How to Apply for Manitoba Pharmacare
Manitoba Pharmacare is a one-time enrolment with a minimum deductible of $100. The benefit year runs April 1 to March 31, and after the deductible Pharmacare pays 100%.
How to Apply for Manitoba Rent Assist
Manitoba Rent Assist for renters who do not receive Employment and Income Assistance: download the form or call Provincial Services, with the income limits by household size and the tax-return-year rule.
Applies in: Manitoba
The short answer
If you do not receive Employment and Income Assistance (EIA), you apply for Manitoba Rent Assist on your own, with a form. Download the application form from the Government of Manitoba Rent Assist page, or call Provincial Services at 204-948-7368 in Winnipeg or 1-877-587-6224 toll free (TTY 204-948-3698) to have a form mailed to you. This guide covers the non-EIA route only. If you receive EIA, Rent Assist is included with your monthly EIA payment — you do not apply for it separately, and that route is covered in our How to Apply for Manitoba Employment and Income Assistance guide.
Rent Assist is a shelter benefit for low-income Manitobans who rent their own home in the private market. It helps make rent affordable by paying a benefit based on your income and the cost of rent in the market for your family size. You can be eligible even if you are working, in an employment training program, or receiving pension income, as long as you meet the conditions below.
Who can apply on the non-EIA route
The Government of Manitoba Rent Assist fact sheet says you may be eligible if you:
- are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada and at least 18 years of age
- pay rent or room and board for unsubsidized housing
- have a net annual income below the limit for your household size
The income limits are:
| Household | Net annual income must be less than |
|---|---|
| One person | $29,120 |
| One person 55 years of age or older, or a person who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit or receives Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits | $33,920 |
| Two people | $38,720 |
| Three or four people | $50,240 |
| Five or more people | $60,768 |
If you have dependent children in your home, the limit is less than $50,240 for two to four people, or less than $60,768 for five or more people.
Who cannot apply
You may not be eligible for non-EIA Rent Assist if:
- you rent your home from Manitoba Housing
- you own your own home
- you, or the unit you live in, get any other kind of housing benefit or subsidy
- you live in a First Nations community
- you live in a personal care home, hospital, or residential care facility
- you live in student housing
- you are in Canada on a work or study permit
- you receive Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) benefits
If you receive EIA, your Rent Assist is assessed when you apply for EIA and paid with it. Do not use the form in this guide for that route.
How much you can receive
The amount paid by Rent Assist is based on the amount needed to help your household afford a rental cost of up to 80 per cent of the median market rent. The amount depends on the number of people in your household, your net annual household income in the tax year used to assess your eligibility, whether you are over 55 years of age, and whether you qualified for the Disability Tax Credit or received Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits in that tax year.
The Government of Manitoba also offers a Rent Assist Estimator on its Rent Assist page, which can help a household see if it may be eligible. Use it before you apply if you want a rough idea of the monthly amount.
Which tax return counts
The tax year used to assess you depends on when you apply. Apply between January and June, and eligibility is based on your tax return from two years before the current year. Apply between July and December, and it is based on your tax return from one year before the current year.
You must claim rent on your income taxes annually to be eligible. Once a year, your Rent Assist eligibility is reassessed based on the income reported on your tax return.
How to apply
- Get the form. Download the application form from the Government of Manitoba Rent Assist page, or contact Provincial Services to have one mailed to you.
- Contact Provincial Services. The office is at 100-114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4V4. Phone 204-948-7368 in Winnipeg, toll free 1-877-587-6224, TTY 204-948-3698, email provservic@gov.mb.ca. For questions about a non-EIA Rent Assist file, the same office can be reached at 204-948-7368 or 1-877-587-6224, email incsup@gov.mb.ca.
- Complete the form and send it in. Follow the instructions on the form itself for what to attach and where to send it.
- Set up payment. Rent Assist benefits are paid monthly by direct deposit or cheque.
If your situation changes after you leave EIA, the EIA fact sheet notes you may be eligible to keep getting Rent Assist if you are renting in the private market. EIA staff can help you work out whether you can keep receiving it and help with the application.
What the opened pages do not state
The opened Government of Manitoba pages do not publish a dollar amount for any household size, a processing time, or a list of documents to attach to the application, so this guide states none of those. The amount depends on your household size, your income in the tax year used, and the median market rent, and the Rent Assist Estimator on the province's page is the place to check your own figure. The pages also do not state a deadline for applying. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the province's decision when it assesses your application.
Related guides
- How to Apply for Manitoba Employment and Income Assistance — the EIA route, where Rent Assist is included with the monthly EIA payment.
- How to Apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing in Ontario — Ontario's subsidized-housing route, a different program in a different province.
- How to Start Renting Your First Apartment in Canada — finding a first rental, deposits, and what to check before you sign.
- How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit — the federal child benefit, which many low-income renter households also receive.
- How to Apply for the GST/HST Credit — the federal quarterly credit for low- and modest-income households.
Applying for non-EIA Rent Assist, in five steps
- Check the income limit for your household sizeNet annual income under $29,120 for one person, $38,720 for two people, $50,240 for three or four people, and $60,768 for five or more people.
- Get the application formDownload the form from the Government of Manitoba Rent Assist page, or call Provincial Services to have one mailed to you.
- Work out which tax return countsApply in January to June and the return from two years ago counts; apply in July to December and last year's return counts.
- Send the completed form to Provincial ServicesMail it to 100-114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4V4, or contact Provincial Services by phone or email first.
- Keep claiming rent and reapply each yearBenefits are paid monthly by direct deposit or cheque and eligibility is reassessed once a year from your tax return.
Questions people ask
Can I apply for Rent Assist if I do not receive Employment and Income Assistance?
Yes. Rent Assist is also available to low-income Manitobans who rent in the private market and do not receive Employment and Income Assistance (EIA). This guide covers that route only. If you receive EIA, Rent Assist is included with your monthly EIA payment and you do not apply for it separately — see our [How to Apply for Manitoba Employment and Income Assistance](/guides/how-to-apply-for-manitoba-employment-and-income-assistance/) guide.
What are the income limits for non-EIA Rent Assist?
Your net annual income must be less than $29,120 for a single person, $33,920 for a single person 55 years of age or older or a person who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit or receives Canada Pension Plan Disability benefits, $38,720 for two people, $50,240 for three or four people, and $60,768 for five or more people. If you have dependent children in your home, the limit is less than $50,240 for two to four people, or $60,768 for five or more people.
How do I get the Rent Assist application form?
Download the application form from the [Government of Manitoba Rent Assist page](https://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/eia/print,rent_assist.html), or call Provincial Services at 204-948-7368 in Winnipeg or 1-877-587-6224 toll free (TTY 204-948-3698) to have a form mailed to you. Provincial Services is at 100-114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4V4, and its email is provservic@gov.mb.ca.
Which year's tax return is used to decide my eligibility?
If you apply between January and June, eligibility is based on your tax return from two years before the current year. If you apply between July and December, it is based on your tax return from one year before the current year. You must claim rent on your income taxes every year to stay eligible.
Who cannot apply for non-EIA Rent Assist?
You cannot apply if you rent your home from Manitoba Housing, own your own home, get any other kind of housing benefit or subsidy for yourself or your unit, live in a First Nations community, live in a personal care home, hospital or residential care facility, live in student housing, are in Canada on a work or study permit, or receive Employment and Income Assistance benefits.
How is Rent Assist paid, and how often is it reassessed?
Rent Assist is paid monthly by direct deposit or cheque. Once a year, your eligibility is reassessed based on the income reported on your tax return. The amount is based on the amount needed to help your household afford a rental cost of up to 80 per cent of the median market rent.
Sources
- Government of Manitoba, Rent Assist for Manitobans Not Receiving Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) — the non-EIA route, the income limits by household size, the tax-return-year rule, the exclusion list, the 80 per cent of median market rent basis, annual reassessment, monthly payment by direct deposit or cheque, and the Provincial Services contact details.
- Government of Manitoba, Rent Assist — Rent Assist for both groups, the EIA route as one monthly payment with EIA, the non-EIA application route by download or phone, and the Rent Assist Estimator.