The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) is a tax-free quarterly payment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for people with low and modest incomes. It replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026, keeping the same eligibility rules and payment system, with a 25% increase in the amounts that CRA says will stay in place from 2026 to 2031. There’s no application: CRA works it out from your tax return. This page covers the payment dates, the amounts and how income affects them. The benefits guide lists the other federal and provincial programs.
CGEB payment dates 2026
| Month | Payment date | Day | Paid as |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | January 5, 2026 | Monday | GST/HST credit |
| April | April 2, 2026 | Thursday | GST/HST credit |
| July | July 3, 2026 | Friday | CGEB |
| October | October 5, 2026 | Monday | CGEB |
Source: Canada Revenue Agency: Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: Payment amounts, checked September 24, 2026.
Payments go out four times a year. The benefit year runs from July to June, so the July payment is the first one calculated from the previous year’s tax return. If your benefit is less than $50 a quarter, CRA pays the whole year in one payment in July.
The last two payments made under the GST/HST credit name, and the one-time top-up CRA paid before the change, are covered on the GST/HST credit final-year page.
CGEB amounts (July 2026 to June 2027)
| Family Situation | Annual Maximum |
|---|---|
| Single individual | $679 |
| Married/common-law | $890 |
| Per eligible child under 19 | $234 |
Source: Canada Revenue Agency – Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: Payment amounts, verified September 24, 2026, for the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year (based on 2025 AFNI). View source
Those maximums are built from separate amounts, based on your 2025 return:
| Component | Amount a year |
|---|---|
| You | $445 |
| Your spouse or common-law partner | $445 |
| A single parent’s first child | $445 |
| Each other child under 19 | $234 |
| Single supplement (single people only) | Up to $234 |
Single parents get the single supplement in full. A single person without children gets it only as it phases in: 2% of net income above $11,564, so the full supplement applies from $23,264 of net income. So a single person with very little income gets less than the $679 maximum.
How income reduces the CGEB
The benefit is reduced by 5% of adjusted family net income above $46,432, the same threshold for every family type. Adjusted family net income is your net income plus your spouse’s or partner’s.
| Family | At $15,000 | At $30,000 | At $50,000 | At $70,000 | Reaches $0 at about |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, no children | $514 | $679 | $501 | $0 | $60,000 |
| Single parent, 1 child | $1,124 | $1,124 | $946 | $0 | $68,900 |
| Couple, no children | $890 | $890 | $712 | $0 | $64,200 |
| Couple, 2 children | $1,358 | $1,358 | $1,180 | $180 | $73,600 |
Annual amounts for July 2026 to June 2027, before any provincial or territorial credit paid with the CGEB. The CGEB calculator works out your own figure.
Who can get it
You are eligible for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (the former GST/HST credit) if you are a resident of Canada for tax purposes both in the month before a payment and at the start of the month it is paid, and you are at least 19 years old, or younger and have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner or are (or were) a parent living with your child. You receive payments only if your adjusted family net income is below the CRA's maximum for your family situation, and you have to file a tax return every year, even with no income, for the CRA to assess you. Am I eligible for the GST/HST credit? goes through the age rule, newcomers and how a partner’s income counts.
CRA also pays some related provincial and territorial credits together with the CGEB. Ontario’s sales tax credit is different: it’s part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit, which has its own monthly schedule.
Why the amount changes in July
Each July CRA recalculates the benefit from the previous year’s return, using the new benefit year’s amounts. Your July payment can change because:
- your or your partner’s income was higher or lower last year
- you married, separated or started living with a partner (for a separation, tell CRA once you have been apart more than 90 days)
- a child was born or started living with you, which also means applying for the Canada Child Benefit (how to apply)
- a child turned 19 and now gets the benefit in their own right if they file
If you turn 19 during the year, file last year’s return; CRA starts your payments with the first quarterly payment after your birthday.
Checking a payment
Sign in to your CRA account, choose “Benefits and credits,” then the CGEB (formerly the GST/HST credit) to see your next payment date and amount, each payment for the benefit year, and your statement of account.
If a payment hasn’t arrived, CRA asks you to wait 10 working days after the payment date before contacting it. Check that your address and direct deposit details are current, then see why am I not getting my GST credit for the usual causes.
Related pages
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)
- Canada Revenue Agency: Payment dates for CRA administered benefits and credits
- Canada Revenue Agency: Get benefit
- Canada Revenue Agency: Who eligible
- Government of Canada: Benefits payment dates
- Government of Canada: While receiving