Federal officials have tried for years, with only limited success, to boost take-up of the Canada Learning Bond, which gives up to $2,000 to a registered education savings plan (RESP) for eligible children. OTTAWA—The Liberals are looking beyond the bureaucracy to figure out how to spend more than $1 billion in uncollected benefits meant to help low-income families save for their children’s post-secondary education. A report on the trial, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, said that low-income families are “sensitive to nudges. Jennifer Robson, an assistant professor of political management at Carleton University who has studied issues with the learning bond, said the government should automatically enrol low-income families in the learning bond program and bypass the RESP system. CRA and Service Canada officials have held information sessions on reserves about accessing benefits, including the learning bond and child benefit, and offering social insurance number services.

Source: thestar December 02, 2017 15:00 UTC