Municipal Financial Relief Grant

The Municipal Financial Relief Program helps people in Prince Edward County who have low incomes. It gives grants that can lower the amount you pay for property taxes or municipal water. The municipality offers this program, and it is delivered with support from The County Foundation and Prince Edward Learning Centre.

Applications will be accepted until July 15th 2026.
Notifications will be sent to applicants by the end of August.

APPLY FOR A MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL RELIEF GRANT

Program offered and funded by
the Municipality of Prince Edward County

Administered by The County Foundation

Application Support Partner

Municipal Financial Relief Program - Updates for 2026

The Municipal Financial Relief Program went through an extensive review which has led to some changes to the program for 2026.
You can read more about the updates to the program and why some of these changes were implemented.

Learn about the program updates

Program Eligibility

Your main home is in Prince Edward County

Your total household income is less than the amount in the income charts below

And at least one of the following is true:

You get a municipal tax bill, or

You get a municipal water bill, or

You rent your home, but you pay your landlord for municipal water/wastewater based on how much you use, or

You own your home but pay your municipal taxes through a landowner (this is called a leasehold).

There are two streams of funding - Enhanced Support or Standard Support. If your income and household size fits in the Enhanced Support chart, you get Enhanced Support. If not, check the Standard Support chart.

Enhanced Support

Grant Size: $1000 off taxes OR $500 off water

Household Size*	Max Gross Income**
1 person	$23,907
2 people	$29,761
3 people	$36,587
4 people	$44,424
5 or more people	$50,384

*Household Size means everyone who lives in your house, even if they don't earn income.

**Max Gross Income is the total amount earned by ALL income-earners in your house, before taxes are deducted.

Standard Support

Grant Size: Up to $750 off taxes or $350 off water

Grant size will depend on the number of people who apply

Household Size*	Max Gross Income**
1 person	$38,000
2 people	$64,480
3 people	$65,000
4 people	$65,000
5 or more people	$71,000

*Household Size means everyone who lives in your house, even if they don't earn income.

**Max Gross Income is the total amount earned by ALL income-earners in your house, before taxes are deducted.

Not Eligible? There may be support available through Prince Edward - Lennox and Addington Social Services (PELASS) and other agencies. Go to www.thecounty.ca and search “Help with Payments.”

What You Need to Apply

You will need to collect a couple of things before you apply:

Documents Needed to Apply

Proof of Income. You must provide the following proofs of income:

Copy of ALL Notices of Assessment (NOA) from Canada Revenue for 2025 or 2024 for all income earners in your household. The copy must clearly show the line 15000 and your name (PDF or a good quality photo is fine); OR,

If you do not have an NOA for all the income-earners in your household, or if your income has decreased since you last filed your taxes, contact Prince Edward Learning Centre (613-476-1811 / info@pelc.ca). They can verify your income using other acceptable documents.

TIP: To get a copy of your Notice of Assessment, you can either login into MyCRA through Canada Revenue, ask the accountant who helps prepare your annual tax filing, or make a free appointment with the Prince Edward Learning Centre (info@pelc.ca).

Info about your tax or water billing arrangements:

You must provide a copy of a recent tax or water bill, showing your account number and the name of someone in your household. Don't have a bill? Contact the municipality at 613-476-2148 ext 1530 or email tax@pecounty.on.ca.

If you are a renter who pays your water costs through your landlord, you must provide a letter from your landlord confirming this. You must download and submit the Landlord Water Confirmation F orm.

If you are a homeowner who pays your property tax through your landowner, you must provide your 2025 or 2026 tax invoice from your landowner. If you do not have this, please download the template form.

Need tech support? Visit a PEC Library branch to fill out the online form, or get help with scanning documents printing.

WAYS TO APPLY

Applications for 2026 will be accepted until July 15th 2026.
No late submissions will be accepted. Application must include all required documents to be eligible.

ONLINE FORM - APPLY FOR A MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL RELIEF GRANT

Applying online is the easiest and quickest way to apply for a grant

PDF Form to Print

Scan and email documents to info@thecountyfoundation.ca

Mail to The County Foundation – 35 Bridge St Suite 107 PO Box 24, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0

Make an appointment with the Prince Edward Learning Centre
You can schedule a free appointment for extra assistance with your application (info@pelc.ca or 613-476-1811).

Attend In-Person Help Session in Picton or Wellington
Bring the documents you need to apply with you if you would like assistance completing your application in-person.

Tuesday June 16th – Picton - Prince Edward Community Centre (Rotary Hall) from 10 am to noon

Thursday June 18th – Wellington - Wellington & District Community Centre (Rotary Multipurpose) from 10am to noon

If you need assistance with scanning or printing documents, then staff at the Prince Edward Library Branches can assist!

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Q- How can I get help with my application?

For assistance with making your online application, accessing documents online, printing, scanning and simple questions about the program, you are encouraged to visit any PEC Library Branch, or make an appointment with Prince Edward Community Care for Seniors or Prince Edward Learning Centre. Assistance is free but requires an appointment.

For more hands-on help or complex situations, you can make an appointment with an MFRG application specialist at the Prince Edward Learning Centre. They can help verify your income, gather necessary paperwork and work with you to ensure your application is complete and eligible before it is submitted. Contact 613-476-1811 to make an appointment

Q- What is my Notice of Assessment and why do I have to include it in my application?

A Notice of Assessment (NOA) is a summary from the Canada Revenue Agency after you file your tax return, and provides summarizes your total income before taxes on Line 15000. This information is used to verify your eligibility for a grant.

If you do not have an NOA for all the income-earners in your household, or if your income has decreased since you last filed your taxes, contact Prince Edward Learning Centre (613-476-1811 / info@pelc.ca). They can verify your income using other acceptable documents. They can also work with you to file your taxes and so you can access other benefits - and this is a free service by appointment!

Q- Can I apply for both the property tax grant and water/wastewater grant?

No, applicants can choose to apply to ONE of the grant streams. Generally homeowners apply for the tax stream and renters apply for the water stream.

Q-If I meet the income eligibility am I automatically approved?

If you submit a complete application and meet all the program's eligibility rules, including income, water/tax billing circumstances, financial resources check and agreement to the terms of the program, you will be approved.

If you qualify for the Enhanced Support stream, your grant amount is fixed at $1000 for tax credits or $500 for water credits.

Grant amounts for the Standard Support stream are set based on:

The number of eligible applicants

The available program budget after the Enhanced Support applicants have been funded.

The maximum grant amount for the Standard Stream is $750 for tax credits and $350 for water credits. We expect that in 2026, applicants will receive grants that are slightly less than the maximum.

Q- If I own multiple properties can I apply for relief under each property?

No, this grant is intended for your main home (primary residence) only.

Q- I’m a renter, and I have municipal water in my home. Am I allowed to apply?

It depends on how you pay for water.

Some renters can apply, and some cannot. The key question is whether water costs are passed on to you based on how much water you use.

You may be able to apply if you pay for water based on your actual use, even if the bill is in your landlord’s name. In this case, water rate increases affect your household directly, similar to a water account holder. You and your landlord will need to fill out a form together to prove your water arrangements.

You cannot apply if water is included in a fixed rent amount. In most cases, rent increases are limited by provincial rules, and water costs are not passed on based on use. This means water rate changes do not affect your household in a direct way.

The program stays focused on helping residents who clearly feel municipal water rate increases tied to how much water they use.

Q- What if my property tax or water and wastewater statements have more than one person listed?

As part of your application, you should include ALL Notices of Assessment (NOA) from Canada Revenue for 2025 or 2024 for all income earners in your household who contribute to household bills. The copy must clearly show the line 15000 and your name.

If you do not have an NOA for all the income-earners in your household, or if your income has decreased since you last filed your taxes, contact Prince Edward Learning Centre (613-476-1811 / info@pelc.ca). They can verify your income using other acceptable documents.

Q- How and when will I know if I am approved and receive my grant?

Applicants will be notified about their grant amounts/payments in by the end of August 2026.

Bill credits and grant cheques (where applicable) will be issued in September 2026.

Q-Am I eligible if my property tax account or water/waste water account is in arrears?

Yes, you are eligible for this relief grant if your property tax or water accounts are in arrears.

If you are behind in municipal tax payments, contact the Revenue Services department to discuss a payment plan: 613.476.2148 or email tax@pecounty.on.ca.

If you are behind on Water/Wastewater tax payments, contact the Revenue Services department to discuss a payment plan: 613-476-2148 or emailﾠwaterbilling@pecounty.on.ca.

I heard there was a fund for people whose water might be disconnected. What is this and how do I access it?

This is a small, new support for people who are at risk of having their water shut off and have no other way to pay their bill.

The MFRG program helps with yearly bills, but it does not work well in urgent situations. This new fund is meant to be a last line of help when disconnection is close, and other options have been tried.

Key things to know:

It is only for households who would qualify for the lowest income level of the program (Enhanced Support)

It is used only in serious, urgent situations

It is not something residents apply for on their own

To access this help, residents work with municipal revenue staff and a trusted community partner. If water disconnection is likely and there are no other solutions, the partner can recommend support to prevent the shut-off.

This approach helps protect health and housing while making sure the support is used carefully and fairly.

Q-Have you received my application?

Online applications will receive an email within 24 hours of submitting with a copy of your application confirming that it has been received. If you have checked your inbox and junk folder and do not see this message, then please contact us to confirm your application has been submitted correctly.

Applications submitted by mail or hand delivered will receive a confirmation call or email once they have been received. Please note that, depending on the volume of mailed applications, there may be a delay between when your application arrives and when it is opened and processed by our staff. We will do our best to follow up as quickly as possible!

Q- If I received the grant previously, will it be automatically applied in the future?

No, you need to reapply each year for the Municipal Financial Relief Program and it is not automatically renewed once received. This is because income levels can fluctuate from year to year, so we need to verify that you are still eligible to receive the support.

There also may be a difference in the amount of eligible applications received from year to year. The grant amount for the Standard Support stream will very based on the amount of eligible applications and how much is allocated to the Enhanced Support stream.

The County Foundation administrates the Municipal Financial Relief Grants on behalf of the municipality.
We are responsible for accepting applications, verifying eligibility, and notifying applicants once finalized by the municipality.
Please note that we cannot assist with questions regarding your taxes or water bills (contact tax@pecounty.on.ca for assistance).

The County Foundation strives to make our grant application process as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility needs or require additional assistance then please feel free to reach out to info@thecountyfoundation.ca or call us at 613-519-4470.