Tax Assistance Program

The City of Hamilton offers a tax assistance program based on age or income; full tax deferral or compassionate appeals.

The Tax Deferral Program includes:

  • Interest that is compounded annually (2019 rate = 5%)
  • Annual application is required
  • Application fee of $200 with a $100 annual renewal fee after initial application
  • The application need s to be filed before September of the application year
  • Please click here for the application form

To be eligible for a full tax deferral:

  • You and your spouse are 65 years and older of age by January 2019 and receive assistance payments under the Ontario Disability Support Program, under disability pay under the Guaranteed Income Supplement, or an amount paid under the CPP disability benefit
  • Your total combined income is less than $36,100
  • You occupy the residential property as your principal residence
  • You own the primary home for at least one year preceding the application date

To be eligible for a Compassionate Appeal:

  • Tax reduction due to extreme sickness or poverty
    • Extreme poverty: A Financial Statement needs to be provided with the application
    • Severe disease: Attending Physician’s Statement and a Financial Statement need to be provided with the application
  • The City of Hamilton accepts the sympathetic requests and submits them to the Assessment Review Board, or ARB on behalf of the party
  • Needs to be filed before February of the application year
  • ARB mails a Notice of Hearing once a year that usually happens in April
  • Please click here for the application form for extreme poverty
  • Please click here for the application form for extreme sickness and click here for a Financial Statement

If you are a Hydro One customer in Hamilton:

Home Assistance Program

Hydro One offers free energy-efficient upgrades to the home.

To be eligible for the program you have to be a Hydro One customer and:

  1. Own or rent your home or live in an eligible non-profit housing property
  2. Your gross household income for the last year is not more than these income levels
1 Person $32,843
2 People $40,886

Or you have received one of the following in the past 12 months:

  • Allowance for the Survivor
  • Guaranteed Income Supplement
  • Allowance for Seniors
  • Ontario Works
  • Ontario Disability Support Program

Or you have received a Low-Income Energy Assistance Program Grant or were part of the Ontario Electricity Support Program in the past 12 months

Click here for more information on the Home Assistance Program

 

Budget Billing

A program offered through Hydro One where you pay the same amount each month to more efficiently manage your household budget.

How Budget Billing works:

  • Monthly budget billing is set based on your billing history to even out your energy cost over a year
  • Pay the same amount for six months, and on the six and nine months, your monthly payment amount is reassessed to make sure you are not paying too little or too much
  • Have to lock in for 12 months