Someone offered my dad a Seniors' Home Safety credit deal in Ottawa, is that real?

The Ontario Seniors' Home Safety Tax Credit is closed. It was available for the 2021 and 2022 tax years only and does not appear on the CRA's 2025 list of Ontario credits. Some contractor pages still advertise it.

If someone came to your father's door to pitch this, a few things are worth knowing. Ontario's guide for seniors notes that seniors can be targeted by dishonest home renovation companies, and advises asking for three references and checking them. If you ask a salesperson to leave, they must leave right away. You do not have to sign anything on the spot. Any fraud can be reported to local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

If a written agreement was signed at your father's home and the total was over $50, the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 gives him the right to cancel without any reason within 10 days of receiving a written copy of the agreement. If he did not receive a proper written copy, that window can extend up to one year. To cancel, he should do so in writing and keep a copy. If work has already started, speak with a lawyer before taking any steps.

There are real programs that may help with accessibility work in Ottawa. The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit lets an eligible person claim up to $20,000 of eligible expenses in a year. The City of Ottawa's Ontario Renovates program, open until March 31, 2027, offers up to $20,000 for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities for essential repairs and accessibility modifications. Those are the programs worth looking into, and the City or the CRA decides eligibility, not a salesperson.

The most useful next step is to ask the person who made this offer to put in writing exactly which tax credit or program they are relying on, and then check that program's status directly with the CRA or the City before your father signs or pays anything.