Canadian citizens have neglected to cash approximately $2 billion in funds from millions of paper cheques sent by various federal government departments, according to recent documents presented in Parliament. Over the last four years, Ottawa distributed 3.9 million paper cheques that remained uncashed. Among these unclaimed funds are $141 million designated for the Canada Carbon Rebate program, which aimed to offset the expenses related to carbon pricing. Despite the cancellation of the rebate initiative last year, these government cheques do not have an expiration date.
Furthermore, families failed to cash around $42.8 million in cheques intended for the Canada Child Benefit, a tax-free monthly payment designed to assist in covering the costs of raising children. Although the government encourages direct deposit for payments, certain benefits are still issued through traditional mail channels.