Canada welcomes thousands of refugees each year. Both the federal and provincial governments offer some financial benefits to refugees and refugee claimants. One of the first steps is to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) for each family member. Filing a tax return every year (regardless of whether you have income or not) is also an important step to ensure that you continue to receive any benefit and credit payments you might be eligible for. Please refer to the Finance section for filing tax returns and the Government section for SIN.
The two “Benefit Finders” included in the links on this page are helpful tools to discover what kinds of benefits you might qualify for. There are specific benefits for families with children under the age of 18. There are also tax credits; provincial and territorial programs; disability benefits; employment insurance; income supplements and many benefits you might qualify for. Take the time to discover which financial benefits are available to you.