Payments from Indian Day Schools Settlement not counted as income

03/03/2021

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to clarify that monetary payments made to claimants for the Indian Day School Settlement (IDSS) are not counted as income.

It had come to the MCK’s attention that some community members were concerned that the settlements could negatively impact Employment Insurance, Pension, Social Assistance and other benefits. It does not have to be reported as income when filling out income tax statements. In fact, the Settlement Agreement provides that there should be no impact on benefits:

The Government of Canada has committed to working with provincial and territorial governments and federal departments to ensure that any payment that Claimants receive will not affect the amount, nature or duration of any social benefits. Similar efforts were successful with respect to the Indian Residential School Settlement payments and will continue to raise the issue with Canada.

For information on any matters relating to the Indian Day School Settlement, please contact Louise Mayo, the IDSS Coordinator on behalf of the MCK, at 514-793-0662 or louise.mayo@mck.ca.