OTTAWA - The federal budget is sprinkled with a few dollars for families and cash-strapped seniors.
Single, low-income seniors would get a boost of up to $600 a year under improvements to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, while couples would see up to $840 extra.
Parents enrolling their children in arts and recreation programs, those looking after ill relatives, and homeowners looking to cut their energy bills would all see small savings on their tax bill.
A $500 tax credit for arts programs for children would save parents $75 a year.
"Whether it's dance or music lessons or art camp, it's a great way to make friends and develop their creativity," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Tuesday.
The program is similar to the fitness tax credit that came into effect in 2007.
Ottawa also introduced a $2,000 family caregiver tax credit that would be worth $300 for caregivers of dependent relatives. The change is expected to help more than 500,000 Canadians looking after their relatives.
Homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient, whether it be with new windows, high-efficiency furnaces or better insulation, would benefit from the extension of ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program by a year.
A volunteer firefighters tax credit of $3,000 would save $450 for those who perform at least 200 hours of service a year.
The government also closed loopholes related to RRSPs that it expects to add $100 million a year to government coffers.
And those looking to donate flow-through shares -- which are eligible for mineral exploration tax credits -- to charities would no longer see the same bang for their buck. The change is expected to add $35 million a year to government revenue.
