Canada Child Benefit Amounts: 2026–27 Rates and Payment Dates

What are the current CCB maximum amounts?

CRA sets CCB amounts for a benefit year running from July through the following June. For July 2026 to June 2027, using 2025 family income, the maximums are:

• Under 6: $8,157 a year, or $679.75 a month.
• Ages 6 to 17: $6,883 a year, or $573.58 a month.

CCB is tax-free; you do not report the payment as income on your tax return.

These amounts apply when your adjusted family net income is below $38,237. Above that level, CRA reduces the family’s combined maximum. A child who turns 6 moves to the older-child rate in the month after their birthday month. A child who turns 18 receives their last CCB payment for their birthday month, if otherwise eligible. CRA explains these timing examples on its CCB amount page.

Which income does CRA use?

Adjusted family net income, or AFNI, starts with the net income on line 23600 of your tax return and your spouse or common-law partner’s return, if you have one. CRA then makes specific adjustments for Universal Child Care Benefit and registered disability savings plan amounts received or repaid. It is not simply your salary or your household’s gross income.

For payments from July 2026 through June 2027, CRA uses 2025 tax information. It recalculates the benefit each July using the previous year’s return. A change in your 2026 income does not automatically replace the 2025 income basis during this benefit year. If your marital status, number of eligible children or custody arrangement changes, tell CRA so it can use the correct information.

How does the income reduction work?

The maximum is not reduced when AFNI is $38,237 or less. Between $38,237 and $82,847, CRA applies a percentage to the income above $38,237. Once AFNI is above $82,847, a second calculation applies. The percentages depend on the number of eligible children, not on whether they are under or over 6.

For AFNI above $38,237 and up to $82,847, the reduction is based on income above $38,237:

• One child: 7%.
• Two children: 13.5%.
• Three children: 19%.
• Four or more children: 23%.

For AFNI above $82,847, CRA uses a base reduction plus a percentage of income above $82,847:

• One child: $3,123 plus 3.2%.
• Two children: $6,022 plus 5.7%.
• Three children: $8,476 plus 8%.
• Four or more children: $10,260 plus 9.5%.

The reduction is taken from the combined maximum for your eligible children. If the calculation reduces that maximum to zero, there is no CCB payable for that period. CRA’s worked calculations show the full method for each family size; your CCB notice shows what CRA used for your file.

A simple example

Suppose one eligible child is 4 years old and the family’s 2025 AFNI is $60,000. This is an illustration, not an eligibility decision.

• Maximum for one child under 6 in the July 2026–June 2027 year: $8,157.
• Income above the first threshold: $60,000 minus $38,237 = $21,763.
• One-child reduction: 7% of $21,763 = $1,523.41.
• Illustrative annual CCB: $8,157 minus $1,523.41 = $6,633.59, or about $552.80 a month.

The example assumes full custody, a full year of eligibility and no changes to the child’s age or family circumstances. CRA determines the actual amount. If you share custody, each eligible parent receives 50% of the amount they would receive with full custody, calculated using their own AFNI; it is not necessarily half of one shared household payment.

When are the 2026 CCB payment dates?

CRA publishes the dates rather than asking you to infer them from a general “20th of the month” rule. The official 2026 CCB calendar lists:

As checked on September 26, the remaining 2026 dates are October 20, November 20 and December 11. Use CRA’s live calendar for a later year. If an expected payment does not arrive, first check its status in your CRA account; CRA says to wait 5 business days after the expected date before contacting it when the reason is still unclear. Our missing CCB payment guide walks through those checks.

How do you keep payments from stopping?

You and your spouse or common-law partner, if you have one, need to file tax returns every year—even with no income—so CRA can recalculate the benefit. CRA says to file by April 30 to avoid a payment interruption. If a return is late, payments may stop temporarily; after CRA assesses it, any benefit amounts you are entitled to can be paid on a later scheduled payment date.

Keep your address, banking, marital-status and custody information current with CRA. A change can alter the amount or pause a payment while CRA updates the file. If your relationship status changed, follow the CRA marital-status update steps; do not wait until the next tax return.

What about the Child Disability Benefit?

The Child Disability Benefit is a separate payment for families who receive CCB for a child eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC). Its July 2026–June 2027 maximum is $3,480 a year ($290 monthly) per eligible child, and it begins to reduce above $82,847 AFNI. If you already receive CCB and your child is DTC-eligible, CRA says you do not need a separate Child Disability Benefit application; it calculates the payment automatically.

That is the child disability benefit, not the separate Canada Disability Benefit for eligible adults. CRA’s page explains the eligibility and the role of Form T2201 for DTC approval.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Mixing benefit years: $8,157, $6,883 and the $38,237 threshold apply to July 2026–June 2027. The previous July 2025–June 2026 amounts are not the current schedule.
• Guessing payment dates: CRA’s December 2026 payment is December 11, not the usual 20th.
• Using gross income instead of AFNI: CRA uses tax-return net income with specific adjustments.
• Forgetting a spouse’s return or a family change: Missing returns and outdated marital or custody information can interrupt or change payments.
• Assuming the maximum is guaranteed: Income, child age and custody can change what CRA pays.