Our 2007-2008 Results

Achieving Our Benefit Programs Strategic Outcome

Eligible families and individuals receive timely and correct benefit payments

Each year we provide benefits, credits, and other related services that assist families and children, low-and moderate-income households, and persons with disabilities. The flexibility of our core systems allows us to administer and deliver programs on behalf of federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

We ensure that benefit recipients have access to timely and accurate information products and responses to their telephone enquiries.

We also provide data exchange and data transfer services to an increasing number of government clients. These services support other federal government departments as well as Canada’s provinces and territories to simplify the administration of their income-tested benefit and payment programs.

A list of the programs we currently administer and the services we deliver is provided in Schedule B – Other Items of Interest.

Our Approach

We work hard to ensure that all Canadians receive the benefits and credits to which they are entitled, in a timely manner.

Our Approach: Service

We believe, when individuals fully understand what they need to do to meet eligibility requirements, that they will comply with benefit obligations. Consequently, we provide benefit recipients with information, tools, and services that are accessible through a variety of channels: our telephone service, proactive outreach efforts, and Web sites that provide information and allow benefit recipients to do transactions online.

During 2007-2008, the number of visits to our Web site pages increased, as it has in past years. The positive reception of our new online service-Apply for child benefits-as evidenced by the high take-up rate, supports our assertion that the use of electronic services aids in the efficient and effective delivery of our programs and services.

Our Approach: Validation

To ensure a high compliance rate among benefit recipients, we are systematically implementing elements of a long-term benefits-specific compliance strategy, which is based on education, facilitated compliance, and the maintenance of a credible enforcement presence.

Our activities in validation and controls are wide ranging in scope. We validate marital status, children in care, addresses, and income information to maintain the integrity of benefit and credit programs. The information provided to recipients during validation reviews helps to inform and educate individuals about their eligibility and entitlement requirements. Although overall compliance is high, we continue to identify and address areas of concern.

To enable future assessment of compliance trends, benchmarks are established through specific validation projects. The consistent review and comparison with the base data allows timely recognition of changes and the prompt introduction of strategies, as required, to address them.

Strategic outcome measures

We measure our progress toward accomplishing our strategic outcome with three major indicators: payment timeliness, payment accuracy, and the number of services delivered on behalf of federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

Our Measure: Payment timeliness

Timely payments are critical for benefit recipients. In many cases, benefit program payments make up a significant portion of the income needed by recipients to cover their daily expenses. Delayed payment means that this required income may not be available.

Over the past year, we issued more than $16 billion in benefit payments to 11 million individuals and families on behalf of federal, provincial, and territorial governments. During 2007-2008, 99.99% of benefit payments were made on time, meeting our target.

Our Measure: Payments are correct

The fairness and integrity of benefit programs is reflected in the accuracy of our payments. Recipients and government clients alike depend on the accurate calculation and issuance of benefit and credit payments.

It is the responsibility of each recipient to provide us with complete and accurate information to maintain their eligibility and permit the accurate calculation of their benefits. It is our responsibility to make the information and tools available so that individuals can comply with benefit obligations. It is also our responsibility to be diligent in ensuring accuracy in processing applications and account updates, and maintaining and enhancing our core systems to ensure the accuracy of our payment calculations.

Our Measure: Provinces, territories, and other government departments rely on the CRA as a key service provider

The CRA does not create the benefit and credit programs it administers on behalf of other levels of government. Provinces, territories, and other government departments use the CRA to deliver specific programs on their behalf. They also use our services to support the administration of certain programs that they deliver. During 2007-2008, we made payments on behalf of 23 federal, provincial, and territorial programs, compared to 22 in 2006-2007, indicating that the CRA is a preferred service provider.

During 2007-2008, we began delivering the Ontario Child Benefit, a new and substantial addition to the ongoing provincial programs that we administer. We also began new data exchanges in support of four new provincial programs: Newfoundland Students, Nova Scotia Seniors Pharmacare, Ontario Rental Opportunities, and New Brunswick Tuition Tax Back.

The following chart indicates the increase in data transfer and data exchange services since 2003-2004.

Figure 8 Number of Benefit-Related Programs and Services Administered (Data Transfers and Data Exchanges to Provinces, Territories and Other Government Departments)

Due to annual growth in these areas, we now administer 31 programs and 46 data transfer and data exchange services for our clients.

Conclusion

Our administration and delivery of timely and accurate benefit programs and services provides a key service to Canadians each year. Our work as a national agency benefits both our government clients and the citizens they serve: governments enjoy lower administration costs and more effective compliance; citizens receive more comprehensive and better-integrated benefits and services that are simpler for them to use.

Our Benefit Programs Strategic Outcome Measures

Payment timeliness

Benefit payments are correct

Provinces, territories, and other government departments rely on the CRA as a key service provider

Date modified:

2009-01-29