Millions of low- and modest-income Canadians are due a deposit from Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 5, when the Canada Revenue Agency sends out the second quarterly payment of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), the tax-free credit that replaced the GST/HST credit in July.
The payment is automatic for anyone who filed a 2025 tax return and qualifies, according to the CRA. There is no separate application. If you received the old GST/HST credit and your income and family situation have not changed much, the agency says you are likely eligible for the new benefit because the criteria are the same.
For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, the CRA lists annual maximums of $679 for a single person, $890 for a married or common-law couple and $234 for each eligible child under 19. That money is split into four quarterly instalments, so Monday’s deposit is roughly a quarter of the yearly total.
Global News, citing CRA calculations, gave several examples of what this quarter looks like in practice. A single person with no children and an income of $11,564 would get $111.25. A single person earning $55,000 would get $62.65. A single parent with two children and an income of $45,000 or less would get $339.50, and a married couple with no children and a combined income of $46,432 or less would get $222.50.
The benefit shrinks as income rises and stops entirely above set thresholds. Global News reported the cut-off for single people ranges from $60,012 to $82,952, and for couples from $64,232 to $82,952, depending on the number of children. You must also be a Canadian resident for tax purposes and generally at least 19, unless you have, or had, a spouse or a child.
What changed from the old credit is the size of the payment. The federal Finance Department said in January that quarterly amounts would be about 25 per cent higher than the GST/HST credit for five years, from 2026 to 2031. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated the program could cost Ottawa $12.4 billion over six years, Global News reported.
For low-income renters and workers, the timing matters. The deposit lands a week before the Thanksgiving long weekend, when many households do one of their biggest grocery runs of the fall. A $111 quarterly payment will not close the gap on a full grocery bill, but it is real money for a household watching every line on a receipt.
There are a few practical steps worth taking now. Sign in to your CRA My Account and open the “Benefits and credits” section to see your exact amount and payment status. Make sure your direct deposit details and address are current, since paper cheques take longer. If nothing has arrived, the CRA asks people to wait 10 business days after the expected payment date before calling.
If you have not filed your 2025 tax return, you will not get the CGEB, even if your income is very low. Eligibility is based on the information in your return, so filing late is the way to start the payments. That is especially relevant for students, newcomers and gig workers, who sometimes skip filing because they owe nothing.
Because the benefit is paid quarterly, the next deposit after Monday is due in January, with amounts recalculated again next July based on 2026 tax returns.
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Sources: via Global News; Canada Revenue Agency; Finance Canada. Featured image: file photo of a grocery store aisle (Unsplash), not taken in connection with this story.
