The United Way of Bruce Grey is doing its part to help local residents who are living at or below the poverty line by assisting them with filing their taxes.
October 17th is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force and the United Way are working to find ways to put more money in people’s pockets.
Jill Umbach, who is the Poverty Task Force Coordinator, says that it’s common for the average person to be qualified for social services, government refunds, and funding top-ups, but the easiest way to get those benefits is by filing taxes each year.
While poverty is typically thought of as someone living without basic resources such as food, clothing, and shelter, it’s also when someone doesn’t have friends, family, or mentors to help in times of need.
“We want to highlight the fact that poverty is more than just a lack of income. It’s a lack of local and social resources to keep ahead of the game.”
Umbach says that anyone who makes less than $32,000 per year is actually living below the poverty line.
By helping people file their tax returns, they found that the average taxpayer can receive around $3,100 back when they take advantage of different programs that they qualify for, and in many cases, didn’t realize that they qualify for.
The United Way is releasing its Grey Bruce Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) Case Study, which focuses on the work done by the income tax programs offered at The Meeting Place in Tobermory and the South East Grey Community Health Centre in Grey Bruce. The two organizations helped 332 residents access a total of $1,165,528 in income benefits, tax credits, and refunds across 5 municipalities.
The United Way also says that they can help most clients, even if they make between $32,000 and $50,000 per year.
“We are seeing a significant increase of people who are working, who are having to go to the food banks, and so we do know that the eligibility criteria can be flexible.”
According to the United Way, there are 14 organizations throughout Bruce and Grey Counties that are registered with the CRA to provide free income tax services.
