How much does the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) pay per person in Canada in 2025?

1. What advocates and critics are actually claiming — the headline numbers that spread online

Social media and some commentary repeat two striking claims: that refugees receive roughly $3,874 per month or as much as $82,000 per year. These figures circulate as evidence of overly generous taxpayer-funded benefits. Fact-checking reporting in April–July 2025 rejects those headline numbers, finding them based on erroneous calculations or aggregated hypotheticals rather than RAP policy ^{[1] [4]}. The persistence of these large round numbers fuels political debate, but the underlying program structure and official updates show payments are constructed differently — a startup payment plus provincially-indexed monthly support — making single flat-rate claims inaccurate ^{[2] [3]}.

2. How RAP is structured in 2025 — two parts that matter for totals

RAP consists of two distinct components: Start-Up Costs (a one-time payment to establish a household) and Monthly Income Support (temporary aid for basic needs and shelter, typically for up to 12 months). The program’s rates were revised effective September 1, 2024, and administrations and SPOs must apply the updated figures when calculating support. The monthly component deliberately mirrors provincial social assistance levels and can include a housing supplement (up to $200), a communications allowance ($78.41), and a transportation allowance with a $82.97 minimum where applicable ^[2]. This split means total assistance varies sharply by province and household composition, undermining claims of a single per-person national amount.

3. What the best available figures show about monthly support — smaller and provincial

Reporting from April 2025 and program summaries show monthly RAP payments are substantially lower than viral claims and vary by province: for individuals the range cited runs approximately $571 to $1,361 per month, depending on provincial social assistance baselines, with additional small allowances layered on in some jurisdictions ^[1]. Other summaries and program guidance estimate typical single-adult monthly support around CAD 700–1,000, and family-of-four support around CAD 1,200–1,500, reflecting regional differences in shelter and basic needs costs ^[3]. These figures are consistent with IRCC’s approach linking RAP to provincial social assistance, and they are far below the six-figure annual totals sometimes asserted ^{[2] [3]}.

4. The one-time start-up payment — significant but not limitless

The one-time household establishment payment is a material component frequently misinterpreted. Credible reporting lists one-time amounts from about CAD 3,197.89 for an individual to CAD 9,326.16 for a couple with four dependants, which help cover furniture, linens, and essentials ^[1]. Sponsors and Service Provider Organizations use these start-up funds to secure items and basic housing needs. Even combined with monthly RAP support, these upfront amounts do not produce the exaggerated monthly or annual figures used in viral posts; they are designed as temporary, targeted assistance for initial settlement costs ^{[1] [3]}.

5. Why misinformation spreads and where the policy gray areas are

Misinformation thrives because RAP payments vary by province, household size, and additional allowances, leaving room for bad-faith aggregations and hypothetical scenarios that inflate totals. Some posts compile one-time supplies, multiple monthly allowances, local settlement services budgets, and indirect community supports into a single taxpayer-cost figure, creating the illusion of lavish per-person receipts. Fact-checks in 2025 highlight both the viral misuse of rounded figures and legitimate reasons for regional variation, noting that program updates on September 1, 2024, aimed to better reflect cost-of-living pressures ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Watch for sources with political agendas amplifying worst-case or outlier scenarios without showing the official handouts or the Minimum Financial Support Calculator.

6. Bottom line and how to get the exact number for a specific case

There is no single national “per person” RAP payment in 2025; instead, assistance equals a one-time start-up payment plus provincially-indexed monthly income support and limited supplements, with updated rates effective September 1, 2024. For precise, current figures for a given province and household size, consult the program’s Minimum Financial Support Calculator and the provincial handouts produced after the 2024 rate change; reporting and fact-checks point to these resources as the authoritative sources to compute exact amounts ^{[2] [5] [3]}. Claims of $3,874/month or $82,000/year are not supported by available program documentation and have been debunked by multiple 2025 fact-checking reports ^{[1] [4]}.