More than $2 billion in uncashed federal cheques, documents show
Roughly 3.9 million federal cheques, worth about $2.16 billion, went uncashed over the past four fiscal years. The unclaimed payments include carbon rebate and child benefit cheques.
Copy link
By Torontoer Staff
Canadians left roughly $2.16 billion in federal cheques uncashed over the past four fiscal years, according to documents tabled in Parliament. About 3.9 million paper cheques issued by the federal government were never deposited, the response from Public Services and Procurement Canada says.
The unclaimed payments cover a range of government disbursements, from tax refunds to pension and benefit cheques. The data was released in answer to a research question from Conservative finance critic Adam Chambers, and published on Jan. 26.
How much and what type of payments were left uncollected
The documents put the total value of uncashed paper cheques at $2,159,665,155. That includes about $141 million in Canada Carbon Rebate cheques and roughly $50 million in Climate Action tax credits issued to residents of British Columbia. About $42.8 million in Canada Child Benefit cheques went uncollected, the records show.
Those carbon and climate payments were part of programs designed to offset the cost of carbon pricing. Although some of those rebate programs have ended, government cheques do not expire and can be replaced if lost or damaged.
Why this matters to taxpayers and the government
The federal government prefers electronic payments. Only 8.51 per cent of total federal payments are made by cheque, but many departments still issue paper cheques for certain payments. The administrative cost to issue a cheque is estimated at about $1.83 each. Public Services and Procurement Canada calculates that issuing the 121 million cheques mailed from April 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2025 likely cost taxpayers about $222 million.
Uncashed cheques represent money owed to individuals and a recurring administrative expense for the government. Some uncollected amounts stem from mailing or address errors, changes in residence, or recipients not realising a cheque was issued.
What you can do if you think you’re owed money
Government cheques do not expire and can be reissued. If you think you may have an uncashed federal cheque, check the following:
- Log in to your CRA My Account to review recent payments, notices, and issued cheques.
- Sign up for direct deposit with the Canada Revenue Agency to receive payments faster and avoid paper cheques.
- If the payment comes from another federal department, contact that department directly to request a replacement cheque or electronic payment.
- Make sure your mailing address is up to date with relevant federal programs to avoid lost cheques.
If you cannot access online accounts, call the relevant agency. Departments can cancel and reissue cheques, or arrange an alternative payment method when appropriate.
Government review and alternatives considered
The federal government told Parliament that departments and agencies are responsible for managing their transition away from paper cheques. At one point Ottawa considered issuing prepaid cards for some government payments, but officials concluded that prepaid cards would be more expensive than direct deposit and that public acceptance was limited.
Public Services and Procurement Canada prepared the response to the parliamentary request. The findings highlight both the administrative cost of paper payments and the potential value still owed to Canadians.
Left unchecked, uncashed cheques create extra work for recipients and the public service. Moving more payments to direct deposit would reduce mailing costs and the chance that a payment goes uncollected.
If you think the government may owe you money, check your accounts and contact the issuing agency. Replacements are available, and setting up direct deposit can prevent the problem in future.
unclaimed-moneyCanada Revenue Agencyfederal-paymentsCanada Child Benefitcarbon-rebate
