Eligible Canadians will receive their first quarterly payment under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) this Friday, July 3. The benefit, which replaces the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit, provides up to $1,826 annually for eligible individuals and families.
New Benefit Details
First introduced in January as Bill C-19, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act increases the value of the benefit by 25 per cent for five years starting July 2026. The federal government says this change will deliver $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period, including to 500,000 additional individuals and families.
Payment amounts vary based on income and family size, and are recalculated every July based on the previous year's tax return. The maximum annual amount for a single individual is $679, while a single individual with four or more children can receive up to $1,826. For married or common-law couples, the maximum is $890, and for couples with four or more children, the maximum is also $1,826.
Payment Structure and Eligibility
These amounts are broken into quarterly payments, with the first landing on Friday, July 3. Despite the new name, the eligibility, payment calculation, and structure of the benefit remain the same as the previous GST/HST credit. Residents of Canada for tax purposes who are 19 years or older in the month before a payment and at the start of the month when a payment is made are eligible within certain income thresholds.
Individuals do not need to apply for the benefit; the CRA checks eligibility when assessing tax returns. Those entitled will receive quarterly payments automatically. Payments that are less than $50 per quarter are delivered as a single payment in July.
One-Time Top-Up and Previous Payments
Bill C-19 also included a one-time payment equal to 50 per cent of the GST credit's annual 2025-26 value, which eligible Canadians received on June 5. The maximum amount individuals received was $717. Canada's Department of Finance previously stated: "Combined with the one-time top-up, this means that a family of four will receive up to $1,890 this year, and about $1,400 a year for the next four years; and a single person will receive up to $950 this year, and about $700 a year for the next four years."
Previous payments this year on January 5 and April 2 were classified as GST/HST credit payments, while a fourth quarterly payment of the CGEB will be made on October 5 this year.
