In the face of high inflation, the Canadian government is looking to offer one-time grocery rebates to help make food more affordable, per a Thursday announcement from the office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The rebate, which is part of the federal government’s proposed 2023 budget, would help about 11 million “low- and modest-income” Canadians with a one-time payment that varies based on eligibility.
The rebate is structured to provide, on average, up to:
- $467 for couples with two children
- $234 for single people without children
- $225 for seniors
The proposal aims to support people “hardest hit by rising food prices” and is part of other measures, such as ones targeting predatory lending and lowering credit card transaction fees for small businesses, in the budget that would boost affordability for Canadians, per the press release.
“With grocery prices on the rise, we’re putting more money back into the pockets of Canadians who need it most, when they need it most,” Trudeau said in a statement. “The new Grocery Rebate, and the other measures we’ve put forward in Budget 2023, will help build an economy that works for everyone, where every Canadian family can afford to put food on the table.”
Trudeau positioned the rebate as a part of broader efforts by the Canadian government to invest in the middle class, grow the country’s economy and improve affordability.
Earlier this week, Trudeau visited Sherwood Co-op in Regina, Saskatchewan, to talk about the grocery rebate, per a local news report.
