The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment to help parents cover the cost of raising children. Each July, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recalculates how much eligible Canadian families will receive in CCB payments, based on your adjusted family net income from the previous year (for the 2025–2026 benefit year, that’s 2024). The CCB is also indexed to inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) data.
“Families can now receive up to $7,997 per child under the age of 6 and $6,748 per child aged 6 through 17. This represents approximately a $200 increase from the previous year and will help parents manage everyday expenses like groceries, clothing or child care, providing added support as they raise their children,” Environment and Climate Change Canada announced on July 18, 2025.
What are the CCB payment dates for 2025?
January 20, 2025February 20, 2025March 20, 2025April 17, 2025May 20, 2025June 20, 2025July 18, 2025- August 20, 2025
- September 19, 2025
- October 20, 2025
- November 20, 2025
- December 12, 2025
If you don’t receive a payment on the dates above, wait five business days before you contact the CRA for assistance, according to its website. But do follow up: “A parent who may have been entitled to the CCB but was not registered may still be in luck,” says Heath. “You can request retroactive payment of the benefit going back up to 10 years.”
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What is the CCB?
The Canada Child Benefit is a non-taxable monthly payment the CRA sends to eligible families with kids under age 18. It’s intended to help low-income and middle-income families cover child-rearing expenses. The CCB was introduced in 2016, and it has been indexed to inflation since 2018.
CCB payments may include the Child Disability Benefit (CDB), and some provinces and territories offer additional assistance (for example, the Ontario Child Benefit, or OCB).
“The Canada Child Benefit is meant to indirectly help cover the costs of raising a family for parents whose incomes are below the applicable thresholds,” says Jason Heath, Certified Financial Planner at Objective Financial Partners Inc. in Toronto, and MoneySense columnist. “The more kids you have, the higher your benefit entitlement, and the higher the income means-testing limit will be for you. Best of all, it is a tax-free benefit, so you do not report the income on your tax return.”
How much is the Canada Child Benefit?
For the period of July 2025 to June 2026, the maximum annual benefit per child under age 6 is $7,997 ($666.41 per month), and the maximum annual benefit for children aged 6 to 17 is $6,748 ($562.33 per month).
The total amount you’ll get for CCB payments depends on:
- The number of eligible children in your care
- Your children’s ages (kids under age 6 receive the CCB young child supplement)
- Your adjusted family net income
- Whether your children are eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC) (for the period of July 2025 to June 2026, families could receive up to $3,411 ($284.25 per month) for each child who is eligible for the DTC)
If your adjusted family net income in 2024 was below $37,487, you will get the maximum amount for each child. Above $37,487, CCB payments gradually decrease with higher adjusted family net incomes. See sample calculations on the CRA website, and use the CRA’s CCB calculator to figure out how much you can receive.
If you share custody of a child, you get 50% of what you would have received if you had full custody. The payment amount is based on your adjusted family net income.
Who can apply for the CCB? Who’s eligible?
To apply for CCB payments, you must live with and be primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of at least one child under 18. You must also be a resident of Canada for tax purposes. In addition, you or your spouse or common-law partner must be any of the following:
- a Canadian citizen
- a permanent resident
- a protected person
- a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months and has a valid permit in the 19th month other than one that states “does not confer status” or “does not confer temporary resident status”
- an individual who is registered, or entitled to be registered, under the Indian Act
Read more about eligibility for the CCB.
What’s new for the CCB in 2025?
There is one major change to the Canada Child Benefit in 2025. Previously, if a family were receiving the Canada Child Benefit and the child died, the CCB recipient (parent or guardian) would stop receiving the benefit the following month. As of January 2025, CCB payments (as well as the Child Disability Benefit, or CDB) will continue for six months after the child’s death, if the recipient still qualifies. The additional payments are meant to provide financial support and help cover the costs of a funeral.
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More about family finances:
- The best credit cards for families
- Alberta Child and Family Benefit payment dates
- The benefits and flexibility of family RESPs
- RESPs 101: The RESP withdrawal rules
- How to leave money to your grandkids
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