Cheques cut by the Progressive Conservative government to cushion against rising costs will start to arrive in Manitobans’ mailboxes as early as next week.

Manitoba finance department officials said Thursday the Tories’ “carbon tax relief fund” cheques are being printed and will be in the post next week.

An estimated 700,000 households will receive the cheques, which will be a $200-million hit to the provincial treasury.

All adult Manitobans who lived in the province on Dec. 31, 2021, and have a net family income of less than $175,000 will receive a cheque. Single people will get $225 and couples will receive $375, with the lower-income earner receiving the payment.

Payments were supposed to start going out at the end of January. However, the province delayed mailing the cheques to allow more Manitobans to update their mailing addresses, the finance department said.

“As previously indicated, it may take several weeks for them all to be delivered,” the official said in a statement.

Premier Heather Stefanson announced the spending program on Jan. 26 and took aim at the federal Liberal government’s price on pollution, which she said is costing Manitobans.

The $200 million needed to pay for the cheques will come from larger than anticipated revenue from taxation and Manitoba Hydro, the government said.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

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Manitobans head to the polls in October.

— Staff