Aug 13, 2026
Follow us on Google for more Money.ca news
Add us on GoogleAs of July 3, 2026, the GST/HST credit has a new name: the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). The rebrand comes with an increase — quarterly payments are now roughly 25% higher than they were a year ago, and that increase is built into the program for the next five years.
For households living on a fixed or modest income, the extra money will arrive automatically, with no special steps to take beyond filing your annual tax return. Here’s what changed, how much more you could receive and what to check if your payment doesn’t look right.
What changed under the new name
The CGEB follows the same eligibility rules, uses the same income test and arrives on the same quarterly payment schedule as the former GST/HST credit.
Thanks for subscribing!
The best of Money.ca delivered weekly.
By signing up, you accept Money.ca Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.
However, the payment amount has increased. For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, which is based on your 2025 tax return, eligible Canadians can receive up to $679 for a single individual, $890 for a couple or common-law partners and $234 for each eligible child under 19. A year earlier, the maximum amounts were $533, $698 and $184, respectively.
Take control of your money. You can’t control inflation, interest rates or market swings — but you can control where your money goes. When every dollar has a job, money feels less stressful. Find the budgeting app that helps you take control of your finances. Compare Canada’s Best Budgeting Apps
Advertisement
Must Read
- Are you paying too much for car insurance? Here are 3 clever ways to slash your monthly bill
- Here are 5 'must-haves' that Canadians constantly overpay for. How many of these are sabotaging your budget every single month?
- Here are the 5 biggest differences between rich and poor Canadians — which side do you fall on?
Join 19,000+ readers and get Money.ca’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
How much more a real household gets
Take a couple with two children under 19 who qualify for the maximum amount. Under the old GST/HST credit, they would have received $1,066 a year, or about $267 every quarter.
Under the new CGEB, that same family now qualifies for $1,358 annually, or roughly $340 every three months. That’s an extra $292 over the course of the year. A single Canadian receiving the maximum benefit also sees a noticeable increase, with annual payments rising from $533 to $679, or $37 more every quarter.
Do you need to do anything?
For most people, the answer is no. The CRA automatically determines your eligibility based on your filed tax return, just as it did with the GST/HST credit. If you’re already receiving the benefit and your income and family situation haven’t changed, the higher payment should arrive automatically.
However, there is one exception. The CRA calculates each July payment using your previous year’s tax return. So, if you haven’t yet filed your 2025 tax return, it can’t calculate or pay your new benefit amount, even if you otherwise qualify.
The good news is that filing late doesn’t mean that you’ll forfeit the money. Once the CRA assesses your return, it will issue any retroactive payments you’re owed. It just means you’ll have to wait longer to receive the higher benefit.
Don’t confuse this with the one-time top-up
Many Canadians were confused by the changes. This may have been due to a separate one-time payment the CRA issued on June 5, 2026, which was worth 50% of a household’s 2025-26 GST/HST credit and was intended to bridge the gap before the new benefit took effect in July.
The CRA also says some banking apps may still display the deposit as “GST/HST credit” instead of CGEB. That’s simply a delay in how some financial institutions label the payment, not an indication that anything is wrong.
You also want to watch out for scams. Fraudsters often take advantage of government payment changes, but the CRA will never ask you by email or text to click a link or provide personal information to receive this benefit.
Ultimately, this is the same tax-free quarterly payment Canadians have received for years; it’s just larger than before. If your July payment didn’t increase, the first thing to check is whether your 2025 tax return has been filed before assuming there’s been a mistake.
You May Also Like
- This 7-step plan from Dave Ramsey is designed to help you ditch debt, save more and build wealth — here’s how it works
- Prioritize these 4 critical investments and watch your net worth skyrocket
- Here are 8 solid money moves that could free up real cash every month — here's where to start
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
The most expensive financial mistakes are often the ones you don't see coming. Join 19,000+ Canadians who get the money moves, risks and opportunities shaping their finances — delivered free each week. Subscribe now.
Colin Graves is a Winnipeg-based financial writer and editor whose work has been featured in publications such as Time, MoneySense, MapleMoney, Retire Happy, The College Investor, and more. Before becoming a full-time writer, Colin was a bank manager for over 15 years.
