Removal Grant

Staff governed by the Academic Teaching Staff (ATS) Agreement, Trust/Research Academic Staff (TRAS) or the Temporary Librarian, Administrative and Professional Staff (TLAPS) Agreement  may be eligible for a removal grant toward necessarily and reasonably incurred expenses for moving to Edmonton, based on removal from the place of residence. A removal grant is referred to by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) as a non-accountable moving allowance  and is different from the relocation benefits available to continuing academic staff under the UAPPOL policy.

Detailed regulations governing removal grants can be found in the respective ATS and TLAPS agreements.

Obtaining removal grant authorization

For the removal grant to be paid out on the employee's monthly pay cheque, departments must complete a Removal Grant and Moving Allowance Authorization form  which can be found in the HR Forms and Documentation. The form must be signed and returned to the Staff Service Centre by the Payroll Deadline for submitting eForms.

Removal grant regulations

The amount of the removal grant is dependent upon the employee's residence prior to coming to Edmonton and in accordance with the following schedule.

Maximum grant by residence
Residence Immediately Prior to Appointment Maximum Grant (CAD)
Edmonton and vicinity (within 20 miles of Edmonton boundary $0
Other points in Alberta $150
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia $400
Other parts of Canada and continental USA $600
All others $1,000
  • Domicile shall be the place of normal residence of the employee immediately prior to the taking up of the appointment in Edmonton.
  • The employee is not required to produce receipts in support of the payment of the removal grant. However, receipts for expenditures incurred in the move to Edmonton should be retained for the following reasons:
    • The grant will be considered as income for income tax purposes and reported on the employee's T4 tax form. It may be possible to claim expenses incurred in the move to Edmonton as deductions from that income, in accordance with tax legislation. Receipts will be required to document the claim.
    • In the event that a temporary employee receives a future appointment to a full-time tenurable position, they may be eligible for a supplementary removal allowance; this will require receipts, vouchers, etc. in support of the claim. Any supplementary removal allowance will be reduced by the amount of any removal grant paid as a temporary employee (see #6 below).
  • The removal grant will be paid shortly after the effective date of the appointment. A grant will not be paid in advance of that date.
  • If the employee does not, of their own volition, complete the contractual period of appointment, they must pay back the removal grant in full. Unless other arrangements are made, such a return will be deducted from the employee's terminal salary cheque.
  • The regulations with respect to removal allowances for full-time tenurable employees are somewhat more liberal than those with respect to removal grants for full-time temporary employees. In the event that a full-time temporary employee is appointed as a full-time tenurable employee immediately following the expiry of the temporary appointment, they may apply for a supplementary removal allowance, which will be the difference between the amount they would be eligible to receive as a tenurable employee and the amount actually received as a temporary employee. In light of this possibility, the full-time temporary employee should retain copies of all receipts, vouchers, etc. in connection with removal to Edmonton at the time of appointment to the full-time temporary staff.
  • An employee who received a removal grant covering an appointment during the immediately preceding academic year (July 1 - June 30) is not normally eligible to receive such a grant covering an appointment during the current academic year. Exceptions to this rule may only be made by the Provost upon the recommendation of the appropriate Dean.
  • An employee who received a Special Registrations Travel Allowance in connection with appointment to the immediately preceding Spring or Summer Term is not eligible to receive a removal grant in connection with an appointment to the full-time temporary staff during the current academic year unless the value of the removal grant under these regulations is greater than the Special Registrations Travel Allowance received, in which case the employee will be eligible to receive a removal grant which is the difference between the two amounts.
Questions?
Visit the Staff Service Centre.