The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (the renamed GST/HST credit)
July 2026 to June 2027: up to $679 a year single, $890 couple, $234 per child.
In July 2026 the GST/HST credit became the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, with amounts 25% higher for five years. Same quarterly deposit, same income test, same automatic assessment from your tax return. Here are the current amounts and cut-offs read daily from the CRA, every payment date, and who gets it.
Amounts: July 2026 to June 2027
Yearly entitlement by situation, paid in four equal quarterly deposits. Based on your 2025 tax return (adjusted family net income); recalculated every July.
| Situation | Maximum per year | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Single person, no children | $679 | $169.75 |
| Married or common-law couple, no children | $890 | $222.50 |
| Single parent, one child | $1,124 | $281.00 |
| Each additional child under 19 | + $234 | + $58.50 |
Source: CRA, Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment amounts, verified October 21, 2026. Components: $445 per adult, $234 per child, a $234 supplement for single adults, and the first child of a single parent counted at the $445 adult rate. Provincial and territorial credits (such as the Ontario sales tax credit, paid inside the Ontario trillium benefit) are separate and may be added to the same deposit.
The income test
Full amount below $46,432 of adjusted family net income, then 5 cents less per dollar above it (from CRA's payments chart). On those figures a single person with no children reaches zero at about $60,012, a couple with no children at about $64,232, and each child adds about $4,680 to the cut-off. The $234 single supplement is phased in at 2 cents per dollar of income above $11,564, so it is fully paid from about $23,264.
Payment dates
| Month | Payment date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| July | July 3, 2026 | Friday |
| October | October 5, 2026 | Monday |
Source: Service Canada benefits payment calendar, checked October 22, 2026. Quarterly, in early July, October, January and April; next year's dates are added the day they are published. Entitlements under $50 a quarter may be paid once a year in July.
Add the payment dates to your calendar
Subscribe once and every Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit date stays current: new dates appear the day the agency publishes them.
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Didn't get your Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment?
- Check the date. Deposits land on the dates above, usually overnight; a weekend or holiday can move the date, which this page already reflects. Some banks post government deposits late in the day.
- Direct deposit: allow one full business day after the date, and confirm with your bank that nothing changed on their side (a closed or renumbered account is the usual cause). Cheque: allow 10 business days for Canada Post before reporting it.
- Look in CRA My Account. It shows the payment issued, the amount, where it was sent, and any notice that paused it (an unfiled tax return, a review, or an address that bounced). Sign in.
- Then call Canada Revenue Agency: 1-800-387-1193 (TTY 1-800-665-0354), weekdays. Have your SIN ready. A missing cheque can be traced and reissued; a deposit sent to a closed account is returned and re-sent once you update your banking.
Not on direct deposit yet? Sign up with Canada Revenue Agency so the money is in your account on the date, including over the holidays.
Who gets it, and how
- You must be a resident of Canada for tax purposes and at least 19 (or younger with a spouse, partner or child).
- There is no application. File a tax return every year, even with no income; the CRA assesses the benefit from it and sends a notice with your annual entitlement and the four dates. New residents apply once, with form RC151.
- Couples receive one payment, to whichever spouse's return is assessed first, based on combined income.
- Tell the CRA when you marry, separate, have a child, or a child turns 19; each changes the amount from the next quarter.
- It is tax-free and does not count as income for the GIS, the OAS clawback or the Canada child benefit.
What changed in 2026
- Renamed from the GST/HST credit to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, effective July 2026. The last payment under the old name was April 2, 2026.
- 25% larger from July 2026, legislated for five years (2026 to 2031).
- One-time top-up paid June 5, 2026 to everyone entitled to the January 2026 credit, as a bridge before the larger amounts began.
- Everything else is the same: the income test, the quarterly schedule and the automatic assessment from the tax return. Retroactive amounts for late-filed returns are now issued under the new name.
For retirees
Many retirees qualify without realizing it, especially after one spouse dies and the household moves to the single thresholds. Because the test uses adjusted family net income from the tax return, the same planning that protects the GIS protects this benefit: TFSA withdrawals do not count, RRSP and RRIF withdrawals do. If you are close to the cut-off, our withdrawal-order guide shows how timing withdrawals changes the result.
Source for this page: CRA, Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (overview, how much you can get, payment amounts and payments chart).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit?
It is the GST/HST credit under a new name. The CRA renamed it in July 2026 and raised the amounts by 25% for five years (2026 to 2031). Eligibility, the income test and the quarterly schedule are unchanged: a tax-free payment to individuals and families with low and modest incomes, paid in July, October, January and April, with related provincial and territorial credits folded into the same deposit.
How much is it?
For July 2026 to June 2027 (based on 2025 income): up to $679 a year for a single person ($445 basic plus a $234 single supplement), $890 for a married or common-law couple, and $234 for each child under 19. A single parent's first child counts as the $445 spouse amount, so one child brings the total to $1,124. The yearly amount is split into four equal quarterly payments.
What is the income cut-off?
The full amount is paid when adjusted family net income is below $46,432. Above that, the benefit falls by 5 cents for every dollar of income, so a single person with no children loses it entirely around $60,012 and a couple with no children around $64,232; each child pushes the cut-off up by about $4,680. The single supplement is phased in at 2 cents per dollar of income above $11,564, which is why a single person on very low income receives slightly less than the maximum.
When is it paid?
Quarterly, in early July, October, January and April, by direct deposit from the CRA.
Do I need to apply?
No. File your income tax return every year, even with no income, and the CRA assesses you automatically. New residents apply once with form RC151. If you had a child or your marital status changed, tell the CRA so the amount is recalculated.
Is it taxable, and does it affect GIS or other benefits?
It is tax-free and is not reported on your return. It does not count as income for the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the OAS clawback or the Canada child benefit.
What was the one-time top-up in June 2026?
The CRA issued an extra one-time GST/HST credit payment on June 5, 2026 to everyone entitled to the January 2026 credit, as a bridge before the enlarged benefit began in July 2026. The last regular payment under the old name was April 2, 2026.
My payment did not arrive. What should I do?
Check your CRA account first: it shows the next expected date and amount, and whether a reassessment or an unfiled return has paused it. Direct deposits usually post on the date shown; allow 10 business days before calling the CRA. Payments under $50 a quarter are sometimes paid once a year in July.
Amounts and thresholds are read from the CRA's published tables and refreshed daily; the cut-off arithmetic is derived from the CRA's own payments chart. Payment dates are from Service Canada's calendar. Information only; your entitlement depends on your return as assessed by the CRA.
Live from the source, refreshed daily
Read every morning from Service Canada, Statistics Canada, the Bank of Canada and the CRA, and again at 11 a.m. ET on weekdays. Published figures only, no estimates.
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