Finance
October 28, 2010
Home Heating Rebate Program Announced for 2010-11
The 2010-11 Home Heating Rebate Program is now open
for applications, the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Finance and
President of Treasury Board, announced today. Residents of Newfoundland
and Labrador with adjusted family income of $40,000 or less and who
directly incur costs to heat their homes will once again be eligible to
receive financial assistance through the program this year.
"The Williams Government is fully committed to offering programs and
services that assist Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in their everyday
lives," said Minister Marshall. "We recognize that heating a home in
this province during the fall and winter months comes with higher costs,
and it can be particularly challenging for people with more modest
incomes, regardless of what heating source they use. Our government has
enhanced the Home Heating Rebate Program over the last seven years and
we continue to make it readily available to provide financial support to
those who need it most. We are ensuring that it is ready to access early
this season to address the high cost of heating homes."
The 2010-11 program will have the same parameters as last year's. The
maximum rebate under the program is $250, regardless of what type of
energy source is used to heat the home. In the case of those living in
coastal Labrador communities, the maximum rebate amount is $500, which
reflects the higher heating costs in the region. Individuals and
families with adjusted family incomes of up to $35,000 receive a full
rebate, while the available amount gradually decreases as income levels
rise to $40,000. All eligible individuals will receive a minimum rebate
of $100.
The estimated value of this year's Home Heating Rebate Program is $17.6
million. The program has been expanded since 2003-04. There were
approximately 10,700 rebates given that year, when the program was open
only to families using heating oil. The maximum rebate was $100 and the
cost of the program was $1.1 million. Since then, the Williams
Government has opened the program to families with homes heated with
electricity, wood and other resources, increased the rebate amount, and
raised the income threshold so that more families qualify. In 2009-10,
roughly 68,000 rebates were provided to residents and the approximate
total value of the program was $16.8 million.
The Home Heating Rebate Program is administered out of the new office
opened in Grand Falls-Windsor in early 2010.
Application forms for the 2010-11 Home Heating Rebate
Program will be available to residents from a number of sources. They
can be found in local newspapers throughout the province, and can also
be obtained at the Department of Finance website,
www.gov.nl.ca/fin/homeheating
. In addition, applications will
be available at all Human Resources, Labour and Employment offices and
Government Service Centres in the province, as well as the Seniors
Resource Centre in St. John's.
For further information on the Home Heating Rebate
Program, please contact the Department of Finance toll-free at
1-877-745-1339 or by e-mail at
homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca.
- 30 -
Media contact:
Mark King
Director of Communications
Department of Finance
709-729-6830, 699-3454
markking@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Home Heating Rebate
The Home Heating Rebate is available to residents of
the province who directly incur costs to heat their homes and whose
adjusted family income is $40,000 or less, regardless of the primary
source of heat.
For most people, adjusted family income is the net
income (Line 236 of the income tax return) of the applicant plus, if
applicable, the net income of that applicant's spouse or partner.
If you had a child under the age of
six in 2009, adjusted income does not include net Universal Child Care
Benefit payments received. If you received income from a Registered
Disability Savings Plan in 2009, your adjusted income does not include
the net amount of payments received from that plan.
Rebate Amounts
Eligible households are those which have an adjusted
family income of $40,000 or less for the 2009 taxation year. Regardless
of the energy source purchased to heat the home, eligible households
will receive a maximum rebate of $250, where adjusted family income for
2009 is $35,000 or less. Eligible households in Coastal Labrador
communities will receive a maximum rebate of $500.
A partial rebate is available to households with adjusted
family income for 2009 above $35,000 but less than $40,000, with a
minimum rebate of $100. See the table below for examples of rebate
amounts, based on a sliding scale.
|
Adjusted Family Income |
Rebate Amount
Electricity, Wood or Wood Products,
Heating Oil, Stove Oil or Propane |
|
Newfoundland and Labrador communities except coastal Labrador
communities |
Coastal Labrador communities |
|
$35,000 or less |
$250 |
$500 |
|
$36,000 |
$220 |
$420 |
|
$37,000 |
$190 |
$340 |
|
$38,000 |
$160 |
$260 |
|
$39,000 |
$130 |
$180 |
|
$40,000 |
$100 |
$100 |
How to Apply
Eligible individuals or families must apply for the
rebate. In addition to a completed application form, applicants must
provide an invoice for either an electricity or heating fuel purchase,
depending on which is the primary heat source, from September 2010 to
April 30, 2011. Only one person per household may apply for the rebate.
Rental properties with heat included in the rent do not qualify for the
rebate.
The deadline for submitting applications is September
30, 2011. Most applications will be processed within 10 weeks of when
they are received by the department.
-
Department of Finance Web site —
www.gov.nl.ca/fin/homeheating
- Department of Finance, all Human Resources, Labour and
Employment offices and Government Service Centres throughout the
province.
- Seniors Resource Centre in St. John's.
-
Local newspapers.
Applications must be sent to:
Home Heating Rebate
Department of Finance
Tax Administration Division
P.O. Box 6000, 32 Queensway
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
A2A 0B8
For further information on the Home Heating Rebate
Program, please contact the Department of Finance toll-free at
1-877-745-1339 or by e-mail at
homeheatprogram@gov.nl.ca.
2010 10 28 12:00 p.m. |
