This subject is very important to me.
When I first arrived at the Canada Revenue Agency, I wanted to make sure that people experiencing difficulties received benefits under the programs we were putting in place. I travelled all over Canada to meet people at the CRA offices, but also groups of volunteers who help those who are most vulnerable to get the benefits they are entitled to.
I also wanted to ask the volunteer groups what the government could do better to support them. They told me that over time, they had been abandoned. They were receiving little information and were no longer receiving any money. As volunteers, they had to pay to try to do their work even better. The CRA has put a program in place for $10 million over three years to help volunteers do their work better. It helps them pay their travel expenses, buy office supplies, and so on. There is also help for training, so they can stay abreast of changes to the tax system.
Last year, over 13,000 volunteers all across Canada completed more than 650,000 tax returns. I was in New Brunswick two weeks ago and I was told about people who didn't know they were entitled to certain benefits. If we take the guaranteed income supplement, for example, we are talking about $11,000 or $15,000.
One MP told me that in Ontario, a mother had never thought of applying for the Canada child benefit. This meant that she was able to get $80,000. Some of our programs do allow people to receive up to ten years of retroactive benefits. That money helps the most vulnerable people.
There is also work being done with the municipalities. You are right to point out that we need the contribution of the ministers of finance of all of the provinces, and of the mayors, to promote our government's programs so we make sure that people have access to them and are able to buy groceries and pay the rent.