The Canada Child Benefit payment for April 2026 will be deposited on Friday, April 17, 2026. If you're set up for direct deposit through CRA My Account, expect it in your bank account that morning. Cheque recipients — you're looking at April 17 plus a few business days for mail delivery, depending on Canada Post timelines in your region.

Background: How the CCB Works

The Canada Child Benefit launched in 2016 as a consolidation of the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the Universal Child Care Benefit. It's paid monthly, tax-free, and adjusted annually based on inflation and your family's income. Unlike the older programs it replaced, the CCB is fully income-tested — higher-earning families receive less, and it phases out completely at incomes above approximately $215,000 for one child (more for additional children).

The benefit year runs from July to June. Each July, the CRA recalculates your monthly payment based on the previous year's tax return. That's why filing your 2025 return before the April 30 deadline matters: if you don't file, your CCB payments stop in July until you do.

2025–2026 CCB Maximum Amounts

The current CCB benefit year runs from July 2025 to June 2026. Maximum annual amounts for this period, based on your 2024 tax return:

These amounts phase out starting at $36,502 of adjusted family net income (AFNI). The reduction is 7% on the first child for income between $36,502 and $79,087, then 3.2% above that. For two or more kids, the reduction rates are higher — 13.5% and 5.7% respectively.

Worked Example: Two Kids in Manitoba

A Winnipeg family with two children (ages 4 and 8) and an AFNI of $55,000:

That's the family's expected April 17 deposit: roughly $988 hitting their bank account that Friday morning.

Remaining 2026 Payment Dates

After April, the remaining CCB payment dates for the current benefit year are:

• May 20, 2026
• June 19, 2026

The new benefit year (July 2026 – June 2027) starts on July 20, 2026, and amounts will be recalculated based on your 2025 tax return. If you haven't filed yet, do it before the end of April — the CRA can't calculate your new CCB amount without it.

Payment Not Showing Up?

If your April 17 deposit doesn't arrive, check three things: (1) your direct deposit info is current in CRA My Account, (2) you filed your 2024 tax return (both spouses must file), and (3) your child's information — shared custody arrangements especially trip up recalculations. If everything looks right and it's been 5 business days past the payment date, call the CRA benefits line at 1-800-387-1193.

Two common scenarios where the payment goes off-track:

• Recently moved provinces. Provincial top-ups (Ontario Child Benefit, BC Family Benefit, etc.) recalculate when your address changes. The CCB itself stays consistent, but the combined payment amount may shift.
• Recently separated or reconciled. Marital status changes must be reported within one month. The CRA recalculates based on a single-parent income test, which usually increases the payment.

Provincial Top-Ups

Most provinces add a complementary child benefit on top of the federal CCB, paid through the same CRA deposit. Examples:

• Ontario Child Benefit: up to $1,680/year per child, fully phased out around $25,500 of family net income.
• BC Family Benefit: up to $2,188/year for the first child.
• Alberta Child & Family Benefit: up to $1,469/year per child for the first four children.
• Quebec Family Allowance: separate from CCB, paid by Retraite Québec, with its own application.

Here in Manitoba, the CCB is tax-free and doesn't affect your provincial income-tested benefits like Rent Assist. In Quebec, families receive the CCB alongside the separate provincial family allowance — make sure you're not confusing the two.

What To Do Now

Use our CCB calculator to estimate your monthly amount based on your income and number of children. If your income changed significantly in 2025 — new job, parental leave, separation — your July recalculation might surprise you. Better to know now than find out on payment day. See all upcoming dates on our CCB payment schedule.

Source: Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Child Benefit (canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits).