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2012-13 Home Heating Rebate Program

The Home Heating Rebate is available to residents of the province whose adjusted family income in 2011 was $40,000 or less and have directly incurred costs to heat their home.

Eligible households are those who have an adjusted family income of $40,000 or less for the 2011 taxation year. Regardless of the energy source purchased to heat the home, eligible households will receive a maximum rebate of $250, where adjusted family income for 2011 is less than $35,000. Eligible households in Coastal Labrador communities will receive a maximum rebate of $500. A partial rebate is available to households with adjusted family income for 2011 above $35,000 but less than $40,000, with a minimum rebate of $100. For most people, adjusted family income is the net income (Line 236 of the income tax return) of the applicant plus, if applicable, the net income of that applicant’s spouse or partner. If you had a child under the age of six in 2011, adjusted income does not include net Universal Child Care Benefit payments received. If you received income from a Registered Disability Savings Plan in 2011, your adjusted income does not include the net amount of payments received from that plan.

Eligible individuals or families must apply for the rebate, and must provide either an electricity or heating oil invoice (depending on the source of heat) for any month from September 2012 to April 2013 in the name of the applicant or the applicant’s spouse. If wood is the primary source of heat, a copy of the cutting permit or a receipt/invoice for a purchase of wood must also be submitted. Households where heat is included in rent are not eligible for the rebate.

Special circumstances will be considered when calculating adjusted family income. These include:

• only the surviving spouse’s income for the year will be used to determine eligibility when a spouse has died
• if a spouse resides in a long-term care facility, adjusted family income will be reduced by the amount paid to support the spouse in the long-term care facility. If the cost of long-term care is fully funded by a third party and no contributions are being made from the combined family income, then the cost of care cannot be deducted when calculating adjusted family income
• if a person is enrolled in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) or skills training program, adjusted family income will be reduced by the amount of the payments in respect of the ABE or skills training program, and
• an individual’s income will be used to determine eligibility if they become divorced or legally separated.

Please note that appropriate documentation will be required to support a claim under these special circumstances.

Application forms are available through: 2012-13 Application Form (51 KB)

• the Department of Finance and the Seniors’ Resource Centre in St. John’s,
• throughout the province at all Department of Advanced Education and Skills offices (formerly known as Human Resources, Labour and Employment) and Service NL centres, and
• local newspapers.

Only one person per household may apply for the rebate. The deadline for submitting applications is September 30, 2013. Most applications should be processed within 10 weeks of when they are received by the department.

Applications must be sent to:

• Frequently Asked Questions

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