Claiming the Canada Child Benefit

Looking for financial help raising your kids? The Canadian government offers the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) to eligible families. This summary explains the program in simpler terms.

What is the CCB?

The CCB is a non-taxable monthly payment to help Canadian residents with the costs of raising children under 18. It replaced the old Family Allowance program in 1993.

Two Types of Benefits:

• Basic CCB: Available for all eligible children under 18.
• Child Disability Benefit (CDB): Extra support for families with children who have a severe and prolonged disability (qualify for the federal disability tax credit).

Benefit Amounts (2024-25):

• Basic CCB:

  • Up to $7,787 per year ($648.91 per month) for children under 6.
  • Up to $6,570 per year ($547.50 per month) for children aged 6 to 17.

• CDB: Up to $3,322 per year ($276.83 per month) per child with a disability tax credit.

Eligibility:

• You must be a resident of Canada with children under 18 living with you.
• The amount you receive depends on your family net income for the previous tax year (2023 for the 2024-25 benefit year).
  • Higher income means lower benefits.

How to Apply and Get Paid:

• You need to apply for the CCB/CDB, even if you get other benefits.
• File your annual tax return to keep receiving payments.
• Payments are made around the 20th of each month, not automatically.
• Use the online calculator to estimate your benefit amount: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/child-family-benefits-calculator.html  

Additional Points:

• CCB/CDB are paid monthly, unlike most tax benefits (quarterly).
• Some provinces/territories offer additional child benefits on top of the CCB.
• Find more information and provincial details here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html  

Who can apply for the CCB?

In addition to the criteria mentioned earlier, you can also apply for the CCB if you have a child who is 18 years old or older and still attending full-time secondary school. There are also benefits available for families with children who have a disability.

How to apply for the CCB?

To apply for the CCB, you will need to provide some basic information including your Social Insurance Number (SIN), marital status, date of birth for each child, and net income information for yourself and your spouse from the previous tax year. You can apply for the CCB online or by mail. Applying online allows you to get an immediate estimate of your monthly benefit amount.

Other helpful resources

For more information on the CCB, you can visit the Canada Revenue Agency website or call 1-800-959-8287. The website also has information on provincial and territorial programs that may be available to you on top of the CCB.

The information presented is only of a general nature, may omit many details and special rules, is current only as of its published date, and accordingly cannot be regarded as legal or tax advice. Please contact our office for more information on this subject and how it pertains to your specific tax or financial situation.

Finally, many (although not all) Canadian provinces and territories provide a benefit to families with children living in that province or territory, which is additional to any available federal CCB which a family can claim. Detailed information on both the federal and provincial/territorial child and family benefit programs can be found on the federal government website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html.