4. Ask for a payment arrangement
Question & Answer
The CRA says I must pay back the COVID-19 benefit. What can I do?If you cannot pay the (CRA) what you owe, you can ask them for a payment arrangement because of financial hardship.
A payment arrangement lets you pay a smaller amount each month until you pay back all the money you owe.
Financial hardship means that if you have to pay your debt, you will not be able to afford basic things. This includes food, a place to live, and clothing.
What to tell the CRA
When you ask the CRA for a payment arrangement, you need to describe your expenses and . Tell them how repaying the debt would affect your life.
You can use the CRA’s worksheet to figure out how much you can afford to pay each month.
Setting up how much you’ll pay
The CRA can usually set up a payment arrangement based on what you tell them over the phone. But they might ask you to send in some documents to prove that you're telling the truth.
If the person you're talking to will not make a payment arrangement for you, ask to talk to their manager. You can also call back and talk to someone else.
If you need to pay less
If you already have a payment arrangement but cannot afford it, you can ask the CRA if you can pay less each month.
Some people have payment arrangements where they pay as little as $5 a month.
The CRA may also let you stop making monthly payments for a period of time.
