Quick links
National Child Benefit
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
Spelling variants:national child benefit
n. — Administration, often in compounds, e.g. National Child Benefit Supplement
between 1991 and 2016, a joint federal, provincial and territorial government program aimed at decreasing child poverty by providing financial support to low-income families.
Type: 1. Origin — In 1998, the federal government enhanced the existing Canadian Child Tax Benefit by introducing the National Child Benefit, which provided monthly payments to low-income families with children. The NCB also offered other benefits and services to these families (see National Child Benefit reference). In 2016 (see quotation of that year), the NCB was combined with other benefits into a Canada Child Benefit.
The term is almost exclusive to Canada (see, e.g. Chart 1). It was first used in the early 1990s when the legislation for the program was proposed.
See also COD-2, s.v. "National Child Benefit", which is marked "Cdn".
See also COD-2, s.v. "National Child Benefit", which is marked "Cdn".
Quotations
1991
Funds currently used for family allowance and other children's programs would be consolidated into one "national child benefit" in the form of an enhanced, refundable child tax credit aimed at only poor families.
1998
Fiddling with the figures could turn out to be Canada's single greatest achievement since the House of Commons voted in 1989 to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000. Our politicians can only hope that the new national child benefit has a quarter of the impact.
2002
The National Child Benefit, for example, was described in the 2001 Speech as "the single most important social program to be introduced in this country since Medicare in the 1960s."
2013
We could increase by 50 per cent the shelter allowance for families on welfare. And we could triple the National Child Benefit Supplement to raise all working poor parents above the poverty line. These last two recommendations will eliminate most child poverty that remains for kids under age six after building better parental leave and child care.
2016
The Canada Child Benefit will replace the current Canada Child Tax Benefit, National Child Benefit and Universal Child Care Benefit. Through it, families with children under age 6 will receive an annual tax-free benefit of up to $6,400 per child and those with children between the ages of 6 and 17 will receive up to $5,400.
References
- COD-2
- National Child Benefit • "The National Child Benefit Progress Report: 2006"
Images
