Benefit Programs and Other Services

Expected Result - Clients receive timely, accessible, reliable and fair service that is responsive to their needs

Maintain high program awareness and take-up through effective communications tools

We attempt to maintain awareness of program requirements and take-up by using a variety of communications tools. These enabled us to reach potential benefit and credit recipients, as well as to inform new and existing clients about the benefits to which they were entitled and how to access them. During 2004-2005, we undertook the following outreach efforts:

• We placed CCTB information inserts in our July 2004 notices to current child benefit clients. In six jurisdictions, these were accompanied by over 709,000 provincial inserts promoting the National Child Benefit initiative.
• To promote direct deposit, we included six million inserts/enrolment forms with the October CCTB and GST/HST credit cheques. Over the next six months, the number of clients receiving their payments via direct deposit increased by 99,000 for the CCTB and 182,000 for the GST/HST credit. The April 2005 enrolment rates of 72% for the CCTB and 39% for the GST/HST credit represent the highest direct deposit take-up for these programs in at least the past four years.
• In co-operation with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, over 130,000 pamphlets and applications were placed in their Welcome to Canada kits to inform newcomers about potential benefits.

As we reported last year, the most recent study of the take-up rate for the CCTB program ¹ indicates that the benefit was issued to 94.3% of clients who would be entitled to it (as defined by legislation). As of the end of the 2003-2004 benefit year, over 77.3% of families with children under 18 years of age were entitled to the CCTB, a drop from 80% recorded in the previous year.

Meet or exceed internal performance target of 99% for timely processing of benefit payments

We maintained our high standard by issuing on time over 99.8% of 70 million payments under the CCTB, GST/HST credit, and the various provincial and territorial programs that we administer. These payments total close to $12.5 billion, distributed to over 11 million low- and moderate-income recipients. The GST/HST credit, CCTB and CSA were adjusted in July 2004 to reflect increases in payment amounts and thresholds. We also implemented a legislative change to the CCTB reduction rate--that is, the rate at which benefits are reduced for families with net income above a certain threshold. The change is intended to increase by 10% the total number of children under 18 covered by the CCTB.

Meet or exceed established service standards of 98% for timely processing of applications and account maintenance adjustments

Our monitoring studies show that we met our service standards for timely processing of benefit applications and elections ² and account maintenance adjustments requiring a notice to be issued ³ (see Figure 22).

Figure 22 Processing Timeliness

We also processed over 1,645,000 GST/HST credit account adjustments during 2004-2005; these ensured fairness by taking into account in-year changes to family circumstances in a manner that is aligned with the CCTB.

Meet or exceed internal performance targets of 98% for accurate processing of benefit payments, applications, and account maintenance adjustments

Our monitoring studies also show that we met our targets by accurately issuing over 99.8% of benefit payments and notices when processing applications ⁴ and 99.5% when processing account maintenance adjustments (see Figure 23). ⁵

Figure 23 Processing Accuracy

Meet or exceed internal performance target of 80%-85% for caller accessibility

Caller accessibility measures the percentage of callers who succeed in reaching our telephone service. We met our 80%-85% internal performance target for CCTB, with 84% caller accessibility. For GST/HST credit calls, a toll-free network was introduced in the summer of 2004 to better route calls to agents. The network was one factor that contributed to the significant improvement in caller accessibility, which rose from 67% in 2003-2004 to 75% this year.

Service level measures the percentage of calls answered ⁶ within two minutes of when a client enters the queue. We significantly improved our timeliness by answering 79% of CCTB calls within 2 minutes, just below our 80% target. Our timeliness in answering GST/HST credit calls remained below target, at 74% (see Figure 24). We intend to review the performance target for CCTB service level in 2005-2006 and to implement a service standard for CCTB service level in 2006-2007. For GST/HST credit calls, we will review our caller accessibility and service level performance after we have compiled and analyzed a full year's data from the new toll-free network, after which time appropriate performance targets will be established.

Figure 24 Telephone Service

Increase the use of alternative electronic services and information channels

By far, the telephone is our clients' preferred method of contacting us. However, our service delivery strategy aims to reduce a clients' need to call by offering alternative service channels. The ‘My Account' service allows benefits clients to view their personal account details online 21 hours a day, seven days a week. In 2004-2005, we added several new features, such as payment summary screens that display past payments and expected future payments. Over 107,000 clients were also able to change their address online in 2004-2005, up 14% from the previous year. The year also saw a 21% increase in client use of the “Child and Family Benefits” section of the CRA's website to get general information or to use our benefits simulators; the number of visits totalled 1.94 million. This suggests that the efforts being made to reduce our clients' need to call are working.

The number of benefit calls handled through the CRA's enquiries lines decreased for the second consecutive year, albeit only marginally, to just over 8.6 million calls.

The year saw a continued increase in electronic filing of monthly care changes by agencies to whom we pay Children's Special Allowances for children in their care. Almost 26% of these agencies (covering over 59% of the children for whom an allowance is paid) filed electronically rather than on paper, up from 22.5% recorded in the previous year.

Maintain or increase client satisfaction levels

According to our 2004 Annual Survey, ⁷ client satisfaction with our performance in delivering benefit programs remained reasonably high. Some 75% of CCTB clients and 74% of GST/HST credit clients feel that the CRA is doing a good or very good job administering these programs (see Figure 25). The results have not changed significantly since the baseline survey of 2000.

Figure 25 Program Awareness and Client Satisfaction

First-time CCTB applicants were also surveyed to determine their satisfaction with aspects of the application process. The survey ⁸ showed high satisfaction levels, although slightly lower overall than those of previous years. For example, the survey revealed the following results:

• 93% of respondents agreed that application instructions were easy to understand;
• 77% were satisfied with application processing times;
• 91% were satisfied with the information they received; and
• 89% were satisfied with the service they received.

Growth in the programs and services administered for the provinces, territories, and other federal departments to reduce duplication across all levels of government and to lower the overall cost of program delivery

Our clients are not limited to the individuals who receive the GST/HST credit or the families who receive the CCTB. They also include the provincial and territorial governments, and other federal departments and agencies on whose behalf the CRA administers benefit programs or provides benefit related services. We are continuing to use our benefit delivery infrastructure to expand the programs and services we administer for our clients. Our aim is to improve service and eliminate duplication, reducing the overall cost to taxpayers.

We administer 17 ongoing child benefit and credit programs for provinces and territories; many of these were launched under the joint federal, provincial and territorial National Child Benefit (NCB) initiative. In 2004-2005, we adjusted payment amounts and/or thresholds for seven of our ongoing programs. The CRA integrates entitlements under provincial and territorial benefit programs with federal benefits, and issues a single payment. Two jurisdictions have specifically noted that this approach reduces duplication, streamlines efficiency and simplifies administration. ⁹

In 2004-2005, we implemented seven new income verification data exchanges using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) methodology (see Figure 26). This brings the number of program clients to 13. Another four programs are being tested for implementation in 2005-2006, and we are negotiating with seven provinces to enrol 22 more programs.

Figure 26 New Provincial Income Verification FTP Program Clients, 2004-2005

During the year, 7,146,809 income verification transactions were processed using FTP, which allows the CRA to release limited taxpayer information, with client consent, using a secure, two-way, online electronic data exchange. This reduces the need for CRA offices to release information over the counter.

We continued to issue payments under the Nova Scotia Taxpayer Refund program. For the year, these totalled over $4.6 million (net of offsets), paid to more than 30,000 eligible Nova Scotians. Preparations are under way to sunset the program by the April 2006 deadline specified in provincial legislation.

To demonstrate accountability to the provinces and territories, we issue Commissioner's Annual Reports, documenting the range and scope of the activities we undertake each year.

In collaboration with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and Social Development Canada (SDC), we used our systems capabilities to facilitate access to other Government of Canada entitlements. For example, we worked throughout the year with HRSDC on developing and testing an FTP-based data exchange to support the July 2005 implementation of the Canada Learning Bond and the Additional Canada Education Savings Grant. During the year, we also implemented FTP based data exchanges with HRSDC for the Employment Insurance Family Supplement program, and with SDC for the Guaranteed Income Supplement program. This co-operation allows our federal clients to identify potential beneficiaries of these programs and to be responsive in issuing entitlements to eligible Canadians. We continue to examine options for further improvements in service delivery to Canadians with lower overall costs, over the coming years.

We also participate with HRSDC and SDC in the regulatory process for the CPP and EI. In 2004-2005, we completed over 68,000 requests for CPP or EI rulings. In this regard, we exceeded the 85% service level specified in our memorandum of understanding with HRSDC and we completed on time approximately 93% of the requests from that department relating to cases where there was an application for EI benefits. We also exceeded the 85% service level and improved our overall rate for timely completion to 91% for all types of ruling requests, including requests from the public, HRSDC, SDC and other CRA programs (see Figure 27), in part through workload redistribution between our offices.

Figure 27 CPP/EI Rulings - Percentage Completed on Time

¹ Internal CRA CCTB Take-up Rate Study 2001. Our next study of CCTB take-up is scheduled to follow the 2006 Census.

² Internal CRA Quality Assurance Studies, Monitoring CCTB Application Processing Timeframes, April 1-30, 2004; July 1-31, 2004; October 1-31, 2004; January 1-31, 2005.

³ Internal CRA Quality Assurance Study, Activity Types 307/308 Processing Timeframes, March 1-31, 2004.

⁴ Internal CRA Quality Assurance Study, Activity Types 395/397 (Accuracy), January 4-14, 2005.

⁵ Internal CRA Quality Assurance Study, Activity Types 307/308 (Accuracy), August 23-27, 2004.

⁶ Answered calls are calls handled by an agent, as well as calls from clients who abandon their call within two minutes of entering the queue. For abandoned calls, we assume that clients received the information they needed from the pre-recorded messages they heard while on hold.

⁷ See footnote on page 28 for further information regarding the CRA's Annual Survey.

⁸ CCTB First-Time Applicants Survey, September 12-25, 2004. We are cautious in attributing too much significance to the results due to a low response rate (16%).

⁹ NCB Progress Report 2003, published April 6, 2005, available at www.nationalchildbenefit.ca

Date modified:

2005-10-26