CRA Concerned False Pandemic Benefit Claims Could Be Billions Higher Than Thought

The Canada Revenue Agency has raised concerns that false claims for pandemic benefits could be billions of dollars higher than initially feared. “Overall the Agency estimates its verifications alone will exceed the dollar value of potentially ineligible benefits received by individuals by almost $3.2 billion,” the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wrote to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. “That is 22 percent more coverage than the amount of potentially ineligible payments requiring further investigation identified by the auditor general.” The rising costs detailed in CRA records did not include the growing expense of auditing taxpayers who claimed the $2,000 monthly Canada Emergency Response Benefit cheques....