Saskatoon food bank filling more than pantries during tax season

The Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre’s annual volunteer-run tax clinic is experiencing a surge in people seeking tax help.

Demand is up roughly 10 per cent as a wave of new Canadians are looking for answers to an entirely new tax system they aren’t familiar with.

Food banks across the country operate volunteer-run income tax programs during March and April, in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency.

“It's designed specifically for simple tax returns,” Heather Pocock, the coordinator of the volunteer income tax program said. “It’s for lower income folks. Often they’re seniors; people on social assistance; a number of people in different facilities and institutions that might not be able to complete their taxes on their own.”

The service is proving to be invaluable for people who may not have the knowledge, the access, or the time to fully dig into their personal tax benefits themselves.

“Almost every day I get some feedback from individuals. One woman called yesterday and said, ‘Don't you have a suggestion box? I want to tell you how wonderful the volunteer was,’” Pocock said.

Pocock estimates more than 50 people call every day, with roughly the same amount of files waiting on her desk every morning when she gets to her office.

In March alone, the clinic’s 22 volunteers completed 1,173 returns, which resulted in $5,283,479 in benefits for its clients.

Last year over the two-month period, the clinic helped realize more than $10 million in benefits. Pocock expects to surpass that mark this year.

“You know what? These two months are intensely busy (and) hard to keep up on. You know, just taking deep breaths, going for a little walk here and there. And then you dive in and do it again,” Pocock said.

Francis Cashin, a recreational therapist and case manager with the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s acquired brain injury outreach team, says the service has been monumental for some of his clients.

“They have to submit their taxes to receive different federal rebates,” Cashin said. “A lot of our clients are also in accessible housing, and a lot of these agencies also need proof of income for them to retain their housing.”

With roughly 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers currently on strike, Pocock says disruptions have been minimal as most of the work can be completed digitally. But trying to contact the CRA for verification is proving to be difficult during the strike.

Tax season can be daunting for any person, whether you’ve filed dozens of returns or have yet to file. Being able to connect clients with the services they need the most is the goal for Cashin and Pocock.

“Being able to have a centralized location that’s quick and accessible, it’s always a great way to help ease those barriers,” Cashin said.