Provide Personal Support Workers (PSWs) with up to $1, 100 a year • YouBetcha

Current Status

Status: Not Started No actions have been taken by the Carney government to legislate the promised tax credit for personal support workers.

Background

Canada's home care system has long faced significant pressures, with shortages of personal support workers contributing to inadequate care for vulnerable populations, including seniors and those with disabilities. During the 2025 federal election campaign, Mark Carney highlighted these challenges, promising financial support for PSWs to address retention and recruitment issues in the sector. Fulfilling this promise would require federal legislation to create a refundable tax credit, providing up to $1,100 annually to eligible workers, building on broader discussions about improving home care models seen in countries like Denmark and the Netherlands. Previous governments, including Justin Trudeau's administration, explored related policies but did not implement this specific measure, leaving the onus on Carney's team to act.

Evidence

No qualifying actions by the Carney government toward legislating a refundable Health Care Workers Hero Tax Credit for personal support workers appear in available records as of March 26, 2026. Sources from earlier periods discuss ongoing home care challenges and the need for more PSWs, but none document concrete steps taken after Carney was sworn in as prime minister [#2][#3][#8]. A 2025 report on Ontario's home care system noted the requirement for thousands more PSWs by 2028 and 2031 to meet growing demand, yet it does not reference any federal initiatives under Carney [#8]. Other materials, such as a December 2025 announcement from a charitable foundation, focus on unrelated grants without mentioning government tax credits [#7].

Assessment

The Carney government has yet to deliver on its campaign promise to provide personal support workers with up to $1,100 annually through a refundable tax credit, with no evidence of legislation introduced or other tangible steps forward. This lack of progress leaves PSWs without the pledged financial support, even as reports continue to underscore the urgent need for better retention in the home care sector. Without action, the promise risks remaining unfulfilled amid ongoing strains on Canada's health care system.