Cost-of-living cheques from Manitoba government to be mailed next week

Manitoba's Progressive Conservative governmentsays a new round of cheques intended to mitigate the high cost of living are almost in the mail.

In January, Premier Heather Stefanson announced the province will send most Manitobans$225 or$375 cheques as part of anaffordability package the premier called a "carbon tax relief fund."

Her government set aside $200 million fund to send the cheques to approximately700,000 people older than 18 who lived in the province on Dec. 31, 2021, and whose family net income that year was less than $175,000, with or without children.

At the time, the province stated on its website the cheques would be mailed out at the end of January.

Now, a spokesperson for Finance Minister Cliff Cullen said the first of the cheques will be placed in the mail starting the week of Feb. 20.

A delay was required to ensure more recipients updated their addresses if they changed where they lived since they filed their income taxes for 2021, Eric Bench said in a statement.

A single person eligible for the cheques willreceive $225, while couples will receive $375.For couples, the lower income earner will receive the cheque.