Claims the average refugee in Canada receives $3,874 in monthly support while pensioners receive $1,200 spread online in April. This claim is misleading. While exact rates vary by province, an individual refugee in Canada would receive closer to $1,100 in temporary minimum monthly assistance. Families, people with disabilities and people with dietary or maternity needs could receive more. The $3,874 originates from a misleading photo that circulated in 2017. That year, the average Canada Pension Plan maximum at age 65 was close to $1,200 and is now closer to $1,400, with the average pensioner receiving $899 per month.Ìý
THE CLAIM
"The average Canada pension recipient gets $1200/mo after working 50+ years. The average 'refugee' gets $3873/month after being in Canada for 1 day," reads the text overlaid on a photo of Liberal party leadership candidates posted to social media in April.
A from April 18 featuring the claim received nearly half a million views.Ìý
The claim appeared on with more than 18,000 shares and on , formerly known as Twitter, with more than 7,000 likes.Ìý
RATING: Misleading
Claims about refugees earning more than ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø pensioners appear as early as 2004, the result of a that became an urban legend.Ìý
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø fact-checked a similarly misleading claim last year about "illegal immigrants" supposedly receiving $224 per day in financial support.
The $3,874 figure likely originates from a photo that seems to list an itemized breakdown of federal Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) benefits that spread on Facebook in 2017.Ìý
A of the photo found the amount listed federal assistance available for a family of five and mostly reflected one-time payments.Ìý
The claim later made its way to the United States with the exact same dollar figures, as fact-checkers found in and .Ìý
In order to find out what an individual refugee claimant might receive in Canada in 2025, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø consulted through the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP), which receives funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The RAP rates reflect the funding available to different refugees including single adults and families.
Funding is or until clients can support themselves, and includes a mix of one-time and monthly support payments.
Monthly RAP payments are based on an individual province's social assistance rates. Refugees in Quebec do not receive RAP support but may receive support .Ìý
The minimum monthly payment for a single adult in Ontario based on current RAP rates is around $1,094 per month.Ìý
The monthly payment includes $343 for basic needs, a $390 shelter allowance, a $78.41 communication allowance, $82.97 for transportation and assumes the individual is receiving the maximum $200 housing supplement.Ìý
The allowances are based on family size. For example, a couple and their four children would receive around $1,700 based on the same calculation as above.
There are also special allowances for maternity food and clothing, dietary needs or funeral costs. While some of the RAP allowances are monthly, many are one-time payments for things like clothing, household items and school needs.Ìý
The $1,200 Canada Pension Plan (CPP) figure from the image likely reflects 2017 rates, since that's when the $3,874 figure first appeared.Ìý
The maximum monthly CPP payment at age 65 was .Ìý
In 2025, and the average amount for new beneficiaries is $899.67 as of January.Ìý
SOURCES
Claim posted to April 18, 2025 (), on April 19, 2025 () and April 20, 2025 ()
Kathy English. A mistake that travelled around the world and back again: Public Editor. Toronto Star . Dec. 11, 2015 ()
Christopher Reynolds. TikTok post misleads viewers on cost of refugee claimants. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Fact Check website. June 14, 2024 ()Ìý
Dan MacGuill. Do 'Illegal' Refugees Receive $3,874 Per Month from the Government? Snopes . Nov. 15, 2017 ()
Miriam Valverde. Facebook meme misleads about refugee benefits, Social Security checks. PolitiFact . Nov. 21, 2018 ()
Saranac Hale Spencer. Comparing Benefits for Refugees and Senior Citizens. . July 19, 2019 ()
Ontario Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) Rates September 01, 2024. Refugee Sponsorship Training Program . Accessed April 23, 2025 ()
How long does the support for government-assisted refugees last? IRCC via Government of Canada . Accessed April 23, 2025 ()
Information and services for Québec government-assisted refugees. Quebec government . Accessed April 23, 2025 ()
Canada Pension Plan Annual Report 2016-2017 p. 10. Government of Canada . Accessed April 23, 2025 ()
Canada Pension Plan: Pensions and benefits monthly amounts. Government of Canada . Accessed April 23, 2025 ()
ABOUT CANADIAN PRESS FACT CHECKS
You can find out more about ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø here and about ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Press Fact Checks here. To reach our fact-checking team with any tips, corrections or comments, please email us at cpfactcheck@thecanadianpress.com.
