You could get at least $50 from the bread price-fixing settlement. But the deadline is coming up

Your chance to get a piece $500 million class action settlementafter a multi-year scheme to fix bread prices, will soon expire.

If you purchased packaged bread from one of Canada's largest grocery stores between 2001 and 2021 (and chances are, many Canadians did), then you are eligible to apply for a portion of the compensation that grocery giant Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd. have agreed to pay. Applicants must submit their application by December 12th.

Each plaintiff could receive a minimum of $50, said Verita, the independent settlement administrator.

But it could be $100 or more, says Jay Strosberg of Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, the law firm that brought the class action in Ontario.

“This is a great opportunity for Canadians to get some money back,” he told CBC News.

The final amount, he said, depends on how many people file claims by the deadline.

Verita says more than 1.4 million people have already applied since the process began on Sept. 11, not including Quebec, which is being processed separately. Here's what you need to know:

Am I eligible?

If you purchased packaged bread, including bagged bread, muffins, scones, scones, naan, English muffins, wraps, pitas and flatbreads, for personal use between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2021, you are eligible.

There are two different online claims forms: one for Quebecers and those others in the rest of Canada.

You do not need receipts to prove your purchase, but you will be asked about your last purchase of packaged bread and where you bought it from.

There is no limit on the number of people in one family who can apply. But you must be 18 years of age at the time of application and residing in Canada as of December 31, 2021.

When will I receive the money?

Claims must be distributed between six and 12 months after the deadline and credited directly to your bank account via Interac electronic transfer or check.

Strosberg says more money could be distributed in the event of further settlements as the class action continues.

Other grocers were named in the lawsuit, but he said none are currently in settlement talks.

What happens to my information?

The information you submit will be saved by administrators.

Strosberg says this is necessary for both auditing and compliance purposes, as well as to enable future settlements. He says any personal information will eventually be destroyed.

How do they know the claim is real?

That's a problem, Strosberg says. But the bigger concern isn't a few additional claims from one household: it's bots.

He says bots have filed millions of fraudulent claims.

Administrators use “sophisticated software” to track the number of requests coming from specific IP addresses, a unique numeric identifier assigned to any device connected to the Internet, he said.

But otherwise, he says, they're taking Canadians at their word and encouraging as many people as possible to file claims.

“[Bread is] is a household staple for every Canadian,” he said. “It affected everyone.”