Frequently asked questions

Please contact the issuing department or agency responsible for each of your payments to notify them of your address change. The Government of Canada will be replacing cheques with electronic payments. Please visit the direct deposit page to enrol in direct deposit. Refer to "How do I inform the federal government of my address change?" under Direct deposit section if you receive your payments by direct deposit.

Please contact your payment issuing department or agency to inform them and to request another payment. After verification is completed, which may include the completion of legal forms, a new cheque will be issued or a new payment will be deposited.

The superannuation program is administered by the Public Service Pension Centre of Public Works and Government Services Canada in Shediac, New Brunswick. Please go to Your public service pension and benefits portal - Retired member, or call 1‑800‑561‑7930 (within Canada and the continental USA) or 506‑533‑5800 (from outside Canada or the continental USA - collect calls are accepted).

Normally, the issuing department or agency for the payment is usually identified on the cheque stub. Often, there is also a phone number to call if you have questions. If there is no stub, please contact the Payment Products and Services Directorate, of Public Works and Government Services Canada, at 1‑873‑469‑4105, or email the Receiver General for Canada (RequetesRG.RGEnquire@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca).

Receiver General cheques are never stale dated, meaning you can cash them no matter how old they are. The financial institution (bank, credit union, trust company, caisse populaire) in Canada has the right, however, to validate the cheque by faxing a copy to the Cheque Redemption and Control Directorate in Matane, Quebec. For more information you can visit the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada Web site.

No. By law, banks in Canada cannot charge a fee for cashing a Government of Canada cheque. For more information you can visit the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Web site.

In most cases, money received during the month of death has to be repaid, but there are some exceptions. Please contact the issuing department or agency for details on how to stop the payments.

Please contact the department responsible for details on how to stop the payments. If the deceased was receiving more than one federal payment, please contact each issuing department or agency.

Although all payments to and from the Government of Canada are made in the name of the Receiver General, enquiries regarding taxes and tax payments should be made directly to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Please do not deposit your cheque before the printed date. Due to mail processing, it is possible that certain cheques may be delivered in advance.

To have payments automatically deposited to your bank account on the appropriate date, please visit the Direct deposit section to obtain additional information.

The Receiver General issues payments on behalf of departments and agencies; for details regarding payments, the recipient must contact the issuing department or agency.

All departments accept payment by cheque made to the Receiver General for Canada. Cheque payments should be mailed to the issuing department or agency, or at the Cheque Redemption and Control Directorate, located at

Many departments also accept payment by credit or debit card, while others allow payment by telebanking, personal computer banking, money order or travellers cheque. To determine which options are available to you, please contact the issuing department or agency for the services/programs that you are receiving.

The invoice was sent to you from the issuing department or agency for the services/programs that you are receiving, and all questions should be addressed to this department directly.

In some instances the estate is required to pay the invoice. Please contact the issuing department or agency for more information on how to make the payment.

Through a competitive process, the Bank of America® was awarded a contract to manage the Government of Canada's foreign banking requirements.

For most recipients, their payment will be in the currency of the country where they live; therefore they should be getting a better exchange rate. Although cashing cheques may result in lower fees, direct deposits payments are not subject to postal disruptions.

The cheques will continue to display the Canada wordmark and logo on the top portion. The remainder of the cheque will be designed and signed by a Bank of America® official and may change depending on the requirements of the country.

No. As a result of this contract, you should benefit from a better exchange rate and may see a reduction in banking fees.

Exchange rates fluctuate over time, so it is impossible to pre-determine the rate. However, the Bank of America® will be able to offer a competitive rate. The fact that program payments are usually made on the same day for all recipients allows for the use of pooled conversion rates advantageous to the recipients.

Where the cheque has been requisitioned in Canadian currency and converted to local currency the amount on the cheque stub reflects the Canadian dollar value of the payment before it was converted to local currency.

The first direct deposit will be made approximately three months after receipt of your completed enrolment form. The amount of your payment may vary depending on the exchange rate.

Verify that your country of residence is one of the participating countries

Currently direct deposit is available for most program payments. To determine if direct deposit is available for the program for which you are receiving benefits, you may call the department that issues your cheque. The numbers are as follows:

• Income Security Program (ISP)
  • U.S. clients can call 1‑800‑277‑9914 (English) or 1‑800‑277‑9915 (French).
  • Foreign clients can call 1‑613‑957‑1954 (at the expense of the recipient).
• Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
  • Foreign Countries Operations: 
    • UK, Germany, France, Belgium clients: 00‑800‑996‑22421 (toll free)
    • U.S. clients: 1‑888‑996‑2242 (toll free)
    • Other countries 1‑613‑996‑2242 (collect)
  • War Veterans Allowance (WVA) Inquiries
    • Kirkland Management Centre 1‑705‑568‑9571 (collect)
• War Veterans Allowance (WVA)
  • Collect calls will be accepted by the Ontario Regional Office-Benefit Administration Collect at 1‑705‑567‑9571 ext. 4371.

A claim of right is a right which entails responsibilities, duties, or obligations on other parties regarding the right-holder. For example: the right to have a name, the right to have a home, etc.

Pursuant to the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Act, the Receiver General for Canada has no mandate to address claims of right. Also, claims of right do not impose any legal obligation on this Department. We recommend that you consult with a lawyer of your own choosing in order to be informed of your legal rights regarding claims of right.

You are not two people for tax purposes. For more information, see ARCHIVED - Canada Revenue Agency warns Canadians about tax protester schemes.

False. This myth is based on the faulty argument that the Canadian Constitution gives the power of direct taxation exclusively to the provinces. For more information, see Debunking tax myths.

False. Pursuant to the Financial Administration Act (FAA), all funds held in the CRF are managed by the Receiver General on behalf of the Government of Canada, and as per s.26 of the Financial Administration Act, no payments shall be made out of the CRF without authority of Parliament. Therefore, you are not entitled on obtaining shares. We recommend that you consult with a lawyer of your own choosing in order to be informed of your legal rights regarding this matter.

In accordance with the Bills of Exchange Act, a bill of exchange is an unconditional order in writing, requiring the person to whom it is addressed to pay, on behalf of the person demanding it a sum certain in money to a third party.

The Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), which includes the Receiver General for Canada, has no mandate to address bills of exchange. Also, bills of exchange do not impose any legal obligation on this Department. We recommend that you consult with a lawyer of your own choosing in order to be informed of your legal rights regarding bills of exchange.

The birth certificate is not a property of the Government of Canada and it is not an instrument to request payment by the Government of Canada of any Debt incurred under your name. It is an official document issued by a Provincial Government giving details of a person's birth. For any information or to voice any concerns regarding a birth certificate, please consult the Provincial Government where the birth certificate was issued.

A social insurance number is not an account number. By law, Canadian citizens, newcomers to Canada or temporary residents must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada, to receive certain federal/provincial government benefits and service, to pay income tax and receive a tax refund, and to provide to banks and institutions where interest is earned. For further information regarding your SIN, you should consult Service Canada. Please note Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is responsible for the issuance of Social Insurance Numbers.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act, no personal information can be collected by a federal government institution unless it relates directly to an operating program or activity of the institution. With respect to the Receiver General, there is no program or activity specific to the allocation of funds located within the consolidated revenue fund for an individual by way of their SIN.

It is not in the mandate of the Receiver General to pay the debts contracted by an individual.

Direct deposit is an electronic transfer of funds deposited directly into the bank account that you supplied at the time of your enrolment. Direct deposit replaces the need to issue payments by paper cheque.

Receiving your payments from the Government of Canada by direct deposit offers many benefits. It allows you to access your money faster and is more convenient as your payment will not be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather. It is reliable and your payment will always be deposited on time in the bank account that you supply at the time of your enrolment in direct deposit. Direct deposit is secure because your payment cannot be lost or stolen, and it is much less costly than issuing a cheque.

Following an announcement made in April 2012, the Government of Canada is transitioning towards direct deposit for all its payments. Canadians are being strongly encouraged to enrol in direct deposit for all their federal government payments. Direct deposit is fast, convenient, reliable and secure. Although April 2016 is the government's target date for Canadians to enrol in direct deposit, those who are not enrolled by that date will continue to receive cheques.

You can enrol all of your Government of Canada payments in direct deposit.

The Receiver General's Direct Deposit website provides information for Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account, Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account and Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers on the various options and methods available to enrol your payments.

Did you know that you can now enrol over the phone for those payments that are issued by the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada? This option provides a quick and efficient enrolment process by eliminating, the need to print a form, mail it in and include a "void" cheque. Other options to enrol in direct deposit also include online, in-person and by mail.

Although the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) is not included in the list of payments, by selecting the Canada Revenue Agency on the Direct Deposit enrolment form, you will also automatically enrol your OTB payment in direct deposit.

The Government of Canada considers privacy and security of utmost importance in the issuance of payments. Any information you provide to the Government of Canada when enrolling in Direct deposit is protected under the Government of Canada Privacy Act .

The Government of Canada considers privacy and security of utmost importance in the issuance of payments. Any information you provide to the Government of Canada when you enrol for direct deposit is protected under the Government of Canada Privacy Act and as described in Receiver General Payments (Personal Information Bank PWGSC PCU 712).

The Receiver General will use and disclose personal information for direct deposit purposes only to the federal institutions from which you are receiving payments and to your financial institution in order to issue direct deposit payments. Personal information such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN) will not be disclosed to your financial institution.

Access to your bank account is governed by your account agreement with your financial institution. Please consult with your financial institution for more information regarding their privacy and security measures.

Yes. Certain departments are authorized to use the SIN, such as Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency. It is then necessary to provide your SIN when enrolling in direct deposit. Both departments are using the SIN as your account number for the identity validation and payment process. Other departments may use a different identifier such as a pension number.

The Receiver General will use and disclose personal information for direct deposit purposes only to the federal institutions from which you are receiving payments and to your financial institution in order to issue direct deposit payments. Your SIN will not be disclosed to your financial institution.

Yes. An officially designated individual who is authorized to act on someone else's behalf may enrol that person in direct deposit. Please ensure that the payment issuing department or agency has been informed of your appointment as a representative with Power of Attorney.

You will find the contact information on the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website under:

• Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account
• Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account

Your payment details are held separately by each department to ensure your privacy. If you are enrolled in direct deposit with one department, that information is not shared with any other department. You will therefore need to enrol in direct deposit with the department issuing your payments by cheque.

The Receiver General's Direct Deposit website provides information for Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account, Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account and Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers on the various options and methods available to enrol your payments in direct deposit.

No. Notices will not be mailed to inform you when a payment has been deposited into your account. In most instances, your bank statement will indicate that you have received a payment from the Government of Canada and may provide additional information with regards to the type of payment you receive. If you are receiving recurring payments, they will continue to be issued on the same date.

However, departments will continue to issue important notices and notification of changes concerning your payment by mail. In limited circumstances, information may also be sent by using electronic mail (email).

Yes. However, as an exception, the Income Tax refund and Goods and Services Tax (GST)/ Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) credits issued by the Canada Revenue Agency must be deposited into the same bank account that you supplied to us at the time of enrolment in direct deposit.

Please contact your payment issuing department or agency to confirm the process for depositing to different accounts. You will find the contact information for certain departments in the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website. If your payment is not included on this list, you can find contact information for all other federal departments and agencies on the Government of Canada Web site or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

You can visit the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit's website to obtain information on how to enrol for your Government of Canada payment(s) by telephone, online, in person or by mail.

Did you know that you can now enrol over the phone for those payments that are issued by the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada? This option provides a quick and efficient enrolment process by eliminating, the need to print a form, mail it in and include a "void" cheque. Other options to enrol in direct deposit also include online, in-person and by mail.

The completion of a single Direct Deposit Enrolment Form for one or several of the following payments is still available. You can obtain and print an enrolment form found on the Direct Deposit website in the "by mail" tab of the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section or at most financial institutions.

• Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Goods and Services Tax (GST)/Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Credits
• Income Tax Refunds
• Old Age Security (OAS)
• Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)

You can also Contact the Receiver General to obtain additional information.

Please visit the Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account section on the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website to complete an enrolment form or the Contact the Receiver General for Canada section to obtain additional information for Canadians living abroad.

Please refer to "When can I have my benefits deposited directly to my bank account?" of the Questions for recipients of foreign payments section for additional information.

The diagram below identifies where you can find your banking information including the branch number, the financial institution number and the account number. This information can be found at the bottom of the cheque.

You may also: 

• attach a "void" cheque to your direct deposit enrolment form; or
• complete an enrolment form during your next visit at your financial institution where a bank teller will assist you with your banking information. This service is available at most financial institutions.

Please ask your bank teller for assistance with the completion of your Direct Deposit enrolment form during your next visit to your financial institution.

Yes. If you don't have a void cheque, your financial institution's stamp is required in order to ensure accuracy of information and to assist in the validation of your identity.

Yes, directly depositing money into your bank account is no different than any other deposit made into your joint account.

For additional information or assistance with the completion of a Direct deposit enrolment form, please contact the Receiver General. For the completion of an enrolment form on paper, you can also ask your bank teller for assistance during your next visit at the bank.

You will find the mailing address on the Direct deposit enrolment form. Please contact the Receiver General if you need additional information.

If after several payments you are still receiving cheques, please contact the payment issuing department or agency to verify that the form was received.

You will find contact information in the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section. If your payment is not included on this list, you can find contact information on the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website in the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section. If your payment issuing department or agency is not included on this list, you can find the contact information for all other federal departments and agencies on the Government of Canada website or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

If you have completed an enrolment form and mailed it in, the processing of your request will likely take more time than if you enrol by telephone or online.

Your payments are released for printing or depositing based upon pre-set schedules that are determined by the departments and agencies making the payments.

If you do not receive a payment when expected, please contact your financial institution or the department or agency issuing your payment. You can find contact information for all federal departments and agencies on the Government of Canada website or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

Please contact the department or agency responsible for each of your payments to notify them of your address change. You will find contact information in the following sections of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website:

• Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account
• Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account
• Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers

Please contact your payment issuing department to provide your new banking information. You will find the contact information for various departments in the following sections of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website:

• Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account
• Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account
• Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers

If you are an individual living in Canada and your payments are included in the list below, you can also complete an enrolment form, provide your new banking information and mail it to the address indicated on the form. You can obtain a form under the "By Mail" tab of the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account section of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website or at most financial institutions.

• Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB)
• Goods and Services Tax (GST)/Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) Credits
• Income Tax Refund
• Old Age Security (OAS)
• Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)

Note: It is recommended that you do not close your old bank account until your first payment has been deposited to your new bank account.

See "I receive more than one type of payment. Can I request that my payments be deposited in different bank accounts?" for additional information on requesting payments to be deposited in different bank accounts.

The Receiver General issues payments on behalf of other departments and agencies. For inquiries related to the amount, please contact the payment issuing department or agency.

You can find contact information in the Direct deposit for individuals with a Canadian bank account, Direct deposit for individuals with a foreign bank account and Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers' sections of the Receiver General's Direct Deposit Website.

If your payment is not included in the above sections, you can find contact information for all other federal departments and agencies on the Government of Canada website or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

In some instances, your financial institution will provide you with some payment details on your banking statement (paper or online), such as CPP for Canada Pension Plan and OAS for Old Age Security. If you require additional information, you can:

• Call the Receiver General at 1‑800‑593‑1666 and provide your personal identifier issued by the payment issuing department or agency. For example, departments or agencies may use your Social Insurance Number (SIN), an account or pension number, a business or a vendor number to manage your file. Contact your payment issuing department or agency directly to obtain detailed information regarding your payment. You can find the contact information for all other federal departments and agencies on the Government of Canada website or by calling 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

In cases where, beyond any doubt, the direct deposit payment does not belong to the recipient, then the recipient can request that their financial institution return the funds electronically to the Government of Canada.

Receiver General cheques are never stale dated, as stated in Canadian Payments Association Rule G2, General Rules Pertaining to Government of Canada Paper Instruments.

First, look for the two most prominent security features, the watermark and the fibres.

You should then refer to Canadian Payments Association Rule G7 verification and collection procedures for Receiver General warrants. For more information, you can visit the Automated Clearing Settlement System Web Page of the Canadian Payments Association, e-mail them at info@payments.ca, or call them at 1‑613‑238‑4173.

For more information you can visit the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada Web site.

Receiver General cheques are never stale dated, as stated in Canadian Payments Association Rule G2 general rules pertaining to Government of Canada paper instruments.

For tips on how to validate a Government of Canada cheque or warrant, look for the two most prominent security features, the watermark and the fibres. You should then refer to Canadian Payments Association Rule G7 verification and collection procedures for Receiver General warrants Web Page of the Canadian Payments Association, e-mail them at info@cdnpay.ca, or call them at 1‑613‑238‑4173.

It is recommended that you first contact the official responsible to follow-up on your behalf (please refer to your contract or order). To obtain contact information for the department or agency where an invoice was submitted for products or services provided, please consult the departments and agencies section of the Government of Canada Web site or call 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

Please visit the Business page for enrolment options. To obtain additional information, please consult the list of Contacts for Accounts Payable by Federal Departments and Agencies or call 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

Since a common identifier is not used by all federal departments and agencies, you must contact each department or agency individually to enrol your payments in direct deposit. You can visit the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website's Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers section for enrolment options. To obtain additional information, please consult the list of Contacts for Accounts Payable by Federal Departments and Agencies or call 1‑800‑593‑1666 (Receiver General call centre) or 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

Most federal government departments are able to provide additional details via email notification. In some cases you may be required to contact the department(s) you normally conduct business with to obtain detailed information regarding your payment. You can visit the Receiver General's Direct Deposit website's Direct deposit for businesses and suppliers section for enrolment options. To obtain additional information, please consult the list of Contacts for Accounts Payable by Federal Departments and Agencies or call 1‑800‑593‑1666 (Receiver General call centre) or 1 800 O-Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232).

Each fall, the Public Accounts of Canada are tabled in the House of Commons. You can consult previous years of the Public Accounts of Canada starting with 1995 at Library and Archives Canada. For the current year, you can go directly to the page of the Public Accounts of Canada .

The Payment on Due Date (PODD) rate is based on the average Bank of Canada discount rate for the previous month plus 3 percent. Complete information is available at Payment on due date.

If your account has been inactive for less than ten years, contact your financial institution. When there has been no owner activity in relation to the balance for more than 10 years, and the owner cannot be contacted by the institution holding it, the balance is turned over to the Bank of Canada, which acts as custodian on behalf of the owner. You can search for an unclaimed balance by using the search form from the Bank of Canada.

If you haven't found the information you need, you can contact the Receiver General for Canada.