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Understanding the Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment introduced in 2016 to help eligible families with the cost of raising children under the age of 18. It replaced the older Canada Child Tax Benefit and Universal Child Care Benefit, consolidating federal child supports into a single income-tested program. Payments are calculated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) based on your adjusted family net income (AFNI) from your most recent tax return, the number of children in your care, their ages, and whether any of them qualify for the Child Disability Benefit supplement.

For the benefit year running from July 2026 through June 2027, the maximum annual amount is $7,787 per child under age 6 and $6,570 per child aged 6 through 17. Families with a child who qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit also receive up to an additional $3,322 per eligible child through the Child Disability Benefit (CDB). The CCB and CDB are combined into a single monthly deposit, usually arriving on the 20th of each month directly to your bank account.

2026 CCB Phase-Out Rates by Family Size

To keep receiving the CCB, both you and your spouse or common-law partner must file a tax return every year, even if you have no income. The CRA recalculates your entitlement every July based on the previous year's tax returns. If your income drops significantly during the year, you may want to call the CRA — in some cases they can adjust your benefit sooner. The CCB is not affected by GST/HST credit, Canada Workers Benefit, or provincial child benefits, which all stack on top of the federal CCB. Several provinces (Ontario, Quebec, BC, Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland) also pay their own monthly child supplements alongside the CCB, often delivered in the same monthly deposit.

The CCB is paid to the parent primarily responsible for the child's care, which is generally the mother by default unless a different arrangement is documented. In shared custody situations (40% to 60% of the time with each parent), each parent receives 50% of the calculated CCB. Foster parents may also be eligible if they are not receiving a Children's Special Allowance for the child. New parents should apply for the CCB shortly after the child is born using the Automated Benefits Application at registration, or via My Account on the CRA website.