Summary of the Corporate Business Plan 2012-2013 to 2014-2015
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Summary of the Corporate Business Plan 2012-2013 to 2014-2015
Administering benefits
Total planned spending
The CRA supports federal, provincial, and territorial governments by administering benefits and credits that contribute to the economic and social well-being of individuals, low- and moderate-income households, and persons with disabilities. In 2010-2011, we issued 110 million benefit payments totalling almost $22.3 billion to almost 12 million recipients.
Our objective is to ensure Canadians have access to the benefits to which they are entitled, and that related payments are timely and correct. To achieve this, the CRA administers and issues benefits for three core federal programs: the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB), the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit, and Children's Special Allowances. The CRA also delivers the Universal child care benefit on behalf of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the Disability Tax Credit, and numerous ongoing and one-time benefit and credit programs and services, on behalf of provincial, territorial, and federal government clients.
The CRA will successfully administer benefit programs by:
- ensuring that all eligible recipients have access to benefit and credit information and application or registration tools;
- providing Canadians with the benefits and credits to which they are entitled within established timeframes; and
- adding new programs and services where possible without jeopardizing the sustainability of current program delivery, while lowering the overall cost to governments by reducing duplication in benefit and credit administration.
The Corporate Risk Profile has identified a risk to the CRA should we not be able to comply with our benefits related obligations and to maintain positive relations with benefit recipients. We are implementing a series of technology solutions through our Benefit Renewal Project that will ensure the sustainability of our benefit delivery system.
Maintain service
The CRA is a leader in providing tax and benefit services, and we continually explore ways to improve the services that we provide by enhancing the information and tools available to Canadians, to help them apply or register for programs. We offer a variety of formats to make it easier for people to access the benefits and credits to which they are entitled. We do this with the understanding that Canadian's expectations of service delivery continue to rise, government program delivery is subject to increasing levels of scrutiny and accountability, and the pace of innovation and the complexity of our delivery infrastructures are intensifying.
Benefit renewal project
In 2011 the CRA launched the benefit renewal project which will be completed in phases over the next seven years. This work is being done to enhance our ability to maintain core business processes, respond to opportunities for growth in program and service delivery, and ensure that eligible families and individuals receive timely and correct benefit payments. The project will incorporate modern technologies and cost containment initiatives to address weaknesses in the benefits delivery system, and to ensure uninterrupted delivery of benefit programs and services.
Payment accuracy and timeliness
The correct calculation of benefits and credits relies on up to date information from the recipients. It is the responsibility of recipients to provide us with complete and accurate information to maintain their eligibility and receive the proper amount of benefits. Ongoing validation activities, in both prevention and detection, are carried out to make sure that the CRA issues accurate payments to entitled individuals.
Ensure accurate payments
Maintain and refine the validation program to ensure that compliance risks are identified and addressed
Date 2012-2014
We are responsible for ensuring that eligible individuals are receiving accurate payments on-time. We carry out validation and control activities specifically targeting accounts identified as high-risk for potential overpayments or underpayments. We also validate information about marital status, children's care situations and addresses. The information we provide to recipients during validation reviews helps to educate them about their eligibility and entitlement requirements. As well, we aim to enhance our enforcement presence by our efforts to move cases of misrepresentation toward prosecution.
We have developed and refined a validation strategy over a number of years based on research, risk assessment, and investigation of trends within the benefit recipient community. We will continue to improve our targeting to achieve greater program effectiveness and quantify the results achieved by our validation program to ensure that we are applying our resources in the most efficient and effective manner.
Working together
Our legislation, in conjunction with the adaptability of our systems, enables us to use our infrastructure to accurately and efficiently deliver benefits and credits on behalf of government clients. Legislation also allows us, in certain instances, to provide information to support programs administered by other governments.
Enhance e-Services (information for benefits on My Account)
Increase the number of provinces and territories using the Automated Benefits Application service
Date 2012-2014
The number of programs and services provided by the CRA on behalf of other federal departments or other levels of government continues to increase. Given the broad implications of our current renewal of our IT infrastructure and the potential resource constraint, additional programs will only be considered where feasible, until our renewal project is fully implemented in 2016-2017.
Manage partnerships
Our flexibility as an agency and the adaptability that we have built into our systems enables us to lever our federal delivery infrastructure to administer a range of programs and other services on behalf of client governments. The fact that most jurisdictions have already opted to use our delivery system strongly suggests that it offers important efficiencies in delivering benefits.
A good example of working together is our ongoing collaboration with provinces and territories in offering the Automated Benefits Application (ABA) service which is a quick, easy, and secure way to apply for all child benefit programs for newborns. This coordinated approach shows that we are working closely with our federal, provincial, and territorial partners to make it easier for new parents to access government programs. We will continue our work with provinces and territories that have not yet implemented ABA, to promote the integration of the Canada Child Benefits application with the provincial and territorial birth registration process. In addition to the six provinces already using ABA, we expect four additional provinces to begin using the service between 2012 and 2013.
Deliverable
Implement new benefit programs, where feasible
Expand data exchange opportunities where possible
Date 2012-2014
We will maintain current programs and services and expand our service and data exchange opportunities where possible, without jeopardizing the sustainability of current program delivery.
Our performance indicators - Administering benefits
These indicators will demonstrate whether we are making measurable improvements in achieving this core business outcome.
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Upward trend Footnote 1
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- The objective is to show an increase.
- Date modified:
- 2012-05-11