What is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, and did it replace the GST/HST credit?
If you were waiting for the GST/HST credit and found a different name on the CRA site, you did not miss anything. The credit was renamed, and the amounts went up.
Who qualifies
According to the CRA, you must be a Canadian resident for tax purposes, be at least 19 (or have a spouse or common-law partner, or be a parent living with your child), and have filed your tax return. Your adjusted family net income must also be under a limit. For the 2025 base year the CRA lists $60,012 for a single person with no children and $64,232 for a couple with no children.
You do not apply separately. The CRA works out your payment from your return. If you are eligible, it sends a notice with your yearly amount and payment schedule.
How much you can get
These are the CRA's maximums for payments from July 2026 to June 2027, based on your 2025 return.
| Who | Math | Maximum per year |
|---|---|---|
| Single person, no children | $445 + $234 | $679 |
| Couple, no children | $445 + $445 | $890 |
| Couple with 2 children | $890 + (2 x $234) | $1,358 |
| Paid in 4 payments, couple with 2 children | $1,358 / 4 | $339.50 each |
Those are the most you can receive. Once income rises past the CRA's phase-out threshold (listed as $46,432 for the 2025 base year), the amount shrinks. The payments are not taxable, so you do not report them as income.
When it is paid
The benefit is paid quarterly. The CRA lists payments on July 3, 2026 and October 5, 2026, and the later dates for this period are on the CRA's payment dates page. For the broader calendar, see our guide to Canadian benefit payment dates.
Because the amount is recalculated every July from the previous year's return, the return you file in spring decides the payments you get from the following summer. Filing late does not usually cancel what you are owed, since the CRA says retroactive amounts from a late return are paid as a lump sum or with the next quarterly payment, but filing on time keeps the money arriving on schedule.
What can change your amount
The CRA says your payment can change if your return is reassessed, your marital status changes, the number of eligible children changes, or a child turns 19. Tell the CRA about life changes so your payments stay correct.
The step that matters most
Filing your return is how the CRA knows to pay you, even with little or no income. If you skipped it, read do I need to file taxes with low income. And if the benefit is helping you cover bills, a quick money leak check can show where else cash is slipping out.
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