Verdict: The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit 2026 is the GST/HST credit with a new name, bigger amounts, and a next payment date of January 5, 2027. In July 2026 it became the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, or CGEB, with amounts raised by 25 percent. For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, the maximum is $679 a year for a single person, $890 for a couple, and $234 for each child under 19, paid in four quarterly instalments. The higher amounts stay in place for five years, through 2031.
What changed and why it matters: The old GST/HST credit had been frozen in shape for years. The CGEB keeps the same machinery — the Canada Revenue Agency runs it, there is no separate application, and your tax return decides everything — but the numbers are bigger and the name finally says what the money is for. The benefit year runs July to June, and your amount is based on your adjusted family net income from the previous tax year. For this benefit year, that means your 2025 return. The $679 single figure includes a $234 single supplement that phases in above $11,564 of income, so not every single person gets the full amount — the CRA’s own table shows the maximum applying at family net incomes roughly between $25,000 and $45,000 for a single person with no children.
The payment calendar: Quarterly payments land on the 5th of January, April, July and October, or the last business day before if the 5th falls on a weekend or holiday. The first CGEB payment went out July 3, 2026, the second on October 5, 2026, and the next two are January 5, 2027 and April 5, 2027. A one-time top-up worth 50 percent of your 2025–26 entitlement was paid on June 5, 2026, before the new benefit started. That was a one-off — do not expect it again. If your quarterly amount works out to less than $50, the CRA pays it as a single lump sum in July instead of splitting it four ways.
Who gets it and what to do: You qualify if you are a Canadian resident for tax purposes, aged 19 or older (or a parent, or living with a spouse or common-law partner), with low or modest income. You do not apply. Filing your tax return every year — even if you had no income — is the application. If you are married or common-law, both partners need a Social Insurance Number and the CRA uses your combined income. New residents file Form RC151. The most common reason people miss the payment is not filing a return, followed by an out-of-date address or bank account in CRA My Account. Check both before January. And watch for the scam version: texts about a “$2,000 CRA payment” are false, and the CRA never starts a conversation by text or asks for banking details by message — our fact-check on that claim is here: CRA $2,000 fact-check.
FAQ: Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit 2026
What is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit? The renamed GST/HST credit, paying up to $679 a year for a single person from July 2026, in quarterly instalments.
When is the next CGEB payment? January 5, 2027, then April 5, 2027.
Do I need to apply for the CGEB? No. Filing your annual tax return is the application.
How much is the CGEB for a couple? Up to $890 a year, plus $234 per child under 19.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency, Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (canada.ca). Checked: November 5, 2026.