Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP): Income support management: Stolen, lost or never-received cheques or direct deposits

On this page

• Stolen, lost or never-received cheques or direct deposits
• Never-received direct deposit

Stolen, lost or never-received cheques or direct deposits

“Lost” or “never received” is not the same as “stolen”.

When a client claims their income support payment was stolen, lost or never received, the IRCC RAP officer does the following:

• reviews the circumstances of the case
• requests a police report number if it is believed the cheque was stolen
• ensures the client signs an Undertaking and Indemnity PWGSC-TPSGC 535 (for cheques) or PWGSC-TPSGC 536 (for direct deposit) and forwards a copy to NPAS.
  • Note: if the original form is not sent to NPAS, local offices are responsible to retain the document for a period of 6 years so that it can be provided to PSPC Cheque Redemption Control Directorate (CRCD) upon request.
• contacts the NPAS to initiate procedures with PSPC Cheque Redemption Control Directorate (CRCD) as they are the ones responsible for tracing and investigation.

If the cheque is still in circulation

Conditions permitting, NPAS will issue a duplicate payment. If the original cheque can be found, it must be returned to NPAS to be forwarded to CRCD in Matane, QC, for physical cancellation.

If the direct deposit has not been deposited

When a direct deposit is not received, the RAP officer must notify Vendors. An explanation may be found typically for the following reasons:

1. Invalid bank account information was provided. The client should double-check banking information and confirm the correct information. Vendors will then make amendments to the client’s vendor account and re-issue the payment via direct deposit in the correct bank account.
2. Closed bank account: follow the same steps as above.

If the cheque has been redeemed or direct deposit has been deposited

• CRCD will initiate a tracing and/or an investigation
• in the interim, in exceptional circumstances, a second payment may be issued with RCM approval and rationale submitted to NPAS.
• If it is found that the client has benefited from the payment, any advanced or additional funds issued to the client as a result of the incident may later be collected by IRCC through an accounts receivable
• If it is found that the client has not benefited from the payment, a further investigation can be initiated by CRCD and a new payment may then be reissued to the client, if not already reissued.
• For all scenarios, consultation with NHQ-IN-ROD and NHQ-Finance should take place to ensure correct procedures with regards to commitment and payment re-issuance are followed.

Possibility of fraud

If the IRCC RAP officer believes the possibility of fraud exists, they should refer to Fraud.

Never-received direct deposit

When a direct deposit is not received, the RAP officer can notify NHQ-Finance to initiate investigation, or the Standard Payment System (SPS) will flag to NHQ-NPAS the payments which have not gone through. An explanation may be found typically for the following reasons:

1. Invalid bank account information was provided. The recipient should double-check banking information and confirm the correct information. NHQ-finance will then make amendments to the recipient’s vendor account and re-issue payment via direct deposit in the correct bank account.
2. Closed bank account: Follow the same steps as above.