A BayToday reader emailed late last week to let us know her family would be heading into the Easter weekend with less money than expected due to a "government glitch."
From a notice posted to the CRA website: "We are aware of a technical issue with GSTC and OTB payments not being issued to some Canadians either by cheque or direct deposit. We are currently working around the clock to issue the payments as quickly as possible to affected Canadians."
The original payment for the GST/HST credit (GSTC) was scheduled for April 5, with the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) due April 6.
We contacted the Canada Revenue Agency and the organization acknowledged the issue and promised work was underway to rectify it. The CRA says less than 2 per cent of GST/HST credit and OTB payments were impacted.
That is of little consolation to our reader, who says she is among those who did not receive either of those payments, causing financial hardship for her family. "My husband is on ODSP and I work part-time, and ODSP takes almost half of that. We count on those deposits to pay bills."
Another reader emailed with similar concerns. "Like many Canadians, I was one of those who did not receive a GST or Trillium refund this month. After hours of trying to get through to CRA, the response I got was that there was a glitch in the system. What exactly this glitch was they did not explain. I was luckier than some. My Easter shopping and my bills were paid. A lot of people were counting on this and probably overspent their budgets."
"Those who are signed up for direct deposit can expect their payment as early as April 14," a CRA notice posted on Easter weekend states, "while those getting cheques in the mail will begin receiving them the following week. We regret any inconvenience that this situation may cause."
On Sunday, in correspondence with BayToday, the CRA stated it "is in solution mode and currently working around the clock to issue the payments as quickly as possible to affected Canadians.
"We are committed to informing and being transparent with Canadians and will post updates to the Tax credits and benefits for individuals on the Canada.ca web page, to our portal, and through social media as more information becomes available.
"We encourage anyone experiencing significant financial hardship as a result of this situation to contact the CRA immediately at 1-800-387-1193 (1-866-426-1527 in Yukon, NWT and Nunavut) to discuss their options. The CRA is here to help."