CRA says it's owed $10 billion in COVID-related benefits sent to ineligible recipients (www.cbc.ca)

submitted 1 day ago by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/canada@lemmy.ca

29 comments fedilink hide all child comments

From April 2020 to June 2022, Masse received more than $41,000 in government benefits — only to later get a letter from the Canada Revenue Agency saying he wasn't eligible for the money, and that he had to pay it back.

According to the CRA, Masse did not meet the minimum net earnings of $5,000.

"I was stunned. I couldn't believe it," said Masse. "I would have never applied for anything that I did not qualify for."

In early 2024, after months of back and forth, the CRA agreed he was entitled to some of the money. But he remains on the hook for about $27,000.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] tleb@lemmy.ca 39 points 1 day ago

At the time, the messaging was very clear that receiving the benefit did not mean you were eligible, since it was more important to get the money in peoples' hands quickly. I honestly don't have a lot of sympathy for ineligible people who now have to pay it back

[-] skozzii@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago

I could have gotten a ton of cash too, but I also was ineligible, so I did the smart thing and didn't apply.

It was very obvious guidelines and they, like you mentioned, clearly stated that it was auto approval and confirm later.

I'm tired of people trying to game the system and then act like a victim.

[-] DerisionConsulting@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

The person in the article is seeming to dig their heels in using bad logic.

I would not apply for something that I would not qualify for.
I applied for the funds.
Therefore I qualify for the funds.

[-] NotSteve_@piefed.ca 0 points 1 day ago

I do, why can't we just consider this a trial project for UBI? I'd imagine the majority of the people who received the money are probably those who'd be screwed being made to repay it all

Why is it that we go through so much trouble raking back money in these sorts of programs for little people but don't seem to think twice when forgiving billions in debts for large corporations?

[-] tleb@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 day ago

why can't we just consider this a trial project for UBI?

Because it wasn't UBI... the U is rather important there.

Why is it that we go through so much trouble raking back money in these sorts of programs for little people but don't seem to think twice when forgiving billions in debts for large corporations?

I can only speak for myself here, but I am also very much against forgiving large corp debts

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 2 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Why would I want to pay for UBI for only the most selfish entitled fucks in the country who wipe their asses with the rules I follow?.

There were actual trials for UBI and this had literally nothing that made it a trial or could possibly prove it's effectiveness.

I don't mind paying my taxes, but I pay way to much to watch my hard started money get handed to people abusing a once in a generation emergency for their own selfishness and gain.

[-] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone -2 points 17 hours ago

Full stop doesn't follow a question mark

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 1 points 12 hours ago

Full stop doesn't follow a question mark

What a weird and absolutely pointlessly insignificant thing to complain about.

[-] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

I'm just being petty cause they came into a thread and made a stupid pointless complaint about "grammar"

I personally don't give a shit, but if they're going to come at people for grammar, at least fucking know how to do grammar in the first place, y'know?

Personally, I think Prescriptivism is only applicable on formal contexts, where people can't just be like "what did you mean there btw?" in places where funky grammar makes shit unclear...

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 hours ago

To me it just looked like a common typo.

[-] gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 hours ago

I'm on about a different conversation, not this one

[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

If everyone gets to keep the cash to we then send equivalent cash to everyone else who didn't apply at the time because they knew they didn't qualify? Or do we just reward the people who made a mistake / lied and screw over the people who were smart enough / honest to not apply?