In Care in Manitoba Between 2005 and 2019? The $445M CSA Settlement Closes January 5

If you were in the care of a Child and Family Services agency in Manitoba at any point between 2005 and 2019, there is money set aside for you. A $445.2 million court-approved settlement is paying people back for federal child benefits the province took. The deadline to apply is January 5, 2027.

You do not need a lawyer, a permanent address or a perfect memory of your time in care. To start, the claims administrator says it only needs your full name and date of birth. It can check the rest against agency records.

What nobody can tell you is exactly how much you will get. Your share depends on how long you were in care, when, and how many other people claim. Be sceptical of any site that quotes you a firm number.

What this settlement is about

The Children’s Special Allowance, or CSA, is a tax-free monthly federal payment. It goes to the agency caring for a child instead of to a parent, and it replaces the Canada child benefit while the child is in care.

From January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2019, Manitoba required CFS agencies to hand those payments over to the province. The court-approved notice says Manitoba took about $290 million this way. Two class actions followed: Flette, for children in the care of Indigenous agencies, and Lavallee, for everyone else.

The Manitoba Court of King’s Bench approved the settlement on September 5, 2024. The claims period opened January 6, 2025.

Fund: $445,200,000, paid by the Government of Manitoba.

Deadline: January 5, 2027.

Claims administrator: Exchange Solutions Inc., at CSASettlement.com or 1-844-947-7101.

Who qualifies

You are a class member if all three are true:

• You were in the care of a CFS agency in Manitoba.
• That was at any time between January 1, 2005 and March 31, 2019.
• You were provincially funded while in care.

You do not have to know whether you were provincially funded, which agency you were with, or your exact dates. The administrator checks that with agency records. A guardian can claim for a minor, and an estate can claim for someone who has died.

If you were with a Métis agency

Children in the care of the Métis Child, Family and Community Services agency or Michif Child and Family Services are not in this settlement. They are covered by a separate case, the Lafontaine class action. The court-approved notice points to metiscsaclassaction.ca and 1-877-835-4546.

How your share is calculated

The formula is set out in the court-approved claims procedure. It works like this.

Months count, and later months count more. Your share is based on the number of months you were in care and the CSA rate for those months. The first month in care is excluded. The rate was around $227 to $313 a month until mid-2016, then jumped to $450 or more, as the chart above shows. That weighting sets your slice of the fund. It is not the dollar amount you get per month.

Short stays get a flat amount. If every placement you had was under 30 days, you get a one-time $150.

You are paid in two stages. Once your claim is approved, you get 85% of your calculated amount. After the claims period closes, eligible claimants get a second payment: the remaining 15%, plus investment income, plus up to 25% more if money is left over.

That $10,000 is the administrator’s round-number illustration, not a typical payment. The second payment is described as a maximum and is prorated, so it is not guaranteed. About 9% of the fund goes to legal fees and administration. Class counsel sought about $25 million of that, roughly 5.6%.

Will it affect your income assistance?

Manitoba agreed, subject to applicable law, that settlement payments are not income replacement and are not meant to reduce Manitoba social assistance. It also wrote to Ottawa and the other provinces asking for the same treatment. If you receive assistance outside Manitoba, confirm with your caseworker before you spend the money.

You choose how you are paid

Adults can take a lump sum, or spread it over up to three years with the balance held in trust. For anyone under 18, the money is held in trust until they turn 18. You can use the administrator’s free financial guidance before you decide.

How to claim

You can apply online at CSASettlement.com, by phone at 1-844-947-7101, by mail, or in person. The administrator will mail a paper form with prepaid return postage if you ask.

You will need current, non-expired ID. If you don’t have government ID, there is a Declaration of Guarantor form on the official documents page that someone who knows you can sign instead.

After a decision, you have 90 days to send more information if you think your months in care were counted wrong.

Don’t count on an extension

The claims procedure lets the administrator ask the court for one more year, but only if less than half the settlement money has been assessed or paid by the deadline. That has not been announced. Treat January 5, 2027 as final.

Watch for anyone charging a fee

Applying is free. You never need to pay a lawyer, a “claims helper” or anyone else to file, and class counsel is paid out of the fund. Free help is available from the administrator and from many CFS authorities and community organizations.

Large payments draw scammers. Be wary of texts or social media messages saying your “CSA payment” is ready and asking for a fee, your banking password, or a photo of your ID through an unofficial link. Type the address yourself: csasettlement.com. Our guide on how to check whether a settlement is real walks through the warning signs.

What to do this week

Apply now, even if you are unsure. If you think you were in care in Manitoba between 2005 and 2019, submit your name and date of birth and let the administrator check. Don’t wait until you have found every record.

Sort out ID. If your ID has expired, renew it or download the guarantor declaration now. It is the step most likely to slow a claim down.

Tell someone. Many people who qualify are hard to reach: they have moved, changed numbers or are unhoused. If you know a sibling, friend or former foster sibling who was in care, pass this on.

Claim for a family member who died. If a relative who was in care has passed away, whoever handles their estate can file.

Check your other claims. Several deadlines close sooner. Our October deadlines roundup has the ones coming up this month.

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More open settlements

• Canada’s $32.5 billion tobacco settlement: the claim window that runs to 2027
• The Ontario jail lockdown settlement
• The CAF systemic racism claim deadline is October 15
• Quebec’s opioid settlement: file before November 30

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Figures and dates are as published by the claims administrator, Exchange Solutions Inc., in the court-approved notices, settlement agreement and Claims Administration Procedure (Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, files CI 18-01-18438 and CI 23-01-41219, approved September 5, 2024), as of September 29, 2026. Individual payment amounts are not published and depend on time in care and the number of claims. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm your eligibility and the deadline at CSASettlement.com or with class counsel before you rely on it.