MPI dishes out 3rd rebate of the pandemic, averaging $328 per customer

About 680,000 Manitobans will be getting a special gift in the mail in the coming weeks rebate cheques for keeping their cars off the roads and out of claim centres.

Manitoba Public Insurance will return$312 million toratepayers, which averages out to $328per customer, the Crown corporation said in a news release on Tuesday.

About 200,000 COVID-19 rebate cheques are being mailed this week, with the remaining sent within the coming weeks.

It's expected all cheques will be mailed by mid-February.

"The pandemic has negatively impacted many Manitobans' personal finances, but it has also reduced the collision claims to MPI allowing for a rebate," Justice MinisterKelvin Goertzen who isresponsible for MPI said in the release.

This is the third timeMPIhas issued a COVID-19 rebate during the pandemic, owing as well tostronger than anticipated year-end numbers.

In total, MPI will have provided rebates of nearly $500 million to its policy holders $110 million in May 2020 and $69 million in December 2020.

This rebate is expected to be about 27 per cent of theannual basic Autopac premium. Rebate amounts of $10 or less will be credited to the customer's account.