B.C. families will see boost in government benefit starting this month

The British Columbia government's promise to boost payments in its benefits plan starts this month for more than 285,000 families.

Grace Lore, the minister of state for child care, says rising inflation has been hard on families and the BC Family Benefit is one way to help them provide food, clothing and opportunities for children.

The monthly benefit payment from the province goes to families with annual earnings below $106,908 for those with one child and $143,783 for a three-child family.

Funding goes up this month by $250 a year for a two-parent family of four and as much as $750 for a single-parent family with two children.

About 95 per cent of single-parent families in B.C. get the benefit, with payments averaging $2,254 a year.

The increase was part of a $4.5-billion package in family supports announced by the provincial government in this year's budget.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023.