Canada Child Benefit payments for October will be issued next week

The Canada Revenue Agency will issue the next monthly Canada Child Benefit payment on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. The tax-free payment is intended to help eligible families with the costs of raising children under 18 years old. Payments are delivered via direct deposit or cheque, depending on the recipient's preferred payment method. Some families can receive up to $573 or $679 per child, depending on the child's age.

The amount each family receives is based on the number of children, their ages, and the family's adjusted net income. Payments are issued at the maximum amount if the family's adjusted net income for 2025 is less than $38,237. For incomes above that threshold and up to $82,847, the benefit is reduced by a percentage of the income exceeding $38,237, with the percentage varying by the number of eligible children. If a family's income exceeds $82,847, the benefit is reduced by a fixed amount plus an additional percentage of income above that level. The fixed amount and percentage are also based on the number of eligible children. In shared custody situations, each parent receives 50 percent of the benefit they would have received if they had full custody, calculated based on their own adjusted family net income.

Eligibility for the benefit requires that the applicant lives with and cares for a child under 18, is a resident of Canada for tax purposes, and that they or their spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person, temporary resident, or an individual registered under the Indian Act. The benefit cannot be claimed for a foster child who already receives the Children's Special Allowance. Parents and caregivers are not automatically enrolled and must apply for the benefit. The Canada Revenue Agency advises applying as soon as the eligibility criteria are met, which can be done through a provincial or territorial birth registration or via the online CRA My Account service. The benefit can also include amounts for the child disability benefit and related provincial and territorial programs. If you have direct deposit set up with the CRA, you'll receive the CCB payment as a direct deposit into your bank account. If you haven't signed up for direct deposit, you'll get the payment as a cheque delivered to your mailbox.

With files from Narcity