Three new affordability measures were announced Thursday morning by the federal government.

The government plans to renew the Canada Strong Pass, which gave people discounts and free entry to some nationally owned buildings or locations. Prime Minister mark Carney said that would mid-December, in time for the holiday season.

They are also going to make the national food program permanent. So far, it was a pilot program, and they plan to legislate the funding, he said.

“No child should go to school hungry or sit in a classroom all day wondering where their next meal will come from,” Carney said during a Friday morning news conference.+

Although those two measures renew or make permanent two existing government initiatives, the feds did introduce a new one.

Anyone who can get federal financial benefits will be able to automatically get them, Carney said.

Using an automated process through the Canada Revenue Agency, people must simply add some information to a pre-filled out tax form to qualify.

Often times people who need those benefits the most do not file their taxes because they do not think they make enough money, he said.

“That means too often that the people who most need benefits often don’t get them,” said Carney.

More to come…