Canada Child Benefit Program: 2021-22 Satisfaction Survey

Final Report

Prepared for Canada Revenue Agency

Supplier Name: The Strategic Counsel
Contract Number: 46637-221313/001/CY
Contract Value: $58,127.77
Award Date: 2021-12-03
Delivery Date: March 29, 2022
Registration Number: POR-051-21

For more information, please contact Canada Revenue Agency at: cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca.

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français

Canada Child Benefit Program: 2021-22 Satisfaction Survey

Final Report

Prepared for: Canada Revenue Agency
Supplier Name: The Strategic Counsel
March 2022

This public opinion research report presents the results of a telephone survey conducted by The Strategic Counsel on behalf of Canada Revenue Agency. The research study was conducted with 1,150 Canada child benefit (CCB) recipients between January 11 and 25, 2022.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Programme de l’Allocation canadienne pour enfants : Sondage sur la satisfaction de 2021-2022.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Canada Revenue Agency. For more information on this report, please contact Canada Revenue Agency at cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca

Catalogue Number: Rv4-131/2-2022E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-43613-5

Related publications (Registration Number: POR-051-21)

Catalogue Number: Rv4-131/1-2022F-PDF (Final Report, French)

International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-43614-2

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of the Canada Revenue Agency, 2022

I. Executive Summary

A. Background and Objectives

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible Canadian families to help them with the cost of raising a child under 18 years of age. The CCB may also include the child disability benefit and any related provincial or territorial programs.

Eligible recipients for the CCB include those meeting the following criteria:

• Living with the child, and the child must be under 18 years of age.
• Primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child.
• A resident of Canada for tax purposes.
• They, their spouse or common-law partner must be:
  • a Canadian citizen
  • a permanent resident
  • a protected person
  • a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months, and who has a valid permit in the 19th month
  • an Indigenous person who meets the definition of “Indian” under the Indian Act

Applications for the CCB can be completed via 3 options: Automated Benefits Application, when registering the birth of a newborn, My Account online application, and Form RC66 Canada Child Benefits Application.

The Benefits Program Directorate (BPD) of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has undertaken a number of surveys over the last two decades designed to measure and track the experience of CCB recipients. Traditionally, BPD conducted three surveys in October geared towards: the CCB first-time applicant, the CCB regular recipient, and the Goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit recipient. These surveys were used to gauge client awareness and satisfaction with program initiatives/deliverables as well as to populate results against a “client satisfaction” indicator in performance reports. In 2000, the CRA conducted its first survey of Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) first-time applicants. Additional surveys were added to measure client awareness and satisfaction for GST/HST clients (2005) and regular CCTB (now CCB) recipients (2006). For all surveys prior to 2014, a letter of invitation was sent to clients asking them to participate in a telephone survey and a 1-800 number was provided. An interactive voice response (IVR) system was used, which prompted clients to respond to questions using the keypad of a touch-tone telephone. That same year, two CCTB surveys were moved to an online environment and clients were mailed invitations with a URL address to access the surveys, while the GST/HST credit survey remained a telephone survey. In 2016, the GST/HST credit survey was conducted both via telephone and online. The rationale for keeping this survey available via telephone was based on the lower number of respondents who indicated they had access to the Internet (e.g., seniors). In 2018, the CCB survey was moved to a strictly telephone survey, because the number of respondents from the sample in previous years was proving to be too small for the results to be statistically valid. By 2019, the survey was geared more towards current recipients of the CCB, including some first-time recipients, whereas previous surveys had focused on first-time recipients only, defined as those who received their first CCB payment within the last 12 months. This survey measured satisfaction of the overall process from application to receipt of CCB payments and served as a baseline for future assessments. This approach has been repeated since that time.

The current study supports CRA’s continuous service improvement initiatives. Results are used to gauge client awareness and satisfaction with program initiatives and deliverables and to populate results against a “client satisfaction” indicator in departmental performance reports. Results are also used to inform program areas within BPD to improve programs, services and communications based on a better understanding of their benefit and credit clients.

Core objectives of the survey are to assess client satisfaction with various stages and components of the process, including specific aspects of program delivery and service, as defined by the program area.

B. Methodology

Consistent with the approach taken over the last several years, the 2022 survey was conducted by telephone. This methodology was deemed to be the most appropriate and efficient way of obtaining feedback from recipients and allows for year-over-year tracking.

The CRA provided The Strategic Counsel (TSC) with a list of 25,000 CCB recipients. The list was generated by the CRA using the following probability-based sampling process, allowing each respondent within each of the two target groups (e.g., first-time and long-time recipients) to have an equal opportunity to participate in the survey.

• From the full CCB data base of 3.2 million CCB recipients, CRA pulled all those meeting the criteria for long-time and first-time recipients.
• This subset of the full database was then sorted into the specific subgroups (first-time and long-time recipients).
• To provide a sample frame of approximately 25,000 long-time and first-time CCB recipients, CRA drew 12,500 first-time recipients and the same number of long-time recipient contacts.
• Within each of the subgroups a random sort was undertaken (from a list alphabetically ordered by last name) to draw every ‘nth’ recipient to generate the required sample frame.

The primary list provided by CRA was further scrubbed by TSC to remove any duplicates and identify incomplete contact listings. The list was then separated into two contact lists based on the length of time the recipient had been receiving payments. The first included 12,500 first-time recipients, defined as those who had received their first CCB payment within the last 12 months, and the second included a list of 12,500 long-time recipients (e.g., those in receipt of the CCB for more than 12 months). Each list included contact information such as the recipient’s name and phone number(s) which was used only for the purposes of contacting the individual, as well as key demographic and regional information to be used as analytical variables. A further sort was performed to ascertain the distribution of recipients by region. A computer-generated randomization of the list was undertaken using a proprietary randomization function in the data collection software (DASH). As the sample was depleted, the approach was repeated as necessary to obtain the final target number of contacts required.

In total, TSC completed surveys with 1,150 CCB recipients across Canada (500 first-time recipients and 650 long-time recipients). Soft quotas were established to ensure the final sample closely aligned to regional, gender and age proportions reflected in the sample provided by CRA. Otherwise, no additional quotas were set. The telephone survey was conducted between January 11 and 25, 2022. The length of the survey fell within the intended duration of no more than 10 minutes. In accordance with Government of Canada public opinion research (POR) accessibility requirements, an alternative PDF format of the survey was also made available. However, no requests were made for this alternative format.

The above noted probability-based sampling protocol means that the final sample has an associated margin of error of 2.82% at a 95% confidence interval. However, because the original sample provided by CRA was a subset of the universe of CCB recipients, the results cannot be extrapolated to the total population of those receiving the CCB. Rather, the results are representative of first-time and long-time recipients only.

Further details on the methodology can be found in Section III of this report. The response rate calculation, and the English and French surveys are included in the Appendix (Section V).

C. Key Findings

1. Satisfaction with CCB Services: Overall and on Specific Service Attributes and Processes

Across the board, CRA continues to receive high satisfaction ratings on CCB services. This is true both with respect to recipients’ satisfaction with the overall experience as well as their experience across a range of service areas, processes and attributes. The findings from the current survey are generally in line with those from 2021 and 2020.

The table below summarizes the ‘net’ satisfaction scores in all areas which were measured, showing the comparisons across three years – 2020, 2021 and 2022. The ‘net’ satisfaction score combines the percentage of respondents who gave a rating of ‘very’ or ‘somewhat satisfied’ on the measure being assessed. This table also shows the difference in scores given by first-time recipients and long-time recipients, for the current year only.

Note that the table includes results that apply to all recipients as well as to certain sub-sets, only consistent with the approach taken in 2020 and 2021. For example, only those who had contacted the CRA about CCB services in the last 12 months were asked to assess their satisfaction on certain service attributes such as how quickly their issue was resolved or the accuracy of the response they received. Similarly, recipients who said they had contacted the CRA by telephone regarding CCB services were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the interaction between themselves and the CRA agent.

Overall levels of satisfaction with CRA, taking into account all interactions related to the CCB, remains high and similar to levels reported in each of the last two years (85% in 2022; 87% in each of 2021 and 2020). Although first-time recipients (88%) express higher levels of overall satisfaction overall compared to long-time recipients (83%), the majority of recipients in both categories offer the highest rating of ‘very satisfied’ (52% and 51%, respectively).

Satisfaction ratings ranged from a high of just over nine in ten (93%) associated with the professionalism shown by the CRA agent, among those who contacted CRA by telephone, to just under three in four (72%) in terms of how quickly their issue was resolved, among those recipients who have had an interaction with CRA about the CCB within the last 12 months. As such, there is a spread of 21 points from the highest to the lowest satisfaction score offered by recipients. This is a slightly larger gap than was the case in 2021 (16-points). While a number of the scores for 2022 have fallen below the 80 percent level, which is typically viewed as the ‘floor’ for minimum target acceptable levels of client satisfaction, none of these reflect a statistically significant decline in satisfaction relative to the scores reported in 2021.

Satisfaction scores for first-time and long-time recipients varied only minimally. First-time recipients offer higher ratings of satisfaction in regards to the accuracy of the response received, among those who had contacted CRA about CCB services within the last 12 months (87% versus 78% among long-time recipients). By contrast, while the overall rating of satisfaction with the timeliness of issue resolution did not differ significantly between first-time (75%) and long-time recipients (66%), the latter group was more likely to express dissatisfaction (29%) compared to the former (15%).

Base sizes vary per statement.
*Asked of a sub-set of respondents – those who contacted CRA by telephone
** Asked only of first-time recipients
***Asked of a sub-set of respondents – those who have contacted CRA about CCB services in the last 12 months

Notably, a consistent finding throughout many of the 2022 survey results is that those who speak a language other than English or French tend to offer higher ratings on many aspects of CRA’s service with respect to delivery of the CCB program. While satisfaction ratings were strong across the board, this group consistently expresses higher levels of satisfaction, overall (91%), and in terms of service attributes including the accuracy of response provided for those who have been in contact with CRA about the CCB in the last 12 months (92%) as well as the timeliness of the first CCB payment (88%). These results may an indication of the effectiveness of CRA’s outreach to CCB recipients whose first language is neither English nor French and that these efforts are having a positive impact on the experience with and perceptions of the CRA.

2. Contact with CRA Regarding CCB Services: Method and Reason for Contact

A relatively small percentage of those surveyed in 2022 had contacted CRA within the past year about CCB services (17%), in line with findings from 2021 (19%) and 2020 (17%)). First-time recipients (28%) continue to be more likely to have contacted CRA compared to long-time recipients (9%).

The reasons for contacting CRA have remained relatively stable across the last three years. The largest proportion of recipients contacted CRA to update their file (44% vs. 46% in 2021), followed by those who are dealing with an application (31% vs. 38% in 2021) and those addressing an issue related to issuance of payment (21%, the same as in 2021). A much smaller proportion have been in touch to obtain general information (11% vs. 16% in 2021) or in regards to a service complaint (4%, identical to the finding in 2021).

As was the case in 2021, reasons for contact varied between first-time and long-time recipients. Most long-time recipients contacted CRA regarding an update to their file (61% vs. 37% for first-time recipients), whereas the plurality of first-time recipients are more likely to have been in contact with CRA regarding their application (41% vs. 8% among long-time recipients). A higher proportion of long-time recipients also contacted CRA for general information as compared to first-time recipients (17% vs. 9%, respectively).

Telephone remains the primary method of contact for the vast majority of recipients who contacted the CRA in the last 12 months (82% in 2022; 79% in 2021; 78% in 2020). And, almost two-thirds (64%) say that, based on their last experience, it was ‘easy’ to access CCB services, consistent with findings in 2021 (62%) and 2020 (65%). While the experience of first-time and long-time recipients is roughly comparable, the former (68%) are more likely to report finding it ‘easy’ compared to the latter ( 54%). Notably, perceptions regarding how easy or difficult it is to access CCB services does not vary by the method of contact. Those who contacted CRA by telephone (62%) were equally likely to rate access as ‘easy’ compared to those who contacted CCB online (64%).

3. Awareness of CCB Online Services

Despite the continuing inclination of most recipients to contact CRA by telephone, awareness of the various features and options to manage or update one’s CCB profile online is reasonably good and consistent with findings from previous years. Recipients exhibit high levels of awareness of the ability to update their personal information for benefit and credit purposes through My Account (82% in 2022; 85% in 2021; 78% in 2020). Awareness is 20-points lower, but in line with previous years’ results, in terms of being able to pay their CCB balances owing using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking (62% in 2022; 65% in 2021; 60% in 2020). Familiarity with the web-based app (My Benefits CRA) which allows recipients a quick view of their benefit and credit details and their eligibility information is lower, but still a majority (56% in 2022; 60% in 2021; 54% in 2020).

Those recipients who have interacted with CRA via their online services continue to provide positive feedback, with three-quarters or more saying the information is complete, helpful, accessible and easy to understand.

4. Awareness of the Need to File a Tax Return

Awareness of the need to file a tax return in order to continue receiving CCB benefits has been stable over the last three years. About nine in ten recipients (89%) are aware of this requirement, although awareness is higher among long-time recipients (94%) compared to first-time recipients (82%). Almost one in five first-time recipients (18%) remain unaware of the need to file a tax return, suggesting there are ongoing opportunities for CRA to educate and inform this group of recipients in particular.

5. Applying for CCB in the Future

Over half (55%) of recipients say that, if they had another child, they would apply for the CCB through the online ‘My Account’ portal. First-time recipients (63%) in particular express a strong preference to apply via this method.
Another third of recipients say they would apply at the hospital (32%), while very few suggest they would apply by completing the paper Form RC66 (3%).
To the extent that there are regional differences in preferences for the method of application in the future, these should be considered in any strategy that CRA implements, especially if there is a desire to encourage the use of the online option. Applying at the hospital, is more likely to be preferred by recipients in the Atlantic Region and on the Prairies, while applying online is the preferred method for those residing in B.C./North and Ontario.

6. Evaluation of the Child Custody Questionnaire

From time to time, the CRA sends a questionnaire to CCB recipients requesting that they confirm or correct the information with regards to child custody arrangements. When asked if they had received this questionnaire in the last 12 months, very few (3%, n=38) recipients said they had. This proportion is in line with the finding from 2021 (3%, n=34).

While the base of those who responded in the affirmative to this question is quite small, over two-thirds (66%) said it was either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very easy’ to fill out the questionnaire. About one-quarter (26%) indicate having some difficulty. While this number is slightly higher as compared to 2021 (15%), it remains lower than what was reported in 2020 (39%), a reflection that, on balance, recipients continue to respond positively to any previous improvements to the questionnaire. Nevertheless, the fact that one-quarter find it difficult warrants a review.

D. Conclusions

The current high levels of satisfaction from first-time and long-time CCB recipients in the 2022 reflect a generally positive experience in terms of their interactions with CRA regarding the CCB. Moreover, there has been little change in satisfaction scores over the last three years, suggesting that CRA continues to maintain a positive relationship with CCB clients on many aspects of its service.

At the same time, the findings underscore a number of areas which could be the focus for ongoing service improvement as follows:

• Encouraging a further shift to the online platform: The vast majority of recipients continue to contact CRA by telephone and most are doing so to update their file or in regards to their application. A smaller number are contacting CRA in relation to an issuance of payment, for general information or for a service complaint. The continued dominance of telephone as a primary service channel contrasts with the fact that four in five recipients are aware of the ability to update their personal information online though My Account. Moreover, the general view of those recipients who have used CRA’s online services is a positive one. They find the information provided is complete, helpful, accessible and easy to understand. Additionally, the stated preference of the majority of recipients, should the need arise in the future, is to apply for the CCB online, using the secure portal ‘My Account.’ The findings suggest that while there is a reasonably high awareness of the online features which recipients can use to manage and monitor their CCB account, a strong preference by recipients to be able to interact with CRA online, and general satisfaction with various aspects of the online platform, recipients still tend to default to telephone as their primary method of contact with CRA about the CCB. More efforts may be required to remind recipients of the online option and, in particular, that the MyBenefits CRA web-based app is a quick way for recipients to view their benefit and credit payment details. While most recipients who contact CRA by telephone are satisfied with the professionalism of the agent and the way in which he or she resolved their issue, promoting the online platform and web app would serve to reduce pressure on the call center and service agents. Notably, although telephone is the most frequently cited method of contact among both first-time and long-time recipients, satisfaction ratings among long-time recipients regarding the promptness of issue resolution are much lower compared to first-time recipients. This may be a factor of the complexity of their issue and/or their history as a CCB client. One option to consider may be to have service agents remind first-time recipients in particular of the online option which would promote further take-up and possibly sustained use of the online platform over time. This should also be considered as a strategy for long-time recipients, although it may prove more challenging to shift a large proportion of this group from telephone to online.


• Maintaining or improving telephone service standards: Given the volume of recipients who report contacting CRA via telephone, monitoring and maintaining a high level of service client service via telephone is important to ensuring ongoing overall satisfaction among CCB clients. While simultaneously encouraging a shift to the online platform, CRA should continue to track and assess first call resolution in order to better understand how the call center team is handling inquiries and requests as well as the types of requests that are generating more critical feedback from clients or are taking multiple calls to resolve.

Statement of Political Neutrality

I hereby certify as a Senior Officer of The Strategic Counsel that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Signed:
Donna Nixon

Background and Objectives

A. Background

Since 2000, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has been continuously conducting studies to gauge client awareness and satisfaction with the Canada child benefit (CCB). The CCB is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising a child under 18 years of age.

A brief history of surveys conducted by the Benefits Program Directorate (BPD) related to the CCB is as follows:

• BPD traditionally conducted three surveys in October geared towards: the CCB first-time applicant, the CCB regular recipient, and the Goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit recipient. These surveys were used to gauge client awareness and satisfaction with program initiatives/deliverables as well as to populate results against a “client satisfaction” indicator in performance reports.
• In 2000, the CRA conducted its first survey of Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) first-time applicants. Additional surveys were added to measure client awareness and satisfaction for GST/HST clients (2005) and regular CCTB (now CCB) recipients (2006).
• For all surveys prior to 2014, a letter of invitation was sent to clients asking them to participate in a telephone survey and a 1-800 number was provided. An interactive voice response (IVR) system was used, which prompted clients to respond to questions using the keypad of a touch-tone telephone.
• In 2014, the two CCTB surveys were moved to an online environment and clients were mailed invitations with a URL address to access the surveys, while the GST/HST credit survey remained a telephone survey.
• In 2016, the GST/HST credit survey was conducted both via telephone and online. The rationale for keeping this survey available via telephone was based on the lower number of respondents that indicated they had access to the Internet (e.g., seniors).
• In 2018, the CCB survey was moved to a strictly phone survey, because the number of respondents from the sample in previous years was proving to be too small for the results to be statistically valid.
• In 2019, the survey was geared more towards current recipients of the CCB, including some first-time recipients, whereas previous surveys had focused on first-time recipients only. The survey measured satisfaction of the overall process from application to receipt of CCB payments and served as a baseline for future assessments.
• In 2020-21, the survey repeated this approach and this will also be the approach followed in 2021-22.

B. Objectives

The purpose of this study is to both track and assess client satisfaction with the overall process, from application to receipt of the CCB payments. The survey provides an opportunity for program recipients to offer feedback in terms of their overall satisfaction with the program, their satisfaction at various stages and with various components of the process as well as evaluations of specific aspects of program delivery and service, as defined by the program area.

The 2022 research also tracks progress relative to the previous two surveys (2020 and 2021) with a view to understanding if and how CCB recipients’ perceptions have changed over time, and why. The findings support CRA’s continuous service improvement initiatives and provide the Benefit Programs Directorate (BPD) with a better understanding of benefit and credit clients and direction to improve programs, services and communications. The data is also used to populate results against a ‘client satisfaction’ indicator included in CRA performance reports.

Methodology

In 2022, a telephone survey of 1,150 CCB recipients, including 500 first-time recipients and 650 long-time recipients, was undertaken utilizing contact lists provided by the CRA. The questionnaire (see Section V – Appendix: Research Instruments) remained almost identical to both the 2020 and 2021 surveys, allowing for results to be compared across the three years.

A. Sample Design

The CRA provided The Strategic Counsel with a list of 25,000 CCB recipients. The list was generated by the CRA using the following probability-based sampling process, allowing each respondent within each of the two target groups (e.g., first-time and long-time recipients) to have an equal opportunity to participate in the survey.

• From the full CCB data base of 3.2 million CCB recipients, CRA pulled all those meeting the criteria for long-time and first-time recipients.
• This subset of the full database was then sorted into the specific subgroups (first-time and long-time recipients).
• To provide a sample frame of approximately 25,000 long-time and first-time CCB recipients, CRA drew 12,500 first-time and another 12,500 long-time recipient contacts.
• Within each of the subgroups a random sort was undertaken (from a list alphabetically ordered by last name) to draw every ‘nth’ recipient to generate the required sample frame.

The primary list provided by CRA was further scrubbed by The Strategic Counsel to remove any duplicates and identify incomplete contact listings. The list was then separated into two contact lists based on the length of time the recipient had been receiving payments. The first included 12,500 first-time recipients, defined as those who had received their first CCB payment within the last 12 months, and the second included a list of 12,500 long-time recipients, defined as those in receipt of the CCB for more than 12 months. Each list included the following information:

• Recipient’s name;
• Phone number(s), including home and mobile as applicable, which was used only for the purposes of contacting the individual;
• Gender;
• Age;
• Province;
• Postal code;
• Preferred language;
• Year of receipt of first payment; and
• Type of recipient.

A further sort was performed to ascertain the distribution of recipients by region. A computer-generated randomization of the list was undertaken using a proprietary randomization function in the data collection software (DASH). As the sample was depleted, the approach was repeated as necessary to obtain the final target number.

In total, The Strategic Counsel completed surveys with 1,150 CCB recipients across Canada (500 first-time recipients and 650 long-time recipients). Quotas were established to ensure the correct distribution of first-time recipients (n=500) and long-time recipients (n=650), consistent with previous years. Soft quotas were also put in place to ensure the sample included a representative cross-section by province, gender and age based on the original sample provided.

The table below outlines the distribution of the sample by type of recipient and by province in the original client list, as well as the distribution of the final sample following completion of the interviews.

The telephone survey was conducted between January 11 and 25, 2022. The survey was within the 10-minute maximum length intended. Interviews ranged from 4 minutes in length to 21 minutes with the average interview coming in just under the 10 minute mark. In accordance with Government of Canada public opinion research (POR) accessibility requirements, an alternative PDF format of the survey was offered. However, no requests were made for this format.

The above noted probability-based sampling protocol means that the final sample has an associated margin of error of 2.82% at a 95% confidence interval. However, because the original sample provided by CRA was a subset of the universe of CCB recipients, the results cannot be extrapolated to the total population of those receiving the CCB. Rather, the results are representative of first-time and long-time recipients only.

As per the Standards for the Conduct of Government o f Canada Public Opinion Research – Telephone Surveys, the contact list provided by the CRA was destroyed upon completion of the fieldwork.

B. Fieldwork and Response Rates

In total 1,150 applicants completed the survey, with an overall response rate of 13%. The response rate was calculated according to the Empirical Method formula of R / (U + IS + R), as follows:

• The number of in scope responding (R) participants (completed, disqualified, and over-quota respondents) = 1,157
  DIVIDED BY
  The sum of the unresolved (U) numbers (6,861), the in scope non-responding (IS) participants (760) + the in scope responding (R) participants (1,157) = 8,778

The response rates for each of the two sub-groups was as follows: first-time recipients (17%); long-time recipients (11.2%).

Details on the call dispositions for the total sample, as well as for first-time recipients and long-time recipients, can be found in Section A of the Appendix.

Please note that all respondents were offered an opportunity to answer the survey in their official language of choice, English or French. A total of 969 recipients responded to the survey in English and 181 in French.

1. Non-Response Bias

Non-response bias occurs when some respondents included in the sample do not respond to the survey. This is typically a result of refusals to participate or an inability to reach or connect with respondents during the timeframe within which the survey is being fielded. A bias would occur if those who refused or were unable to participate in the survey were systematically different from those who did participate with respect to the variables measured in the survey.

Non-response rates in probability samples are increasing worldwide and a non-response bias analysis is particularly useful when response rates to a survey are low, or if there are other indications that bias may be present in the survey results. Having said this, however, research studies have shown that response rates alone are an unreliable indicator of bias. Additionally, non-response bias is typically a greater concern for research on highly personal or sensitive issues and/or where social desirability may play a role in respondents’ answers on interviewer-led telephone surveys. This is a lesser issue for the 2022 Canada Child Benefit Client Annual Satisfaction Survey where questions are intended to assess respondents’ awareness and experiences.

As in the previous waves of research, a number of steps have been taken at the design stage to reduce or mitigate the risk of non-respondent bias, including:

• Ensuring the survey is kept short and is accessible – the survey averaged around 10 minutes in length and participants could request an alternate PDF format, according to Government of Canada Public Opinion Research accessibility requirements; and
• Obtaining participants’ feedback on the design or structuring of questions – a pre-test was run (see below) to assess participants’ experience in completing the survey and it was found to be generally positive.

Common approaches to assessing non-response bias include: comparing the frame variables for respondents and non-respondents; comparing early and late respondents on frame variables and key survey variables; and comparing estimates from the survey respondents (using non-response-adjusted weights) with estimates from an independent, external ‘gold-standard’ data source or rich sampling frame information.

There are limitations on the extent to which a full and complete non-response analysis can be undertaken of this dataset. This is primarily a factor of the absence of available data on non-responders apart from what was provided by CRA in the original sample file. However, the implementation of soft quotas to ensure that the final sample closely reflects the distribution of first-time and long-time CCB recipients by province will have the effect of reducing, if not completely eliminating, non-response bias.

Given the above, it is our considered view that any non-response bias is minimal and that the survey results as reported here are valid.

2. Pretesting

As per Government of Canada Standards for Public Opinion Research for telephone surveys, pre-testing was undertaken prior to launching the survey. The survey was pre-tested by telephone among n=20 (10 in English and 10 in French) recipients prior to commencing full field in order to obtain feedback with respect to length, ease of completion, and comprehension. Overall, the findings from the pre-test were very positive and The Strategic Counsel and the CRA agreed no changes needed to be made prior to the fieldwork.

C. Note to Reader

No weighting procedures were applied to the final data. Unless otherwise noted, results shown in this report are expressed as percentages and may not add up to 100% due to rounding and/or multiple responses to a given question. Throughout the report, unless otherwise stated, significance is indicated at the 95% confidence level based on the Z-Test.

Detailed Findings from the Survey

A. Overall Satisfaction

Overall levels of satisfaction among CCB recipients in terms of their interactions with CRA (including the application, notices, and receipt of payments) remains high. Over four in five CCB recipients (85%), in line with results from 2021 and 2020 (87% in each of these two years). As in previous years, a majority of CCB recipients (51%) are ‘very satisfied,’ while just over one-third (34%) say they are ‘somewhat satisfied’ with their interactions. Another one in ten (9%) recipients offer a more neutral rating, indicating they are ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied,’ and just four percent (4%) report being ‘somewhat’ (3%) or ‘very dissatisfied’ (1%) with their interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB.

Similar to findings in 2021, overall satisfaction ratings are significantly higher for first-time recipients (88%), compared to long-time recipient (83%). However, among both first-time and long-time recipients, a majority report being ‘very satisfied’ (52% of first-time recipients; 51% of long-time recipients).

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL INTERACTIONS WITH CRA, REGARDING THE CCB

Q16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?
Base: Total sample

High satisfaction scores are reported in all regions of the country, ranging from almost nine in ten among CCB recipients residing on the Prairies (88%), as well as in Ontario (87%) and the Atlantic region (87%), to about four in five or slightly higher in Quebec (84%) and British Columbia/the North (79%). Recipients in Ontario are more likely than those in B.C./North and Quebec to offer the highest rating of ‘very satisfied’ (57% vs. 45% and 43%, respectively).

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL CCB INTERACTIONS, By Region

Q16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?
Base: Total sample

Satisfaction levels are high across all age groups with a majority or near majority reporting being ‘very satisfied.

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL CCB INTERACTIONS, By Age

Q16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?
Base: Total sample

Language spoken at home does have some impact on satisfaction scores as those CCB recipients who speak a language other than English or French report the highest levels of satisfaction (91%), compared to Anglophones (84%) and Francophones (80%). Notably, a majority of recipients whose first language is not English or French (56%) or who reside in English-speaking households (53%) give a rating of ‘very satisfied.’ By contrast, CCB recipients residing in French-speaking households are much less likely to say they are ‘very satisfied’ (38%), with the balance in these households reporting that they are at least ‘somewhat satisfied’ (42%).

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL CCB INTERACTIONS, by language spoken at home

Q16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?
Base: Total sample

With respect to educational attainment, CCB recipients with a high school education or less (58%) are more likely than those with a university education (49%) to report being ‘very satisfied’ with their interactions with the CRA. However, net satisfaction levels (e.g., those who report being ‘somewhat’ or ‘very satisfied’) are consistent regardless of the educational status of CCB recipients. There are no differences with respect to overall satisfaction with CRA interactions regarding the CCB by household income. Across the board, more than four in five CCB recipients report being satisfied.

SATISFACTION WITH OVERALL CCB INTERACTIONS, by education and income

Q16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?
Base: Total sample

B. Satisfaction with CCB Payments

First-time recipients, defined as those who have been receiving the CCB for less than 12 months, were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the time it took to receive their first CCB payment. Similar to the results from the last two years, recipients’ satisfaction on this aspect of their interactions with CRA remains high. Over four in five (84%) are satisfied, in line with the findings from 2021 (86%) and 2020 (85%). Moreover, a majority report being ‘very satisfied’ again similar to the results reported in 2021 (56%) which reflected an increase over 2020 (48%).

SATISFACTION WITH TIMELINESS OF FIRST CCB PAYMENT

Q5A. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the CCB? – “The time it took to get your first CCB payment”.
Base: First-time recipients

The only demographic variation of note on this measure is among those who speak a language other than English or French. This group is more likely to report being satisfied with the timeliness of their first CCB payment, particularly relative to Anglophones (88% vs. 81%, respectively). Francophones (84%) also rate CRA highly on this measure. Non-English/French speakers are also much more likely to offer the highest rating of ‘very satisfied’ (58%), compared to both Anglophones (49%) and Francophones (40%).

C. Satisfaction with and Understanding of CCB Notices

A series of questions were posed to all recipients to assess their satisfaction with the accuracy of information on CCB notices and the relative ease of understanding of the information on the notices. These questions were also included in the two previous surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021.

1. Satisfaction with Accuracy of Information on CCB Notices

The most recent survey results show that a strong majority of CCB recipients (77%) are satisfied with the accuracy of information on the most recent CCB notice used to calculate their benefit. Moreover, the findings are consistent with those from 2021 (80%) and 2020 (79%).

While overall levels of satisfaction on this measure are comparable between first-time (79%) and long-time recipients (75%), the former are somewhat more likely to say they are ‘very satisfied’ (47%), compared to the latter (40%).

SATISFACTION WITH ACCURACY OF INFORMATION ON LAST CCB NOTICE

Q5B. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the CCB? – “The accuracy of the information on the last CCB notice which was used to calculate your benefit”.
Base: Total sample

Levels of satisfaction vary to some extent by region, although over two-thirds in each region say they are satisfied. Those in Quebec (80%), the Prairies (79%) and Ontario (77%) are more likely express satisfaction with the accuracy of information on the last CCB notice which was used to calculate their benefit, relative to recipients in B.C./North (69%). Results in Atlantic Canada (73%) do not differ significantly from those in other regions.

Demographically, a larger proportion of those with annual household incomes under $60,000 (80%) are satisfied, compared to those with incomes of $100,000 or more (73%). At the same time it should be noted that satisfaction levels are high across all demographic groups.

2. Ease of Understanding Last CCB Notice

The vast majority (77%) of CCB recipients say that the information on their last CCB notice was easy to understand, on a par with the results from the previous two years (80% in each year). Moreover, there is no difference between first-time (75%) and long-time (79%) recipients with three-quarters or more in each group indicating the information is presented in a way which facilitates ease of understanding. Overall, fewer than one in ten (6%) say the information is either ‘somewhat’ (5%) or ‘very difficult’ (1%) to understand.

EASE OF UNDERSTANDING CCB NOTICES

Q6. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information on your last CCB notice?
Base: Total sample

Findings vary minimally across the regions and by demographic sub-groups, as follows:

• Regionally, CCB recipients in Ontario (80%) and the Prairies (80%) are more likely to rate the information as easy to understand, particularly in comparison to those in Quebec (71%). Nevertheless, recipients in all regions rate the CRA highly positively on this aspect of service, including those in Atlantic Canada (78%) and B.C./North (77%); and
• In line with the above point, those who speak a language other than one of the two official languages in Canada (82%) and Anglophones (79%) are more likely, as compared to Francophones (67%), to say they found the information on their last CCB notice easy to understand.

D. Contact with and Ease of Accessing the CRA for CCB Services

Program and/or service satisfaction is, at least in part, a factor of the frequency and nature of interactions between the client and the program or service provider, the channel used to obtain a service, the relative ease of interactions, as well as the perceived level and quality of the service received. A series of questions were asked of first-time and long-time CCB recipients to assess their interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB over the past year. They were also asked about the reasons for contact and how easy or difficult it was to access CCB services.

1. Contact with the CRA Regarding CCB

Slightly less than one in five CCB recipients (17%) have had to contact the CRA within the past 12 months, virtually identical to the proportions who said the same in 2021 (17%) and 2020 (19%). In line with the findings from 2021, first-time recipients (28%) are much more likely to have contacted the CRA as compared to long-time recipients (9%).

CONTACTED THE CRA IN LAST 12 MONTHS REGARDING CCB

Q7. In the past 12 months did you have to contact the CRA regarding the CCB?
Base: Total sample

Generally, those who are more likely to say they have contacted CCB within the last year include:

• Men (28%), as compared to women (16%);
• Those who self-identified as Indigenous, a visible minority, or a person with a disability (23%), compared to those who did not (15%);
• Recipients who speak a language other than French or English at home (21%), as compared to Anglophones (16%); and
• Those with annual household incomes under $60,000 (20%) relative to those with household incomes over $100,000 (12%).

The reasons for contacting CRA varied but were, for the most part, similar to what was reported in 2021 and 2020. Just under half of CCB recipients mention they contacted CRA to update their file (44% in 2022; 46% in 2021; 49% in 2020). About one-third contacted CRA regarding their application (31%), roughly in line with the results from 2021 (38%) and 2020 (27%). About one in five, or fewer, contacted CRA for other issues, and the proportions doing so were similar to what were reported in the previous two waves of client surveys, including: issuance of payment (21% in both 2022 and 2021; 20% in 2020); general information (11% in 2022; 16% in 2021; 10% in 2020); a service complaint (4% in 2022 and 2021; 5% in 2020); a policy ruling or interpretation (3% in 2022; 6% in 2021; 5% in 2020); an appeal (2% in 2022; 4% in 2021; 2% in 2020); or another matter (1% in 2022 and 2021; less than 1% in 2020).

As was the case in 2021 and 2020, the reasons for contact varied somewhat between first-time and long-time recipients. The vast majority of long-time recipients are more likely to have contacted CRA regarding an update to their file (61%), compared to just over one-third among first-time recipients (37%). The plurality of first-time recipients were in touch with CRA to address a question or issue regarding their application (41%), compared to under one-in-ten (8%) long-time recipients. About equal numbers of first-time and long-time recipients contacted CRA regarding issuance of payment (22% and 19%, respectively). And, while on average about one in ten recipients (11%) contacted CRA for general information, a higher percentage of long-time recipients (17%) did so relative to first-time recipients (9%). Other issues such as service complaints, policy rulings or interpretation or appeals were mentioned by very few and there were no significant differences between first-time and long-time recipients.

REASONS FOR CONTACT (Multi-mention)

Q8. Why did you contact the CRA?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

There are some variations on this question by region as well as by gender, age, language and marital status, specifically for the two most frequently cited reasons given for contacting CRA. Those more likely to have contacted CRA in order to update their file include:

• Recipients who are separated, divorced or widowed (77%), compared to those who are married or living in a common law arrangement (38%) or single parents (37%);
• Those in Quebec (62%), relative to those in Ontario (40%), the Prairies (38%) and B.C./North (33%); and
• Those between the ages of 35 and 49 (53%), compared to recipients aged 18 to 34 (34%).

Recipients who are more likely to have been in touch with CRA regarding their application include:

• Younger recipients, aged 18 to 34 (49%), relative to those aged 35 to 49 (21%) and those 50 years of age or older (18%);
• Recipients who speak a language other than English or French in the home (41%), compared to Anglophones (26%); and
• Those residing in Quebec (40%), as compared to recipients in B.C./North (18%).

Telephone remains the primary service channel for CCB recipients who have had to contact CRA within the last year, unchanged from the previous two years (82% in 2022; 79% in 2021; 78% in 2020). A much smaller proportion of recipients (25%) contacted CRA online, similar to findings from 2021 (26%) and 2020 (23%). Very few (7%) contacted CRA by mail, again unchanged from the previous years (7% in 2021; 11% in 2020).

There was little difference in the choice or use of channels to interact with CRA among first-time or long-time recipients. Both client groups report relying primarily on telephone in about equal numbers. The majority of first-time (83%) and long-time recipients (80%) indicate that they contacted CRA about the CCB by telephone (83% and 80%, respectively), while far fewer in each group did so using CRA online services (24% among first-time recipients; 29% among long-time recipients). Fewer than one in ten interacted with CRA by mail (6% among first-time recipients; 8% among long-time recipients).

METHOD OF CONTACT (Multi-mention)

Q9. How did you contact the CRA?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

Across all regions and demographic groups, the vast majority of recipients report having contacted CRA by telephone. The likelihood of having contacted CRA by telephone was, however, noticeably higher among Francophones (94%), compared to Anglophones (81%) and those who speak a language other than English or French at home (80%). This was also true of those who contacted CRA about an issuance of payment (94% of whom contacted CRA by telephone).

Across the other two channels, recipients in Ontario (33%) are more likely to have contacted CRA via online services compared to those residing in B.C./North (15%). By contrast, a higher proportion of those in B.C./North (19%) and in Quebec (13%), relative to Ontario (1%) contacted CRA by mail.

2. Ease of Accessing CCB Services

Respondents continue to rate access to CCB services positively. Most (64%) said that, based on their last experience, it was ‘easy’ to access CCB services, with about one-third (32%) rating it as ‘very easy,’ and similar numbers (31%) saying it was ‘somewhat easy.’ These results align closely with the findings from both 2021 and 2020 (62% rating access as ‘easy,’ in 2021; 65% in 2020).

Nevertheless, one-quarter (25%) of CCB recipients surveyed report finding it ‘difficult’ to access CCB services. Again, this is in line with findings from previous years (29% in 2021; 23% in 2020).

The experience of first-time and long-time recipients is roughly comparable, although a slightly higher percentage of first-time recipients describe it as ‘easy’ (68% compared to 54%).

EASE OF ACCESSING CCB SERVICES BASED ON LAST EXPERIENCE

Q10. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

There were no significant differences across regions or demographic sub-groups on this question. However, recipients between the ages of 18 and 34 (42%) are more likely to describe access to CCB services as ‘very easy,’ compared to those aged 35 to 49 (24%). Overall, however, the proportion saying the services are ‘easy’ to access does not vary significantly by age.

While the 2021 survey results showed a difference in perceptions of the ease of accessing services between those who had contacted CRA by telephone versus online, this difference is not apparent in 2022. In both cases, about six in ten recipients describe accessing the services as ‘easy’ (64% for those who contacted CRA online; 62% for those who contacted CRA by telephone). Due to the small number of recipients who had contacted CCB services by mail, no significant differences were evident for this channel relative to the others.

EASE OF ACCESSING CCB SERVICES, by Method of Contact

Q10. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months c Caution, small base size BTS Base size too small to report

Furthermore, ratings regarding ease of access do not vary significantly based on the reason for contact, as detailed in the table below. Regardless of the reason for contacting CRA, a majority in all cases said it was ‘easy’ to access CCB services. These findings are also consistent with those from 2021 and 2020.

EASE OF ACCESSING CCB SERVICES, by Reason for Contact

Q10. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months c Caution, small base size BTS Base size too small to report

E. Satisfaction and Experience with CCB Online Services

1. Satisfaction with CCB Online Services

Recipients who had contacted the CRA regarding CCB services within the last 12 months, by any method and for a range of reasons, were asked to rate their satisfaction with respect to three areas of service:

• The safeguards in place to protect their privacy (i.e. personal and business information);
• The accuracy of the response they received; and
• How quickly the issue was resolved.

The table below shows results for ‘net satisfaction’ (e.g., the combined percentage of those who say they were either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very satisfied’) across the three service areas.’ Results closely mirror those from the last two years. The highest satisfaction scores pertain to the safeguards which are in place to protect personal and business information (90% in 2022; 84% in 2021; 85% in 2020) and the accuracy of the response received (84% in 2022; 85% in 2021; 80% in 2020). Notably, although not significantly different, satisfaction regarding privacy safeguards increased by 6 points from 2021. Ratings for first-time and long-time recipients do not vary significantly on these two measures.

Satisfaction levels regarding how quickly the issue was resolved are lower compared to the other service aspects noted above. This was also the case in 2021 and 2020. Overall, just under three-quarters (72%) are satisfied with the timeliness of issue resolution, unchanged from the previous two years (74% in each of 2021 and 2020). Again, there is no statistically significant difference between first-time and long-time recipients.

NET SATISFACTION: TIMELINESS, PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS, ACCURACY OF INFORMATION

Q11. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects?
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

As noted earlier, satisfaction with privacy safeguards is quite strong (90%). Moreover, two-thirds (67%) say they are ‘very satisfied’ with this aspect of CRA’s service, an 11-point increase over 2021. Very few recipients express any degree of dissatisfaction with this measure (4%).

SATISFACTION WITH PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS

Q11B. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? – “The safeguards that were in place to protect your personal and business information”.
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

While there are no regional or demographic differences in terms of net overall satisfaction with privacy safeguards, it is notable that women (70%) are more likely than men (48%) to give a rating of ‘very satisfied’ on this service attribute.

Recipients also express high levels of satisfaction (84%) with the accuracy of the response provided and these ratings have been fairly stable since 2020. Over half of first-time recipients (59%) and close to half of long-time recipients (46%) offer the most positive rating of ‘very satisfied.’

SATISFACTION WITH ACCURACY OF THE RESPONSE PROVIDED

Q11C. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? – “The accuracy of the response you received”.
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

The following sub-groups are more likely to offer higher satisfaction ratings on this measure:

• Men (97%), compared to women (82%);
• Recipients whose first language is not English or French (92%), compared to Anglophones (81%) and Francophones (72%); and
• Younger recipients, aged 18 to 34, (57%) who are more likely to say they are ‘very satisfied’ on this measure, as compared to those aged 50 and older (27%).

There is also some variability in satisfaction on this measure based on the reason for contacting CRA. Those who contacted CRA regarding their application (90%), to update their file (87%), for general information (86%) or regarding issuance of a payment (76%) are more likely to be satisfied versus those who contacted CRA for other reasons such as an appeal (67%) or a policy ruling/interpretation (33%).

The table below highlights that satisfaction levels with respect to the timeliness of issue resolution have remained steady from 2020 through 2022. While there are no statistically significant differences in overall levels of satisfaction between first-time and long-time recipients (75% and 66%, respectively), a much higher proportion of long-time recipients express dissatisfaction (29% vs. 15% for first-time recipients). Fully one in five long-time recipients (20%) are ‘very dissatisfied’ with this aspect of service from the CRA, a significantly higher proportion relative to first-time recipients (7%).

SATISFACTION WITH TIMELINESS OF RESOLUTION

Q11A. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? – “How quickly your issue was resolved”.
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA in past 12 months

Women (48%) are more likely to say they are ‘very satisfied’ relative to men (29%) on this measure. Beyond this, those who did not self-identify as being Indigenous, a member of a visible minority or a person with a disability (77%) are more likely to report being satisfied compared to those who did (61%).

In line with findings reported above, satisfaction levels vary depending on the reason for contact and the way in which the recipient contacted CRA. Those who contacted CRA regarding a policy ruling (83%), an application (81%), or to update their file (75%) are more likely to express satisfaction compared to those who contacted CRA regarding issuance of a payment (50%). And, those who contacted CRA by telephone (71% ‘satisfied;’ 44% ‘very satisfied’) also exhibit higher levels of satisfaction compared to recipients who contacted CRA by mail (38% ‘satisfied;’ 23% ‘very satisfied’).

F. Ratings of CRA’s Online Services

Recipients who indicated having contacted the CRA through online services within the last 12 months were asked to rate the information they viewed online in terms of its helpfulness, completeness or thoroughness, accessibility, and ease of comprehension.

Results summarized in the table below indicate that, overall, nearly eight-in-ten recipients found the information on CRA’s online services easy to understand (78%) and accessible (78%). About three-quarters or more of recipients also rate the helpfulness (74%) and completeness (74%) of information on CRA’s online services as ‘good’ or ‘very good.’ Ratings for these measures do not vary significantly from the findings for the previous two years.

Moreover, there are no significant differences in the ratings given by first-time and long-time recipients on these four aspects of online service.

RATINGS OF CCB ONLINE INFORMATION

Q12. How would you rate the information on CRA’s online services in terms of each of the following aspects?
Base: Those who contacted the CRA through online services in the past 12 months c Caution, small base size

Given the relatively small proportion of recipients who indicated they had used CRA’s online services in the last 12 months, the results for these measures have not been analysed further across demographic sub-groups and regions.

G. Satisfaction with CCB Telephone Services

Those CCB recipients who had contacted CRA by telephone were asked to rate their satisfaction with two key service aspects associated with the professionalism of the CRA agent and the way in which the CRA agent resolved their issue.

Satisfaction with the professionalism the CRA agent remains very high (93%) in 2022, consistent with results from 2021 and 202p (90% in each of these years). Strong ratings of satisfaction are displayed across both categories of respondents – first-time recipients (95%) and long-time recipients (87%). In fact, the vast majority of recipients are ‘very satisfied’ with this aspect of service, including three-quarters of first-time recipients (75%) and three in five long-time recipients (60%).

SATISFACTION WITH PROFESSIONALISM OF AGENT

Q11D. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? – “The professionalism that the CRA agent showed”.
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA by telephone c Caution, small base size

Recipients aged 18 to 34 (98%) are more likely to be satisfied with the professionalism of the agent, compared to those between the ages of 35 and 49 (89%). Otherwise, there are no other significant variations across regions or demographic groups. While satisfaction with the way the CRA agent resolved the issue continues to be high (83%) and is consistent with findings from 2021 (83%) and 2020 (77%), the rating on this measure is somewhat lower relative to satisfaction with the professionalism or demeanour of the agent on the call. Notably, however, fewer than one in ten (8%) express any degree of dissatisfaction with the way the agent resolved their issue.

At the same time, there is a marked difference in the ratings offered by first-time and long-time recipients on this metric. While nine in ten first-time recipients (90%) are satisfied (61% are ‘very satisfied’), this compares with just over two-thirds of long-time recipients (68% ‘satisfied; 40% ‘very satisfied’). The current results reflect a decline from 2021 at which time satisfaction scores among first-time (83%) and long-time recipients (82%) were similar.

SATISFACTION WITH WAY AGENT RESOLVED THE ISSUE

Q11E. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? – “The way the CRA agent resolved your issue”.
Base: Those who have contacted the CRA by telephone c Caution, small base size

Levels of satisfaction regarding how the agent resolved the issue do not vary significantly across regions or demographic sub-groups with one exception. Those who speak a language other than English or French (90%) are more likely to say they are satisfied with this aspect of the service they received by phone relative to Anglophones (86%). Satisfaction levels among Francophones are lower, but not significantly different from the other two sub-groups (70%).

G. Awareness of Online Options to Manage CCB

All respondents were asked about their awareness of three specific features for managing or updating their CCB profile online. Following an uptick in levels of awareness on all three of the features between 2020 and 2021, the current findings suggest that awareness has remained relatively stable over the last year:

• The vast majority (82%) continue to be aware that they can update their personal information through the My Account portal, similar to awareness in 2021 (85%), reflecting an increase over 2020 levels (78%).
• Awareness that CCB recipients can pay any CCB balances owed using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking is lower (62%), but similar to the proportion who were aware in 2021 (65%).
• Awareness of the MyBenefits CRA web-based app to obtain a quick view of payment details and eligibility information remains relatively high (56%) and unchanged from 2021 (60%).

First-time recipients (86%) report higher awareness of the ability to update their personal information through the My Account portal compared to long-time recipients (78%). Awareness of the other two features does not vary significantly between first-time and long-time recipients.

AWARENESS OF MANAGING CCB PROFILE ONLINE

Q18. I’m going to read you a list of features related to managing your CCB online and updating your profile. Please tell me whether or not you are aware of each?
Base: Total sample

There are some variations across regions and by demographic sub-group in awareness of the various features as follows:

• Awareness that recipients can update their personal information through the My Account portal is higher among:
  • Those recipients who reside in a prescribed Northern Zone (89%) versus those who do not (81%);
  • Recipients aged 18 to 34 (85%) and those aged 35 to 49 (81%), compared to older recipients aged 50 and up (70%); and
  • Trades or college (84%) and university educated recipients (83%), compared to those with a high school education or less (76%).


• Awareness that CCB recipients can pay any CCB balances owed using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking is higher among:
  • Those recipients who reside in a prescribed Northern Zone (75%) versus those who do not (61%); o Men (71%) relative to women (61%);
  • Recipients in Atlantic Canada (70%), Ontario (68%), the Prairies (68%), and B.C./North (61%), compared to Quebec (47%);
  • Anglophones (67%) as well as those who speak a language other than the two official languages of Canada (65%), compared to Francophones (44%); and
  • Those who self-identify as Indigenous, a member of a visible minority group, or as a disabled person (67%), compared to those who do not (61%).


• Awareness of the MyBenefits CRA web-based app to obtain a quick view of payment details and eligibility information is higher among:
  • Men (72%) versus women (54%); o Those in a prescribed Northern Zone (67%) versus those who are not (55%);
  • Those with annual household incomes in the range of $60,000 to just under $100,000 (61%) as well as those earning under $60,000 (60%), compared to those with incomes of $100,000 or more (49%)
  • Recipients who reside in Ontario (59%) or on the Prairies (58%), compared to Quebec (48%); and
  • Anglophones (59%) and those who speak a language other than English or French (56%), compared to Francophones (47%).

I. Awareness of the Requirement to File a Tax Return

Consistent with previous findings, the vast majority of recipients (89%) are aware they must file their annual tax return in order to continue receiving CCB payments, unchanged from the previous two years (88% in each of those years). Awareness continues to be higher among long-time recipients (94% saying ‘yes’), compared to first-time recipients (82%).

As in 2021, about one in five (18%) first-time recipients are unaware of this requirement which suggests there is a continued opportunity for the CRA to improve its communication on this aspect of the CCB with new recipients.

AWARENESS OF REQUIREMENT TO FILE TAX RETURN

Q17. Did you know that you, and if applicable, your spouse or common-law partner, must file a tax return every year to continue receiving CCB payments?
Base: Total sample

There are few variations in terms of awareness levels on this requirement across subgroups, however, in line with differences by type of recipient, it is not surprising that older (94%) and middle-aged recipients (91%) exhibit greater awareness of the requirement to file their annual tax returns in order to continue receiving CCB payments relative to those who are younger (85%). Those with a high school education or less (93%) are also somewhat more aware of this requirement compared to others with a college or university education (88%).

J. Referrals to CCB and Future Method of Application

Respondents were asked about how they first heard of the CCB as well as how they would likely apply for the CCB should they wish to do so in the future.

1. Referral Source for the CCB

To better assess how recipients first become aware of the CCB, respondents were asked how they had initially heard about the program, from a list a choices which were read to them.

Results for this question have been stable across all three recent waves of the survey. About equal numbers continue to report having first heard about the CCB from a friend or family member (31%) or from the hospital or birthing centre (29%). Other referral sources are cited with much less frequency, including the CRA website (6%) or mail from the CRA (3%). Awareness of the CCB by other means was mentioned by just one percent or fewer respondents. A small proportion of recipients (9%) could not recall where they had heard about it.

In terms of referral sources, differences between first-time and long-time recipients mirror the results from the previous survey in 2021. First-time recipients are more likely than long-time recipients to have heard about the CCB from a friend or a family member (42% vs. 23%, respectively), by visiting the CRA website (12% vs. 6%, respectively), or via social media (3% vs. <1%, respectively). Long-time recipients are more likely to say they heard about the program from the hospital or birthing centre (34% vs. 23%, respectively), from a professional such as an accountant (7% vs. 4%, respectively) or by mail from CRA (4% vs. 1%, respectively).

REFERRAL SOURCE FOR THE CCB (multi-mention)

Q4. How did you first hear about the CCB?
Base: Total sample

Recipients who are more likely to have heard about the CCB from friends and family include:

• Younger respondents, aged 18 to 34 (39%), compared to those aged 35 to 49 (27%) and those aged 50 and older (18%); and
• Those who speak a language other than English or French (37%), relative to Anglophones (28%).

Those more likely to have heard about the CCB from a hospital or birthing centre include:

• Recipients in the Atlantic region (48%);
• Older, respondents, aged 50 and over (43%), compared to those aged 35 to 49 (25%);
• Single parents (42%);
• Those with a high school education or less (37%) as well as those who are college educated or have trades certification (36%), compared to university educated recipients (22%);
• Anglophones (34%), compared to Francophones (24%) and those who speak a language other than English or French (20%); and
• Women (30%).

While relatively few respondents say they first heard about the CCB by visiting the CRA website in comparison to the top two referral sources, this was nevertheless more likely to be the case for:

• Those in a prescribed Northern Zone (16%), compared to those who are not (8%);
• Those who speak a language other than English or French (13%), compared to Anglophones (8%) and Francophones (3%); and
• University educated respondents (11%), compared to those with a college degree, diploma or trades certification (7%) and those who have some or completed a high school education (6%).

2. Method of Applying for CCB in the Future

There are several ways in which individuals may apply for the CCB including through the CRA ‘My Account’ secure online portal, at the hospital when registering the birth of a newborn with the province or by completing a paper application (Form RC66, the Canada Child Benefits Application).

Consistent with results for 2021, over half (55%) indicate that if they had another children they would apply for the CCB in the future through the online ‘My Account’ portal. About one-third (32%) say they would apply at the hospital by giving their consent on the provincial birth registration form, in line with results from the last two years. Very few (3%) would complete a paper application using Form RC66.

First-time recipients (63%) in particular express a strong preference to apply online, although almost half of long-time recipients (49%) say they would likely apply this way as well. The proportion of first-time and long-time recipients who would apply at the hospital is about the same (30% for first-time recipients; 34% for long-time recipients).

METHOD OF APPLYING FOR CCB IN THE FUTURE

Q19. In the future, if you were to apply for the CCB for another child, how would you apply?
Base: Total sample

Those more likely to say that they would apply online In the future include the following:

• Recipients who reside in B.C./North (65%) and Ontario (61%), compared to those in Quebec (52%), the Prairies (48%) and the Atlantic Region (29%);
• Those who speak a language other than English or French (64%), relative to Francophones (53%) and Anglophones (52%);
• Younger recipients, aged 18 to 34 (60%), compared to those aged 35-49 (53%) and those 50 and older (37%);
• Those with a university education (58%), versus those who have a high school education or less (47%); and
• Married recipients (58%) as compared to those who are single, separated, divorced or widowed (46%).

By contrast, applying at the hospital was more likely to be preferred by:

• Recipients in the Atlantic Region (52%) and the Prairies (41%);
• Those with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more (38%); and
• Anglophones(36%)

K. Evaluation of the Child Custody Arrangement Questionnaire

CRA may, from time to time, send a questionnaire to CCB recipients to confirm the Agency has the most correct and up-to-date information with regards to the child’s custody arrangements. This is meant to ensure each CCB recipient is receiving the correct amount of benefits and credits.

Respondents to the survey were asked if they had received a questionnaire from CRA in the last twelve months asking to prove their custody arrangement. Relatively few (3%) recall receiving this questionnaire, consistent with what was found in in 2021.

First-time recipients (6%) are more likely to say they received the child custody questionnaire relative to long-time recipients (1%).

RECALL RECEIVING CHILD CUSTODY QUESTIONNAIRE IN LAST 12 MONTHS

Q13. In the past 12 months, have you received a questionnaire from the CRA asking you to prove your child’s custody arrangement?
Base: Total sample

As the proportion of those who recall receiving the questionnaire is quite small, no further analysis was undertaken to examine differences across sub-groups of CCB clients.

1. Ease of Completing Questionnaire

Those respondents who reported having received a questionnaire (n=38) were then asked a follow-up question regarding how easy or difficult it was to complete. About two-thirds (66%) found it ‘easy’ to complete (about two-in-five (39%) say it was ‘very easy’). Nevertheless, one-quarter (26%) did acknowledge finding it ‘difficult’ to complete, split equally between those who describe it as ‘very difficult’ (13%) and those who found it ‘somewhat difficult’ (13%).

The percentage of those who found the survey ‘difficult’ to complete, increased by 11 points to over a quarter (26%) from 2021 and 2022. This proportion had dropped significantly between 2020 (39%) and 2021 (15%). While the 2022 results reflect an increase over the previous survey results in 2021 of 11 points, this is not considered to be a statistically significant year-over-year difference.

EASE OF COMPLETING QUESTIONNAIRE

Q14. How easy or difficult was it to complete the questionnaire you received?
Base: Those who have received the questionnaire c Caution, small base size BTS Base size too small to report

2. Suggestions for Improving Questionnaire

Those few (n=23) who responded anything other than ‘very easy’ to the previous question were asked for their suggestions to improve the custody questionnaire. These centered on two specific areas: rewriting the information or instruction included in the questionnaire (30%) and reducing the length of the survey and the number of questions (30%).

Relatively few (13%) suggested that the format of the notice or the size of the print should be adjusted.

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING QUESTIONNAIRE (Multi-mention)

Q15. Which aspects of the questionnaire could be improved?
Base: Those who said it was ‘very difficult’, ‘somewhat difficult’, ‘neither’, or ‘somewhat easy’ to complete the questionnaire c Caution, small base size BTS Base size too small to report

V. Appendix: Research Instruments

A. Response Rate Calculation

The response rate for the telephone survey was 13 percent. Details are shown below.

1. Call Dispositions – Total Sample

The response rate was calculated according to the standard Empirical Method, as follows:

• The number of in scope responding participants (completed, disqualified, and over-quota respondents) = 1,157
  DIVIDED BY
• The sum of the unresolved (U) numbers (6,861), the in scope non-responding participants (760) + the in scope responding (R) participants (1,157) = 8,778

2. Call Dispositions – First-Time Recipients

The response rate was calculated according to the standard Empirical Method, as follows:

• The number of in scope responding participants (completed, disqualified, and over-quota respondents) = 504
  DIVIDED BY
• The sum of the unresolved numbers (2,262), the in scope non-responding participants (199) + the in scope responding participants (504) = 2,265

3. Call Dispositions – Long-Time Recipients

The response rate was calculated according to the standard Empirical Method, as follows:

• The number of in scope responding participants (completed, disqualified, and over-quota respondents) = 653
  DIVIDED BY
• The sum of the unresolved numbers (4,599), the in scope non-responding participants (1945) + the in scope responding participants (561) = 5,813

B. English Questionnaires

1. English Questionnaire for Telephone

Benefit Programs Telephone Survey

[DO NOT READ] Introduction

Hello/Bonjour, my name is _______ from the Strategic Counsel, a professional public opinion research company. Would you prefer that I continue in English or French? Préférez-vous continuer en français ou en Anglais?

IF FRENCH, CONTINUE IN FRENCH OR ARRANGE A CALL BACK WITH A FRENCH INTERVIEWER:
Nous vous rappellerons pour mener cette entrevue de recherche en français. Merci. Au revoir.

[RECORD LANGUAGE]

IF ENGLISH, CONTINUE:
On behalf of the Government of Canada, we are conducting a voluntary and confidential survey about the Canada child benefit, the tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. It will take about 10 minutes to complete and your answers will remain anonymous. May I continue? IF UNABLE TO READ ENTIRE INTRODUCTION, INTERVIEWER MUST PROVIDE LENGTH OF INTERVIEW TO EVERY RESPONDENT.

IF NO, NOTE REASON. IF REASON IS DISABILITY, OFFER ALTERNATE FORMAT (ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE OR PDF VIA EMAIL), WHERE APPROPRIATE. IF ACCEPTED, TAKE RESPONDENT EMAIL ADDRESS

IF YES, QUALIFY AND CONTINUE:
I would like to speak with the person who receives or has received the Canada child benefit. Would that be you or someone else in your household?

IF IT IS THE RECIPIENT:
Before I begin, please note this call may be monitored or recorded for quality control purposes. Also, throughout this survey I will be referring to the Canada child benefit as the CCB. [PROCEED TO Q1].

IF IT IS NOT THE RECIPIENT, BUT SOMEONE ELSE AT THIS NUMBER, ASK:
May I speak with that person, please?

IF YOU ARE REFERRED TO ANOTHER PERSON, START FROM THE TOP.

IF THAT PERSON IS NOT AVAILABLE, END THE CALL.

IF THE ANSWER IS DON’T KNOW, END THE CALL.

[Do not read] General

1. [RECORD FROM CRA DATABASE] Respondent has been receiving CRA payments for …
   • □ Less than 12 months
   • □ More than 12 months


2. In which province/territory do you live? [READ LIST. STOP ONCE RESPONDENT CONFIRMS CATEGORY. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
   • □ Alberta
   • □ British Columbia
   • □ Manitoba
   • □ New Brunswick
   • □ Newfoundland and Labrador
   • □ Northwest Territories
   • □ Nova Scotia
   • □ Nunavut
   • □ Ontario
   • □ Prince Edward Island
   • □ Quebec
   • □ Saskatchewan
   • □ Yukon


3. May I have the first 3 letters of your postal code? [RECORD] ___ ___ ___


4. How did you first hear about the CCB? [READ LIST. STOP ONCE RESPONDENT CONFIRMS CATEGORY. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
   • □ from hospital or birthing centre staff
   • □ by visiting the CRA web site
   • □ by mail from the CRA
   • □ from a free tax clinic hosted by the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
   • □ from your provincial social services office
   • □ from a professional, like an Accountant
   • □ by visiting another federal government office
   • □ from a friend or a family member
   • □ from social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter)
   • □ by other means
   • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t remember



[Do not read] Satisfaction with timeliness and accuracy

5. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the CCB? [READ AND ROTATE Q.5a-b. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY] Are you …
   • □ Very satisfied
   • □ Somewhat satisfied
   • □ Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
   • □ Somewhat dissatisfied
   • □ Very dissatisfied
   • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know
   
   
   1. The time it took to get your first CCB payment. [ONLY ASK IF Q1 IS LESS THAN 12 MONTHS]
   2. The accuracy of the information on the last CCB notice which was used to calculate your benefit.


6. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information on your last CCB notice? Was it ... [READ LIST. ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
   • □ Very easy
   • □ Somewhat easy
   • □ Neither easy nor difficult
   • □ Somewhat difficult
   • □ Very difficult
   • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know



[Do not read] Satisfaction with service quality

7. In the past 12 months did you have to contact the CRA regarding the CCB?
   • □ Yes
   • □ No [GO TO Q.13]


8. Why did you contact the CRA? Was it regarding … [READ LIST. ACCEPT MORE THAN ONE RESPONSE]
   • □ Your application
   • □ An update to your file (i.e. change of address, marital status, custody arrangement)
   • □ Issuance of payment
   • □ Service complaint
   • □ Appeal
   • □ Policy, ruling and interpretation
   • □ General information.Please specify ________________
   • □ [VOLUNTEERED] Other: Please specify ______________________


9. How did you contact the CRA? Was it through ... [READ LIST. ACCEPT MORE THAN ONE RESPONSE]
   • □ Online services, such as:
     • secure portals (i.e. My Account, My Benefits)
     • general web
     • social media
     • mobile apps
   • □ Telephone
   • □ Mail
   • □ [VOLUNTEERED] Other: Please specify ______________________



According to you, your last interaction was mainly through [INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q.9].

It was regarding [INSERT RESPONSE FROM Q.8].




[Do not read] Satisfaction with service quality

10. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services? Was it … [READ LIST. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
    • □ Very easy
    • □ Somewhat easy
    • □ Neither easy nor difficult
    • □ Somewhat difficult
    • □ Very difficult
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know


11. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects? [READ AND ROTATE Q.11a-e. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY. REPEAT SCALE AS NECESSARY] Are you …
    • Very satisfied
    • Somewhat satisfied
    • Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
    • Somewhat dissatisfied
    • Very dissatisfied
    • [DO NOT READ] Don’t know
    
    
    1. How quickly your issue was resolved
    2. The safeguards that were in place to protect your personal and business information

    [Do not read] Information quality

    3. The accuracy of the response you received

    [Do not read] Inter-personal quality

    [ONLY ASK Q.11D AND E, IF Q.9 = TELEPHONE]

    4. The professionalism that the CRA agent showed
    5. The way the CRA agent resolved your issue



[ONLY ASK Q.12, IF Q.9 = ONLINE]

12. How would you rate the information on CRA’s online services in terms of each of the following aspects? The first one is [READ AND ROTATE ITEMS A-D]. Would you say it was very poor, poor, fair, good or very good?
    1. How easy it was to understand
    2. Completeness or thoroughness
    3. Accessibility
    4. Helpfulness
    
    

    [Do not read] Fairness

13. In the past 12 months, have you received a questionnaire from the CRA asking you to prove your child’s custody arrangement?
    • □ Yes
    • □ No [GO TO Q.16]
    • □ [VOLUNTEERED] Don’t remember [GO TO Q.16]


14. [ONLY ASK IF Q.13 = YES] How easy or difficult was it to complete the questionnaire you received?
    • □ Very easy
    • □ Somewhat easy
    • □ Neither easy nor difficult
    • □ Somewhat difficult
    • □ Very difficult
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know


15. [ONLY ASK IF Q.14 = SOMEWHAT EASY, NEITHER, SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT OR VERY DIFFICULT] Which aspects of the questionnaire could be improved? Should … [READ LIST. ACCEPT AS MANY RESPONSES AS APPLY]
    • □ The information or instructions be rewritten
    • □ The number of questions be reduced
    • □ The format of the notice or the size of the print be adjusted
    • □ Other: Please specify ______________________
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know



[Do not read] Overall satisfaction with the experience

16. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience? Are you …
    • □ Very satisfied
    • □ Somewhat satisfied
    • □ Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
    • □ Somewhat dissatisfied
    • □ Very dissatisfied
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know



[Do not read]General information/Enquiry

17. Did you know that you, and if applicable, your spouse or common-law partner, must file a tax return every year to continue receiving CCB payments?
    • □ Yes
    • □ No


18. I’m going to read you a list of features related to managing your CCB online and updating your profile. Please tell me whether or not you are aware of each. The first is … [READ AND ROTATE STATEMENTS 18.A-C]
    • Yes
    • No
    • [DO NOT READ] Not sure
    
    
    1. That you can update your personal information for benefit and credit purposes online through My Account. This includes changes to your address, marital status, caregiver status and direct deposit information.
    2. That you can use the MyBenefits CRA web-based app to get a quick view of your benefit and credit payment details, and your eligibility information.
    3. That you can pay any CCB balances owed using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking.


19. In the future, if you were to apply for the CCB for another child, how would you apply? [READ LIST. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
    • □ At the hospital: giving consent on the provincial birth registration [NOTE TO ANALYSTS: ABA]
    • □ Online: using the secure portal ‘My Account’ [NOTE TO ANALYSTS: BOA]
    • □ By paper: Form RC66
    • □ Other: Please specify ______________________
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don’t know
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Not applicable



[Do not read]GBA+ analysis

These final few questions are for statistical purposes only and will help us to classify your responses. Please be assured that all of your responses are confidential.

[DO NOT READ] Socio-demographic factors

20. In what year were you born?
    • INTERVIEWER: RECORD YEAR [DO NOT READ]
    • Refused/ Prefer not to answer [ASK Q.21]


21. [ONLY ASK IF PREFER NOT TO ANSWER AT Q.20] Would you be willing to tell me in which of the following age categories you belong?
    • □ 18 to 34
    • □ 35 to 49
    • □ 50 to 54
    • □ 55 to 64
    • □ 65 or older?
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer


22. What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed? [DO NOT READ. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
    • □ Grade 8 or less
    • □ Some high school
    • □ High school diploma or equivalent
    • □ Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma
    • □ College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma
    • □ University certificate or diploma below bachelor's level
    • □ Bachelor's degree
    • □ Post graduate degree above bachelor's level
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer


23. Which of the following best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes? Please stop me when I have reached the correct response. [READ LIST. STOP ONCE RESPONDENT CONFIRMS CATEGORY. ACCEPT ONLY ONE RESPONSE]
    • □ Under $20,000
    • □ $20,000 to under $40,000
    • □ $40,000 to under $60,000
    • □ $60,000 to under $80,000
    • □ $80,000 to under $100,000
    • □ $100,000 to under $150,000
    • □ $150,000 and over
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer


24. What is your marital status? [READ LIST. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
    • □ Married
    • □ Common-law
    • □ Separated / divorced
    • □ Widowed
    • □ Single
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer



[Do not read] Socio-cultural factors

25. [ONLY ASK IF Q.1 = ALBERTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, MANITOBA, NOVA SCOTIA, ONTARIO, QUEBEC OR SASKATCHEWAN] Do you live in a prescribed northern zone?
    • □ Yes
    • □ No
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Don't know


26. What language do you speak most often at home? [READ LIST. ACCEPT ALL THAT APPLY]
    • □ English
    • □ French
    • □ Other
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer
    
    
27. Are you
    • Yes
    • No
    • [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer
    
    
    1. An Indigenous person
    2. A member of a visible minority
    3. A person with a disability [READ ONLY IF RESPONDENT UNCERTAIN] for example, vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental-related impairment issues]


28. What is your gender [READ LIST. ACCEPT ONE RESPONSE ONLY]
    • □ Male
    • □ Female
    • □ Other
    • □ [DO NOT READ] Prefer not to answer


29. RECORD LANGUAGE OF INTERVIEW [NOT ASKED]
    • □ English
    • □ French

Thank you for your time. These are all the questions that I have for you.

PRETEST EVALUATION

PQ.1 We’d like to get your feedback on your experience completing this survey. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements.

PQ.2 Do you have any other comments about this survey or your experience completing the survey? [PN: OPEN-END]
□ No other comments

2. Accessible PDF English Questionnaire – First-time Recipients

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Canada Child Benefit (CCB) Satisfaction Survey

INTRODUCTION

This survey is being conducted by The Strategic Counsel, a professional public opinion research company, on behalf of the Government of Canada.

The questionnaire is about the Canada child benefit (CCB), a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. The purpose is to obtain your feedback on the CCB.

Your participation is completely voluntary. It will take about 10 minutes to complete and your answers will be kept confidential and anonymous. The information you provide will be administered according to the requirements of the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and any other pertinent legislation.

Should you have any questions about the survey you may contact Angela Muma, Public Opinion Research Officer, Canada Revenue Agency at 613-407-6202, or visit www.canada.ca/por-cra to verify the legitimacy of this survey.

Please complete the survey on an individual basis.

PART A

1. In which province/territory do you live? (Please select only one response)

   □1	Alberta
   □2	British Columbia
   □3	Manitoba
   □4	New Brunswick
   □5	Newfoundland and Labrador
   □6	Northwest Territories
   □7	Nova Scotia
   □8	Nunavut
   □9	Ontario
   □10	Prince Edward Island
   □11	Quebec
   □12	Saskatchewan
   □13	Yukon



2. Please record the first three (3) characters of your postal code. ___ ___ ___


3. How did you first hear about the CCB? (Please select one response only)

   □1	From hospital or birthing centre staff
   □2	By visiting the CRA web site
   □3	By mail from the CRA
   □4	From a free tax clinic hosted by the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
   □5	From your provincial social services office
   □6	From a professional, like an Accountant
   □7	By visiting another federal government office
   □8	From a friend or a family member
   □9	From social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter)
   □10	By other means
   □11	Don’t remember




PART B

4. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the CCB?

   Aspects of the CCB	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
   The time it took to get your first CCB payment	○	○	○	○	○
   The accuracy of the information on the last CCB notice, which was used to calculate your benefit	○	○	○	○	○



5. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information on your last CCB notice?

   □1	Very easy
   □2	Somewhat easy
   □3	Neither easy nor difficult
   □4	Somewhat difficult
   □5	Very difficult




PART C

6. In the past 12 months, did you have to contact the CRA regarding the CCB?

   □1	Yes
   □2	No → Please skip to Q.12



7. Why did you contact the CRA? Was it regarding … (Please select all that apply)

   □1	Your application
   □2	An update to your file (i.e. change of address, marital status, custody arrangement)
   □3	Issuance of payment
   □4	Service complaint
   □5	Appeal
   □6	Policy, ruling, and interpretation
   □7	General information, please specify:
   □8	Other, please specify:



8. How did you contact the CRA? (Please select all that apply)

   □1	Online services, such as secure portals (i.e. My Account, My Benefits), general web, social media or mobile apps
   □2	Telephone
   □3	Mail
   □4	Other, please specify:



9. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services?

   □1	Very easy
   □2	Somewhat easy
   □3	Neither easy nor difficult
   □4	Somewhat difficult
   □5	Very difficult



10. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects?

    Service aspects	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
    How quickly your issue was resolved	○	○	○	○	○
    The safeguards that were in place to protect your personal and business information	○	○	○	○	○
    The accuracy of the response you received	○	○	○	○	○




If you answered ‘TELEPHONE’ at Q.8, please answer the following:

Service aspects	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
The professionalism that the CRA agent showed	○	○	○	○	○
The way the CRA agent resolved your issue	○	○	○	○	○




If you answered ‘ONLINE’ at Q.8 please answer Q.11, otherwise skip to Q.12.

11. How would you rate the information on CRA’s online services in terms of each of the following aspects?

    CRA’s online services	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very Good
    How easy it was to understand	○	○	○	○	○
    Completeness or thoroughness	○	○	○	○	○
    Accessibility	○	○	○	○	○
    Helpfulness	○	○	○	○	○




PART D

12. In the past 12 months, have you received a questionnaire from the CRA asking you to prove your child’s custody arrangement?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No → Please skip to Q.15
    □3	Don’t remember → Please skip to Q.15



13. How easy or difficult was it to complete the questionnaire you received?

    □1	Very easy à Please skip to Q.15
    □2	Somewhat easy
    □3	Neither easy nor difficult
    □4	Somewhat difficult
    □5	Very difficult



14. Which aspects of the questionnaire could be improved? Should … (Please select all that apply)

    □1	The information or instructions be rewritten
    □2	The number of questions be reduced
    □3	The format of the notice or the size of the print be adjusted
    □4	Other, please specify:




PART E

15. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?

    □1	Very satisfied
    □2	Somewhat satisfied
    □3	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
    □4	Somewhat dissatisfied
    □5	Very dissatisfied




PART F

16. Did you know that you, and if applicable, your spouse or common-law partner, must file a tax return every year to continue receiving CCB payments?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No



17. The following are a list of features related to managing your CCB online and updating your profile.

    Features	Yes	No
    That you can update your personal information for benefit and credit purposes online through My Account. This includes changes to your address, marital status, caregiver status and direct deposit information	○	○
    That you can use the MyBenefits CRA web-based app to get a quick view of your benefit and credit payment details, and your eligibility information	○	○
    That you can pay any CCB balances owed using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking	○	○



18. In the future, if you were to apply for the CCB for another child, how would you apply? (Please select one response only)

    □1	At the hospital: giving consent on the provincial birth registration
    □2	Online: using the secure portal ‘My Account’
    □3	By paper: Form RC66
    □4	Other, please specify:




PART G

These final few questions are for statistical purposes only and will help us to classify your responses. Please be assured that all of your responses are confidential.

19. In what year were you born?

    ________________

    □1	Prefer not to answer



20. What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Grade 8 or less
    □2	Some high school
    □3	High school diploma or equivalent
    □4	Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma
    □5	University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level
    □6	Bachelor’s degree
    □7	Post graduate degree above bachelor’s level
    □8	Prefer not to answer



21. Which of the following best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Under $20,000
    □2	$20,000 to under $40,000
    □3	$40,000 to under $60,000
    □4	$60,000 to under $80,000
    □5	$80,000 to under $100,000
    □6	$100,000 to under $150,000
    □7	$150,000 and over
    □8	Prefer not to answer



22. What is your marital status?

    □1	Married
    □2	Common-law
    □3	Separated/Divorced
    □4	Widowed
    □5	Single
    □6	Prefer not to answer




If you live in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan please answer Q.23. Otherwise, please skip to Q.24.

23. Do you live in a prescribed northern zone?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No
    □3	Don’t know



24. What language do you speak most often at home? (Please select all that apply)

    □1	English
    □2	French
    □3	Other
    □4	Prefer not to answer



25. Do you identify as …

    Do you identify as …	Yes	No	Prefer not to answer
    An Indigenous person	○	○	○
    A member of a visible minority	○	○	○
    A person with a disability A person with a disability is a person who has a long-term or recurring impairment (such as vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental health-related) which limits their daily activities inside or outside the home (such as at school, work, or in the community in general)	○	○	○



26. What is your gender? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Male
    □2	Female
    □3	Other
    □4	Prefer not to answer

Thank you for your participation.

3. Accessible PDF English Questionnaire – Long-time Recipients

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Canada Child Benefit (CCB) Satisfaction Survey

INTRODUCTION

This survey is being conducted by The Strategic Counsel, a professional public opinion research company, on behalf of the Government of Canada. The questionnaire is about the Canada child benefit (CCB), a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. The purpose is to obtain your feedback on the CCB.

Your participation is completely voluntary. It will take about 10 minutes to complete and your answers will be kept confidential and anonymous. The information you provide will be administered according to the requirements of the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and any other pertinent legislation.

Should you have any questions about the survey you may contact Angela Muma, Public Opinion Research Officer, Canada Revenue Agency at 613-407-6202, or visit www.canada.ca/por-cra to verify the legitimacy of this survey. Please complete the survey on an individual basis.

PART A

1. In which province/territory do you live? (Please select only one response)

   □1	Alberta
   □2	British Columbia
   □3	Manitoba
   □4	New Brunswick
   □5	Newfoundland and Labrador
   □6	Northwest Territories
   □7	Nova Scotia
   □8	Nunavut
   □9	Ontario
   □10	Prince Edward Island
   □11	Quebec
   □12	Saskatchewan
   □13	Yukon



2. Please record the first three (3) characters of your postal code. ___ ___ ___


3. How did you first hear about the CCB? (Please select one response only)

   □1	From hospital or birthing centre staff
   □2	By visiting the CRA web site
   □3	By mail from the CRA
   □4	From a free tax clinic hosted by the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
   □5	From your provincial social services office
   □6	From a professional, like an Accountant
   □7	By visiting another federal government office
   □8	From a friend or a family member
   □9	From social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter)
   □10	By other means
   □11	Don’t remember

4. 
   

   PART B

5. How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the CCB?

   Aspects of the CCB	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
   The accuracy of the information on the last CCB notice, which was used to calculate your benefit	○	○	○	○	○



6. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information on your last CCB notice?

   □1	Very easy
   □2	Somewhat easy
   □3	Neither easy nor difficult
   □4	Somewhat difficult
   □5	Very difficult




PART C

7. In the past 12 months, did you have to contact the CRA regarding the CCB?

   □1	Yes
   □2	No → Please skip to Q.12

8. Why did you contact the CRA? Was it regarding … (Please select all that apply)

   □1	Your application
   □2	An update to your file (i.e. change of address, marital status, custody arrangement)
   □3	Issuance of payment
   □4	Service complaint
   □5	Appeal
   □6	Policy, ruling, and interpretation
   □7	General information, please specify:
   □8	Other, please specify:



9. How did you contact the CRA? (Please select all that apply)

   □1	Online services, such as secure portals (i.e. My Account, My Benefits), general web, social media or mobile apps
   □2	Telephone
   □3	Mail
   □4	Other, please specify:



10. Thinking about your last experience with the CRA/CCB service, how easy or difficult was it to access CCB services?

    □1	Very easy
    □2	Somewhat easy
    □3	Neither easy nor difficult
    □4	Somewhat difficult
    □5	Very difficult



11. And, how satisfied were you with each of the following service aspects?

    Service aspects	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
    How quickly your issue was resolved	○	○	○	○	○
    The safeguards that were in place to protect your personal and business information	○	○	○	○	○
    The accuracy of the response you received	○	○	○	○	○



12. If you answered ‘TELEPHONE’ at Q.8, please answer the following:

    Service aspects	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
    The professionalism that the CRA agent showed	○	○	○	○	○
    The way the CRA agent resolved your issue	○	○	○	○	○




If you answered ‘ONLINE’ at Q.8 please answer Q.11, otherwise skip to Q.12.

13. How would you rate the information on CRA’s online services in terms of each of the following aspects?

    CRA’s online services	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very Good
    How easy it was to understand	○	○	○	○	○
    Completeness or thoroughness	○	○	○	○	○
    Accessibility	○	○	○	○	○
    Helpfulness	○	○	○	○	○




PART D

14. In the past 12 months, have you received a questionnaire from the CRA asking you to prove your child’s custody arrangement?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No → Please skip to Q.15
    □3	Don’t remember → Please skip to Q.15



15. How easy or difficult was it to complete the questionnaire you received?

    □1	Very easy à Please skip to Q.15
    □2	Somewhat easy
    □3	Neither easy nor difficult
    □4	Somewhat difficult
    □5	Very difficult



16. Which aspects of the questionnaire could be improved? Should … (Please select all that apply)

    □1	The information or instructions be rewritten
    □2	The number of questions be reduced
    □3	The format of the notice or the size of the print be adjusted
    □4	Other, please specify:




PART E

17. Thinking about all of your interactions with the CRA regarding the CCB, including the application, notices, receipt of payments, for example, how satisfied are you with the overall experience?

    □1	Very satisfied
    □2	Somewhat satisfied
    □3	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
    □4	Somewhat dissatisfied
    □5	Very dissatisfied




PART F

18. Did you know that you, and if applicable, your spouse or common-law partner, must file a tax return every year to continue receiving CCB payments?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No



19. The following are a list of features related to managing your CCB online and updating your profile.

    Features	Yes	No
    That you can update your personal information for benefit and credit purposes online through My Account. This includes changes to your address, marital status, caregiver status and direct deposit information	○	○
    That you can use the MyBenefits CRA web-based app to get a quick view of your benefit and credit payment details, and your eligibility information	○	○
    That you can pay any CCB balances owed using the CRA online My Payment service or online banking	○	○



20. In the future, if you were to apply for the CCB for another child, how would you apply? (Please select one response only)

    □1	At the hospital: giving consent on the provincial birth registration
    □2	Online: using the secure portal ‘My Account’
    □3	By paper: Form RC66
    □4	Other, please specify:




PART G

These final few questions are for statistical purposes only and will help us to classify your responses. Please be assured that all of your responses are confidential.

21. In what year were you born?

    ________________

    □1	Prefer not to answer



22. What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Grade 8 or less
    □2	Some high school
    □3	High school diploma or equivalent
    □4	Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma
    □5	University certificate or diploma below bachelor’s level
    □6	Bachelor’s degree
    □7	Post graduate degree above bachelor’s level
    □8	Prefer not to answer



23. Which of the following best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Under $20,000
    □2	$20,000 to under $40,000
    □3	$40,000 to under $60,000
    □4	$60,000 to under $80,000
    □5	$80,000 to under $100,000
    □6	$100,000 to under $150,000
    □7	$150,000 and over
    □8	Prefer not to answer



24. What is your marital status?

    □1	Married
    □2	Common-law
    □3	Separated/Divorced
    □4	Widowed
    □5	Single
    □6	Prefer not to answer




If you live in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan please answer Q.23. Otherwise, please skip to Q.24.

25. Do you live in a prescribed northern zone?

    □1	Yes
    □2	No
    □3	Don’t know



26. What language do you speak most often at home? (Please select all that apply)

    □1	English
    □2	French
    □3	Other
    □4	Prefer not to answer



27. Do you identify as …

    Do you identify as …	Yes	No	Prefer not to answer
    An Indigenous person	○	○	○
    A member of a visible minority	○	○	○
    A person with a disability A person with a disability is a person who has a long-term or recurring impairment (such as vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental health-related) which limits their daily activities inside or outside the home (such as at school, work, or in the community in general)	○	○	○



28. What is your gender? (Please select one response only)

    □1	Male
    □2	Female
    □3	Other
    □4	Prefer not to answer

Thank you for your participation.