Poll Results: Canadians Remain Skeptical of the New Grocery Benefit

The federal government's new Canada Groceries and Essential Benefit is intended to help eligible Canadians cope with rising food prices and the increasing cost of everyday essentials. We asked our readers whether they believe it is the right solution to address inflation, and the response was decisive: 93% said "No," while just 7% said "Yes." 

The results sparked a lively discussion among tax and financial professionals from across the country. Read through the comments below to see the diverse perspectives on affordability, government benefits, taxation, and what Canadians believe would provide more meaningful, long-term relief from rising living costs.

“Benefits are small compared with food inflation. Working families who are not considered low-income receive little assistance despite facing financial pressure.” - Nhu Hoang

“Canadians need permanent solutions, not bandaids. Working towards lowering every day’s cost of living will make a much better and long lasting effect.” - Vincent Saab

“By ‘new’, the government means; ‘newly renamed’ existing benefit to make it fit the current mood and sound more appealing It’s not the right solution, or any solution, as it provides no new benefit at all. The right solution would have to be meaningful -i.e. get enough cash and/or grocery vouchers to everyone who needs/wants them to actually obtain food stability. That would be a costly new benefit.” - Martin

“It’s just the HST rebate repackaged with a slight increase. All it did was confuse people and make people who are over the income limits mad because they aren’t getting this credit either.”
- Constance Ramsay

“The “new Canada Groceries and Essential Benefit” isn’t new it is simply a renamed and increase GST/HST benefit. Our current government seems to think no one will notice and that they can buy more votes with the renamed give away. The fact that our government already spends more that they take in means that they are borrowing this money that they are giving away.” - Ken Martinsen

“From a taxpayer’s perspective, it would make a lot more sense to increase the basic personal exemption and eliminate this sort of quarterly payment and dismantle the bureaucracy it takes to process it. If we had a more affordable government, we could do a lot of rationalization of taxation in the first place, which would do more to help lower income folks." - Derek T

“While I am all in for helping those that need assistance, assistance must be target to those who truly need greater assistance, like those with disabilities, etc. Just giving money to the general population, can be seen as attempting to obtain the votes of those using our money.” Joe Truscott

“The majority of my tax clients don’t receive it mainly because of their income bracket. No matter they still have to pay the bills and groceries etc.” - Jean Gaudry

“It is positive that something is happening especially for those with lower incomes. However, it does not address the bigger problem that Canadians do not earn enough to be able to adjust to inflationary costs.” - James Rodgers

Thank you to those who weighed in! This month please tell us:

As A.I. emerges, does it change how professionals create financial peace of mind in their communities?