Approximately $2 billion in funds have not been claimed by Canadians who have failed to cash millions of paper cheques sent by federal government departments, according to recent disclosures in Parliament.
Over the past four years, Ottawa has issued 3.9 million paper cheques that have remained uncashed.
Among these unclaimed funds are $141 million in cheques designated for the Canada Carbon Rebate program, which aimed to offset the expenses associated with carbon pricing.
Although the rebate program was terminated last year, government-issued cheques do not have an expiration date.
Families also neglected to cash around $42.8 million in cheques intended for the Canada Child Benefit, a tax-free monthly subsidy designed to assist in covering the costs of raising children.
While the government typically favors direct deposit as the preferred payment method, certain benefits are still disbursed through traditional mail services.
