Canada Child Benefit (CCB) Payment Dates 2026

All 2026 CCB payment dates

Most months the CCB arrives on the 20th. When the 20th falls on a weekend, the payment is issued on the Friday before — that is why June 2026 was paid on June 19 and September on September 18. December is always earlier in the month.

The CRA had not published 2027 dates as of October 13, 2026. They will appear here as soon as they are released.

How the Canada child benefit works

The CCB is a tax-free monthly payment to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18. You don't pay tax on it and you don't report it as income on your return.

The amount is recalculated every July. It is based on your adjusted family net income from the previous tax year and on the number and ages of your children. So the payments from July 2026 to June 2027 are based on your 2025 tax return, and the payments starting in July 2027 will be based on your 2026 return.

The CRA's online child and family benefits calculator gives an estimate for your situation. This page does not quote amounts, because they depend on income, the number of children and their ages, and they change every July.

Who can get the CCB

In general, you can receive the Canada child benefit if you:

• live with a child under 18 and are primarily responsible for the child's care and upbringing,
• are a resident of Canada for tax purposes, and
• you or your spouse or common-law partner meet the citizenship or immigration status rules set by the CRA.

When custody is shared roughly equally, each parent receives 50% of the amount they would get if the child lived with them full time.

The single most common reason payments stop is an unfiled tax return. To keep receiving the CCB, you and your spouse or common-law partner each need to file a return every year, even if one of you had no income.

Provincial child benefits paid with the CCB

The CRA also runs child benefits for several provinces and territories. These are added to the CCB and arrive in the same deposit, so you won't see a separate payment — for example, the Ontario Child Benefit and the BC Family Benefit. Quebec's family allowance is different: Retraite Québec pays it separately on its own schedule.

The child disability benefit, for families caring for a child who is eligible for the disability tax credit, is also paid together with the CCB.

The Alberta child and family benefit is the exception that confuses many families: it is run by the CRA but paid quarterly on its own dates (in 2026: February 27, May 27, August 27 and November 27), not with the monthly CCB.

If your CCB payment is late

1. Wait five working days after the payment date. Deposits can take a few business days to appear.
2. Sign in to CRA My Account and check that the payment is shown as issued, and that your direct deposit details, address and marital status are up to date.
3. Check your tax filing. If either partner's return for last year hasn't been assessed, payments can be held.
4. Contact the CRA if the payment still hasn't arrived after five working days.

Changes you need to report

Your CCB is based on information the CRA already has. Tell the CRA promptly when something changes, or you may be paid the wrong amount and have to repay it later:

• a birth or a child coming to live with you (you apply for the CCB at that point),
• a change in marital status, including separation,
• a change in custody or who the child lives with,
• a move to another province or territory, or leaving Canada,
• new direct deposit details or a new address.

Newcomers to Canada usually need to apply for the CCB, as the CRA does not yet have their tax information.