Back in August 2024, I wrote an article in which I pointed out that despite getting their returns filed by CVITP volunteers, many newcomers may still not be getting the benefits to which they are entitled.  This is because the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires them to first submit a completed RC151 form.

Once the completed RC151 form was submitted – only by regular mail – it could take months before the RC151 data was entered into the CRA’s database, triggering the eventual release of benefits.

When I wrote about this, I bemoaned the fact that the benefit notices the CRA sent to newcomers who had not yet filed the RC151 were in fact quite unhelpful.  This is because these letters simply stated that the CRA could not calculate the benefits to which they were entitled as the CRA did not have their global income.  The CRA’s benefit notice made no mention of the requirement to prepare and submit a completed RC151.

Since then, there have been some interesting developments.  This article gives a brief description of these developments and offers a way forward for eliminating this bureaucratic requirement.