Do you have a child in Canada? On top of Quebec's Family Allowance, there is a separate federal benefit: the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), a tax-free monthly payment from the Canada Revenue Agency to families with a child under 18. Starting with the July 2026 payment, the amounts go up.
Every July, the CCB is recalculated and indexed — adjusted to the cost of living. For the benefit year now beginning, the federal government announced an increase: the maximum rises to $8,157 per year for each child under 6 and $6,883 for each child aged 6 to 17, according to the July 20, 2026 Employment and Social Development Canada news release. That's up to $160 more per young child and $135 more per older child than a year ago.
The amount YOU get depends on your income. A family with an adjusted family net income below $38,237 receives the maximum for each child. Above that threshold, the benefit is gradually reduced, as the CRA's How much you can get page explains. Two neighbouring families almost never get the same sum — that's normal.
If your child qualifies for the disability tax credit, a supplement is added automatically: the child disability benefit can reach $3,480 per year ($290 per month) for July 2026 to June 2027. You make no separate application — the CRA adds it to your CCB payment.
The one thing not to forget: file your tax return. This is where many newcomers slip. The CCB is recalculated from your previous year's income: the July 2026 payment is based on your 2025 return. If you — and your spouse — don't file every year, payments can be reduced or stopped, even when you're entitled to them. Filing is required even if you had no income.
Good to know for newcomers: the CCB is not automatic when you arrive — unlike Quebec's Family Allowance, which a birth often triggers on its own. As a newly arrived resident, you usually must make a first application to the Canada Revenue Agency, then simply file your returns each spring so the payments continue. Do it early: it can be worth several hundred dollars a month to your household.
