(OTTAWA) Senators passed a bill allowing low- and middle-income families to get financial assistance for their children’s dental care, starting on 1er december.
The dental benefit was a compromise between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party (NDP), as part of an agreement where the New Democrats pledged to support the minority government until 2025.
The Liberals are working to create a dental insurance program, but launched this new benefit to allow eligible families to get help in the meantime.
Families with a household income of less than $90,000 who do not have private insurance can claim up to $650 per child under 12.
A spokeswoman for the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, said the portal to obtain this amount should open on 1er december.
Bill C-31, which also includes a one-time $500 housing benefit for low-income tenants, still needs to receive Royal Assent before being signed into law.