since the law limits eligibility verification to 36 months after payment.
The CRA has sent out 825,000 debt notes (or “notices of redetermination”) to Canadians it suspects received ineligible or excess payments from various COVID-19 relief programs. Having received CRA notices questioning their eligibility, some benefit recipients have taken the matter to court to let a judge determine whether the CRA was being “reasonable” in denying their benefits.
