On June 5, roughly 12 million Canadians will receive a lump-sum deposit from the CRA. No application, no form — it just lands.

That's the one-time top-up payment under the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). If you were eligible for the GST/HST credit in January 2026, it's coming to you. Here's exactly how much, when, and what happens after.

What the CGEB is — and what it replaced

The CGEB formally replaces the GST/HST credit starting in the 2026–2027 benefit year. The old credit is gone; the CGEB takes its place, with the same eligibility rules and payment schedule — but meaningfully higher amounts.

Bill C-19 received Royal Assent on February 12, 2026, making the change official. If you already receive the GST/HST credit, you're automatically enrolled. Nothing changes on your end except the name on your bank statement and the size of the deposit.

The program has two parts:

1. A one-time top-up arriving June 5, 2026
2. Ongoing quarterly payments starting July 2026, 25% higher than your previous GST credit amount

The June 5 payment: how much to expect

The one-time top-up equals 50% of your total annual GST/HST credit for the 2025–2026 benefit year. If your annual credit was $400, your June 5 deposit will be $200. If it was $800, expect $400.

Maximum amounts for 2026, including the top-up:

• Single person, no children: up to $950 in the 2026–27 benefit year
• Family of four (two adults, two children under 19): up to $1,890
• Average one-time payment across all recipients: approximately $252, per the Parliamentary Budget Officer

The benefit phases out with income — the more you earn, the smaller the payment, until it disappears entirely. Your exact amount depends on your net income and family situation from your 2024 tax return (for the top-up) and your 2025 return (for the July 2026 payments onward).

If you haven't filed your 2025 return yet

This is the most important thing in this post.

Your July 2026 quarterly payment — and every payment after — will be calculated from your 2025 tax return. If you haven't filed, the CRA can't calculate your entitlement and won't issue payments on time.

The June 5 one-time top-up uses your 2024 return. If that one's done, you're covered for June. But July is a different calculation.

File your 2025 return now. NETFILE is open. If your income is low or you're unsure, the CRA's free File My Return service handles straightforward returns by phone (1-800-959-1110), and Community Volunteer Income Tax Program clinics file for free in person.

Filing late can also delay or shrink your payment — see our guide on what happens when you miss the tax deadline.

After June 5: what quarterly payments look like

Starting July 2026, your regular CGEB payments arrive on the same schedule as the old GST credit: July, October, January, and April. The amounts are 25% higher than what you were receiving before.

For the five-year period from 2026 to 2031, the 25% increase is locked in by legislation. After 2031, the benefit reverts to standard indexation. The first quarterly payment date in 2026 is July 3.

How the provinces factor in

The CGEB is a federal benefit. It offsets the GST — the 5% federal sales tax — and is calculated the same way for residents of every province except one: Quebec.

Quebec residents pay the federal GST plus the provincial QST (9.975%). The CGEB only offsets the federal GST portion. Quebec has its own provincial program — the crédit d'impôt pour solidarité — which covers the QST and housing costs separately. If you live in Quebec, you're eligible for both; they're calculated and paid independently.

For residents of every other province, the CGEB is the same program with the same rules. The amount you receive doesn't differ based on whether you live in Ontario, BC, or Nova Scotia — it's determined by your income and family size, not your province.

One gap to flag: Canadians in higher-cost northern communities (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut) receive the same base amounts as southern residents, despite facing meaningfully higher grocery costs. There's no announced fix for 2026.

Who doesn't get it (and how to fix that)

The CGEB is automatically determined — you don't apply. But "automatically" only works if you've filed a return. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has noted that roughly 10–12% of low-income Canadians who would qualify for the GST credit don't file taxes and never claim it.

Groups most at risk of missing the payment:

• Seniors receiving only OAS/GIS who assume they don't need to file (you do — and the benefit is stackable with OAS/GIS, it doesn't reduce those payments)
• New residents who arrived in Canada in 2025 — may need to apply using Form RC151 rather than waiting for an automatic determination
• Young adults who've never filed because they had no income — zero income still qualifies if you're 19 or older

If you fall into one of these groups, a single phone call or a Community Volunteer Tax clinic visit this month could mean $200–$950 in your account.

Sources

• CRA — GST/HST credit and CGEB
• Government of Canada — Backgrounder, January 26, 2026