How to Apply for the Manitoba Child Benefit
The Manitoba Child Benefit needs a separate paper application — Form MG 9217, mailed to Provincial Services in Winnipeg — and you must already be receiving the Canada Child Benefit.
How to Apply for the Manitoba 55 Plus Program
Manitoba 55 Plus pays a quarterly supplement to lower-income Manitobans 55 and over. If you receive Old Age Security, it is automatic — no application.
Applies in: Manitoba
The short answer
If you receive Old Age Security, there is no Manitoba 55 Plus application. The Government of Manitoba says your eligibility is automatically determined by the level of benefits you receive from the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance, or the Allowance for the Survivor. You only fill in a form if you do not receive benefits under the federal Old Age Security program.
Manitoba 55 Plus is a Manitoba income supplement that pays quarterly benefits to lower-income Manitobans who are 55 years of age and over and whose incomes are within certain levels. Eligibility is based on income reported in your tax return from the previous year. The maximum quarterly benefit is $161.80 for a single person and $173.90 for each eligible person in a married or common-law relationship.
The two components
The program has two parts, and which one covers you depends on whether you receive Old Age Security:
- 55 Plus Junior Component. For people 55 to 64 who do not yet receive Old Age Security. Partial benefits are available to single people with an annual income up to $9,746.40 and couples with an annual family income up to $16,255.20.
- 55 Plus Senior Component. For people who receive Old Age Security. Benefits are based on family composition, net family income, and the type and level of benefits you receive under the federal Old Age Security program.
The benefit year runs from April 1 to March 31. If your income is slightly above the maximum, the Manitoba government encourages you to apply anyway, because there are some allowable deductions from gross income.
Who the program describes
The Manitoba government says applicants may be eligible if they are 55 years of age or older, live in Manitoba, have a valid Manitoba Health registration number, and have an income within the allowable ranges. Your net income from the previous tax year is used to determine if you are eligible.
People who receive Employment and Income Assistance are not eligible for 55 Plus benefits. People who receive only the health care benefits portion of income assistance may be eligible.
This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify. That decision sits with the 55 Plus office, based on your tax return and your Old Age Security benefit level.
How to apply
If you receive Old Age Security benefits, do not apply. Your eligibility is determined automatically by the level of benefits you receive from the Old Age Security program. There is no form to fill in and no separate 55 Plus application to chase.
If you do not receive Old Age Security benefits, you must apply. The steps are in our How to Apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement guide and our How to Apply for Old Age Security in Canada guide if you also need to start those federal benefits. For 55 Plus itself:
- Get the application form. Download the printable 55 Plus application form from the Manitoba government, or contact the 55 Plus office for the form and more information.
- Complete the form. Print it and fill it in.
- Send it in. Bring the completed form to the office or fax it to the number provided on the form.
- Apply at any time during the benefit year. Applications can be submitted any time during the year, and if you do not yet receive Old Age Security benefits, you must submit a new application each year.
Contact the 55 Plus office at Provincial Services, 100–114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4V4, by phone at 204-948-7368, toll free at 1-877-587-6224, or by email at incsup@gov.mb.ca.
What happens after you apply
Benefits are mailed four times a year, in late April, July, October, and January. When it has been determined that you are eligible, you will receive a benefit cheque for each three-month period. Your first payment will include benefits for the three-month period during which your completed application is approved.
Keep filing your tax return every year. Your net income from the previous tax year is what the office uses to work out whether you are eligible and how much you receive, so a missed return can stall the calculation.
What the opened pages do not state
The Manitoba page states the maximum quarterly amounts ($161.80 single, $173.90 per eligible person in a couple) and the Junior Component income caps ($9,746.40 single, $16,255.20 couples), but it does not publish the full payment table that turns an income band into a quarterly amount, or the Senior Component amounts by Old Age Security benefit level, so this guide states neither. The page also does not publish a fax number for the application form or a processing time, so this guide gives neither. The instruction to verify the income test was followed: the test the page states is net income from the previous tax year, within the allowable ranges.
Related guides:
- How to Apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement — the federal benefit that decides 55 Plus eligibility automatically for Old Age Security recipients.
- How to Apply for Old Age Security in Canada — the federal pension whose benefit level drives the Senior Component.
- How to Apply for the Saskatchewan Seniors Income Plan — Saskatchewan's monthly top-up for low-income seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
- How to Apply for the Alberta Seniors Benefit — Alberta's income-tested seniors benefit, which does need its own application.
- How to Apply for the BC Seniors Supplement — British Columbia's monthly top-up for low-income seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
- How to Apply for Manitoba Rent Assist — Manitoba's rent supplement for low-income households, a separate application.
Applying for Manitoba 55 Plus, in five steps
- Check whether you receive Old Age SecurityIf you do, there is no 55 Plus application — your eligibility is worked out automatically.
- If you do not receive Old Age Security, get the application formDownload the printable form from the Manitoba government, or contact the 55 Plus office.
- Fill in the form and send it inPrint it, complete it, and bring it to the office or fax it to the number on the form.
- The office works out your benefit from last year's tax returnYour net income from the previous tax year decides the amount.
- Payments arrive four times a yearBenefits are mailed in late April, July, October, and January.
Questions people ask
Do I have to apply for Manitoba 55 Plus if I receive Old Age Security?
No. If you receive benefits from the federal Old Age Security program, you do not need to apply for 55 Plus. Your eligibility is worked out automatically from the level of benefits you receive from the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance, or the Allowance for the Survivor.
How much does Manitoba 55 Plus pay?
The maximum quarterly benefit is $161.80 for a single person and $173.90 for each eligible person in a married or common-law relationship. The amount you receive depends on your income, so it can be less than the maximum.
What is the difference between the Junior and Senior Components?
The Junior Component covers people 55 to 64 who do not yet receive Old Age Security, with partial benefits for single people with an annual income up to $9,746.40 and couples with an annual family income up to $16,255.20. The Senior Component covers people who receive Old Age Security, and its amounts are based on family composition, net family income, and the type and level of federal Old Age Security benefits received.
When does the 55 Plus benefit year run?
The benefit year runs from April 1 to March 31. You can apply at any time during the benefit year, and benefits are mailed four times a year, in late April, July, October, and January.
Do I have to apply every year?
If you do not yet receive benefits through the Old Age Security program, you must submit a new application each year. If you do receive Old Age Security benefits, you are not required to apply at all, because your eligibility is determined automatically.
Who do I contact about Manitoba 55 Plus?
Contact Provincial Services at 100–114 Garry Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4V4, by phone at 204-948-7368, toll free at 1-877-587-6224, or by email at incsup@gov.mb.ca.
Sources
- Government of Manitoba, 55 Plus Program — the maximum quarterly benefits of $161.80 single and $173.90 per eligible person in a couple, the Junior Component income caps, the Senior Component basis, the automatic eligibility for Old Age Security recipients, the yearly application for people not on Old Age Security, the April 1 to March 31 benefit year, the four payment months, and the contact details.