The leader of the provincial NDP is calling on government to remove barriers for people to receive their cost of living relief cheques.
The cheques have starting rolling out, with around one-third sent out as of last Monday.
Jim Dinn says by sending the cheques in the mail, government is putting unneeded stress on people, as many have not been able to update their current addresses or find support to file taxes before the deadline. Another issue they’ve seen is with banks placing a hold on some of the money before allowing the cheques to clear, meaning people have to wait to access the full amount.
He says the money also won’t reach some of those who need it most, as transient people or those facing homelessness do not have a physical address, and women fleeing domestic violence are unable to go home.
He says if government wanted to ensure the cheques were distributed quickly, they should’ve added the money to the quarterly GST payment.