12 million Canadians to receive one

Millions of Canadians will receive a top-up payment of as much as $717 from the federal government directly into their bank accounts this week.

The top-up is part of the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, formerly known as the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit, and is equal to 50 per cent of the annual value of the GST/HST Credit from July 2025 to June 2026.

The federal government said the new benefit will provide relief to more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians by helping them afford day-to-day essentials. Eligible individuals will receive the payment on Friday, June 5.

According to the Department of Finance, Bill C-19, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act, will deliver $3.1 billion in immediate assistance through the top-up.

Anyone who received the January 2026 GST/HST credit — or was eligible for it — will automatically receive the one-time payment into their bank account, as long as they have a direct deposit set up with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If not, they will receive a cheque in the mail.

The Department of Finance also outlined how much eligible Canadians can expect to receive.

A single individual with no children will receive a one-time top-up of up to $267, while those who are married or have a common-law partner could get a maximum payment of up to $349.

Those eligible with children will receive up to $441 if they have one child, $533 with two children, $625 with three children, or up to $717 with four children.

Those who have shared custody of a child will get half of the amount they would have received if they had full custody of the child.

Meanwhile, Bill C-19 also increases the value of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit by 25 per cent for five years, starting in July 2026 — a change the government says will deliver $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period, including to 500,000 additional individuals and families.

However, while eligibility for this week’s top-up is determined by 2024 tax returns, the increased quarterly payments are based on 2025 returns.

This year’s upcoming quarterly payment dates are July 3 and October 5.

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