Millions of paper cheques sent by the federal government to Canadians are sitting untouched, leaving more than $2.1 billion in unclaimed money, according to newly tabled parliamentary documents.
Data released in a written response to Parliament shows that approximately 3.9 million government cheques, issued over the last four fiscal years, were never cashed. The total value of those unclaimed payments comes to $2,159,665,155.
The cheques covered a wide range of federal payments, including tax refunds, pension payments, and benefit programs administered by the Canada Revenue Agency and other government departments.
Among the uncashed payments were about $141 million in Canada Carbon Rebate cheques and nearly $50 million in Climate Action tax credits sent to residents of British Columbia. These rebates were originally introduced to help offset the cost of carbon pricing. Although those programs have since ended, the government notes that its cheques do not expire and can still be replaced if lost or damaged.
Families also left money unclaimed. Roughly $42.8 million in cheques issued through the Canada Child Benefit, a tax-free monthly payment designed to help cover the costs of raising children, were never deposited.
The federal government has been encouraging Canadians to switch to direct deposit, which is now its preferred method of payment. According to the documents, only 8.51 per cent of federal payments are currently made by paper cheque. Despite this, several departments continue to issue cheques in large numbers.
Paper payments also come with a price tag. The administrative cost to issue a single cheque is estimated at $1.83. Based on that figure, the 121 million cheques mailed between April 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2025, likely cost taxpayers around $222 million in processing and mailing expenses.
The information was disclosed in a government response published on Jan. 26, following a research question from Conservative finance critic Adam Chambers. The response was prepared by Public Services and Procurement Canada, which said responsibility for moving away from paper cheques rests with individual departments and agencies.
The documents also reveal that Ottawa previously explored the idea of issuing prepaid cards for certain government payments. That option was ultimately abandoned after officials concluded it would be more costly than direct deposit and faced strong public opposition.
Canadians who believe they may have missed a payment are encouraged to check their CRA online accounts or contact the agency by phone to see whether they have uncashed cheques waiting.
