New Canada support payment begins today
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The Canada Revenue Agency begins issuing a one-time top-up payment today, Friday, June 5, 2026, to eligible GST/HST credit recipients. The payment is part of the transition to the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which will replace the GST/HST credit in July 2026. The federal government says the measure is intended to support more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians facing the rising cost of groceries and everyday essentials.
Most eligible people do not need to apply. According to the CRA, the payment will go to people who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit in January 2026 and who filed their 2024 tax return. Anyone who has not yet filed a 2024 return must do so before the CRA can assess eligibility and issue any amount owed.
The one-time payment is equal to 50% of a recipient’s total annual GST/HST credit amount for the July 2025 to June 2026 benefit year. It does not include related provincial or territorial benefit amounts. For example, if someone’s annual GST/HST credit amount was $400, the one-time top-up would be $200.
The maximum one-time amount could reach $267 for a single person with no children, $349 for a couple with no children, and up to $717 for families with four children, depending on income and family situation in January 2026.
The CRA says the payment may still appear as the GST/HST credit on bank statements or CRA notices while financial institutions update their systems. People registered for direct deposit will receive the payment in their bank accounts, while others will receive a cheque by mail.
The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit officially starts in July 2026. Quarterly payments will increase by 25% for five years, while eligibility and payment calculations will remain similar to the current GST/HST credit. The next scheduled payment dates are July 3 and October 5, 2026.
The federal government is also warning Canadians about online misinformation claiming there is a new $2,000 federal relief payment by direct deposit. Officials say there is no such new payment and encourage people to verify benefit information through official Government of Canada pages or their CRA account.
