Eligible Canadians will soon be receiving extra money from the federal government in the form of a topped-up GST payment before the program transitions into the grocery benefit next month.
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) was announced in January as a replacement for the GST/HST credit starting in July.
Prime Minister Mark Carney billed the measure as increased financial support to more than 12 million Canadians to help manage the costs of everyday essentials like groceries. It will be essentially the same format and principle as the GST payment, but will have quarterly payment amounts that are 25 per cent higher than the GST payment for five years.
Before it kicks off next month, those who qualify will be receiving an additional GST top-up payment starting on June 5.
Here’s what to know.
Who qualifies and how much could they get?
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says the additional top-up payment will be equal to 50 per cent of the total annual GST credit for the period from July 2025 to June 2026, provided those individuals or households were entitled to receive the payment sent out in January 2026.
For example, the CRA says if a person’s total annual GST credit in that period was $400, then their top-up payment will be an extra $200.
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That amount can vary, based on the number of children in a household as of January 2026, and the family or individual’s net income declared in their 2024 tax filing. The CRA adds that only those who filed their 2024 tax return will be entitled to the GST credit and their net incomes must fall below the maximum thresholds.
In addition, qualified persons must be at least 19 years old and be residents of Canada for tax purposes during the given year.
The CRA says to qualify for the GST payments, the maximum income for an individual with no children is $56,181 in the 2024 tax year and increases depending on how many children they have.
For example, with one child, that amount increases to $63,161, with two children it’s $66,841, with three it’s $70,521, and with four children it’s $74,201.
For married or common-law incomes to qualify for the GST payment, the total household net income must fall below $59,481 with no children, $63,161 with one child, $66,841 with two children, $70,521 with three and $74,201 with four children.
The CRA also says that those parents in a shared custody situation may be able to qualify for half the GST credit for the child or children.
Individuals who qualify could receive a top-up payment of up to $267 with no children, $441 with one child, $533 with two children, $625 with three and $717 with four children.
For those married or common-law individuals who qualify, each couple would receive a top-up payment of $349 with no children, $441 with one child, $533 with two children, $625 with three and $717 with four children. These are the amounts where, if someone has shared custody of a child, each parent will get half of the amount.
How to get your money
Payments will start going out to qualified households starting June 5, and the CRA says they will still be labelled as the GST/HST credit. Once financial institutions update their systems, then the new payments will be given a label that reflects the new grocery and essentials benefit program.
Those who are already signed up for direct deposit with the CRA will see the payments deposited into their bank accounts starting on June 5.
The CRA says paper cheques will still be mailed out to those who have not enrolled for direct deposit but urges Canadians to sign up for the service so as to receive these and other payments faster and more securely.
If Canadians do not receive the top-up payment, the CRA says there are several potential reasons.
This includes that they did not file their 2024 tax return, they were not eligible or entitled to the GST credit in January 2026, a spouse or common-law partner already received the extra payment on behalf of the family, or the payment was applied to an outstanding balance if those persons owe money to the CRA.
Only if you’re on welfare 🙄
haha suck it i got my rebate, seniors are wealthy and if you didn’t take advantage of the times you grew up in then it is your fault
Ben you’re an idiot ccp, oas pensions are not benefits there savings seniors paid into the system for 50 years of hard work.Don’t complain about seniors getting the money back they paid in you might be one oneday.
Agree with anonymous the grocery benefits are for the lazy and immigrants saw one new canadian boasting on facebook she got $700 in grocery benefits in the next post her and her family were at Disneyland .
Need I say anymore ?
Remember CERB payments…free money to stay home even if you didn’t have a job to stay home from.It was at this time food prices rose.
Anonymous
June 5, 2026 at 6:17 pm
Where’s my top up oh wait apparently I’m too rich the government says keep the handouts going for the lazies
Know what azzhole? There are folks who will actually need that top up. I dont discount then like mouthy jerkoffs do. What disgusting pos.
Will grocery prices increase now.
Ben…you dont get gis if you are rich….you are badly misinformed
The top up that the govt has passed out is more of an insult than a help
Where’s my top up oh wait apparently I’m too rich the government says keep the handouts going for the lazies
Why do people get paid a child cash benefit (ccb) in order to create the next gen. of social system benefactors? Should there not be a limit on how many kids someone has that qualify for the ccb after all its blatantly obvious they cannot afford to have kids. Then the gov. needlessly hands out more tax payer cash on top of another hand out to slow the bleeding for a month or 2. All hand outs should be in the form of direct shelter payments and nutritious food debit cards so as to eliminate the purchase of alcohol gaming,tobacco etc.
Most seniors are comparatively rich and enjoyed inexpensive housing and almost free university. On top of that, the sense of entitlement that wafts from some comments is nauseating. You “deserve” to be the richest cohort and you are entitled to have received inexpensive houses and education. Young folks aren’t getting these things. Entitled arrogance doesn’t look good.
@Ben Obviously you are not a senior. What is a senior …. It is one who has worked all their lives, paying taxes and fees to government, many of whom have served Canada in numerous ways, they have raised families, paid their school and municipal taxes, given of their time to volunteer to help kids and others, built not only businesses that employed Canadians, but also unions that ensure good wages and benefits for your generations, all of this while struggling to pay a mortgage, raise a family, and hold down one or more jobs. So don’t you DARE to vilify seniors you ingrate !!!
Only the most desperate will receive this one time gst top up. The Liberals have perfected their con very well. Give out as little money, to as few as possible, while making the most propaganda points as possible out of it, while laughing at the lowest income Canadians scrambling for the crumbs being tossed. It is indeed Carney’s “Let them eat cake.” strategy, and it works on most who are blinded by having their elbows up.
@Ben. Any pension I get I worked for 30 years to get and I don’t receive any other benefits or GST rebate. It’s easy to blame the seniors when you are young but before you realize it you will be seniors soon enough and know what it feels like to be blamed for the shortcomings of the government.
A LOAF OF BREAD HAS TO LAST ME 2 WEEKS. A POT OF JAM 2 MONTHS – or more
WE HAVE A BUCK PASSING GOVERNMENT – ER – IS THAT SOMETHING NEW?
.
AND THE GROCERY BARONS WILL UP THE PRICES ONCE AGAIN. SIMPLE DEDUCTION
The whining from some seniors, who are the richest demographic, and get CPP, OAS, GIS, and an age tax deduction, is rich. They would leave younger generations who are poor to starve in the street. It’s okay for THEM to receive benefits, but not younger people.
JV what has Trump got to do with this.
Well that was a big fat zero. Seniors living on a pension they worked hard for all their lives and get nothing yet others get every benefit going. Everything Carney and this Liberal government have done has done nothing to help seniors and to add insult to injury they are thinking of reducing the OAP.
The Libbie way. Instead of going after the grocery nabobs who are gouging us and actively lowering prices by removing taxes like other countries have done, these azzholes spend billions in hush money, hoping $40-$100 bucks will shut the people up. Go to hell Libbies. You are crooks and so out of touch with reality its very scary. No telling what the mutts will do!
So, what about the rest of us Carney you cheap f*ck? Gee I make a little money but grocery prices have affected my bottom line too! Once again the government shows its b*llshit side.
This is not equal or fair. If married couple make $59,50 they get 0 , but if individual makes less than $56,181, that person gets some money. Government seems to reward people that have children and already receive sometimes $800 per child. Nothing for Seniors or other hard working taxpayers
From a senior who worked and saved..you are welcome
we pay more GST in two days for food grocery shopping that that. most of us that work a minimal job don’t qualify for GST .. THATS NO GIFT Carney can shove that up his azz
@JV must have received his groceries benefit lol
Looks like the Liberal socialism government is right on track, giving away tips to cover up their dissaster governance! Classic!
New name same old policy from the LIEberals …. wow a whole 25% increase yet my cost of living is 100 percent of what I make!
They should have sunk the Komagatu Maru with all aboard in Burrard Inlet back in the day, Canada would have been better off, those towel wearing rag heads … they breed like rabbits and have ruined everything.
“I pay a lot of tax.” “I only got x $.” “I work and don’t get it.” The operative word some use here is “I.” This isn’t about you. The working poor get it as do others. That’s the point.
Both my wife and I have a combined net income below 55k and we get a $1 direct deposit into our account
Carney and the Liberals actually deliver. Unlike Trump and his $2000 tariff checks that never came
Agree with the benefit being cut off at a certain point. I am thankful that I don’t receive/need the benefit but like to see others receive it. One day I could be in the situation of requiring it, who knows?
Instead of handing out crumbs please lower taxes and grocery prices.
Carney is buying votes with this. Does no one see how much our debt has skyrocketed?
I earned just a bit above the max amount to qualify.I worked lots of overtime and no days off to do so.People like that pay a lot of tax,you would think we would get it.
Our country is a joke at this point. People just blind to the same tricks for over a decade.
Oh, cool, does that mean this is a one time multi-year period of excessive grocery inflation and it all stops as of this payment?
Once again 30% of Canadians get some relief. Once again the rest of us get nothing. We just get to pay for it all. At least these slimy Liberals are consitant.
“The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) was announced in January as a replacement for the GST/HST credit”
So the Federal Government changed the name. And the government tries to sell it as if they are heroes for helping people…
With this gov’t, everyday feels like April 1st.
30 million Canadians will get nothing why not report that Global ?
the lazy people are FN’s and union
Take your ‘benefit’ Mr. Carney and shove it up your azz.
Unless you work , then you only get to pay for yet another benefit which you cannot Access. Go ELBOWS ✊
every Singh across Canada will be thankful . free housing ,education, government grants for already made businesses to take over and destroy… a little extra for them ten children.. thank you Canada elbow up!!
Giving back some of the money that the CRA has stolen from citizens. If you’re Caucasian you’ll get $100-$200 but if you’re an immigrant you’ll get $500 because you pump out carpet monkeys like bed bugs. Canada was a great country until the South Asian race showed up and destroyed everything.
This is Carney’s “Let them eat cake” moment. It will not age well.
The cuisine on my jet is fantastic. Anyone care for a buttercup?
Just kidding,you peasants can eat crickets instead.
Elbows Up
Records show Prime Minister Mark Carney and government officials racked up over \(\$524,000\) on in-flight catering across 28 trips in his first year in office. For three overseas flights alone, the catering bill totaled nearly \(\$200,000\), an amount the Canadian Taxpayers Federation notes exceeds the average Canadian family’s lifetime grocery budget. AND THIS IS WHAT AZZ HOLE GIVES BACK??? WHY WOULD ANYONE WITH A BRAIN THIK THIS GOVERMENT IS DOING A GREAT JOB
WWOWW! people are going to feel filthy rich with that big whopping 25% higher then GST wow! that government is sure generous !! who cares if people cant even pay there f mortgage or rent, or have enough money for gas to get to work,, THIS is a life changer!!!
What do the middle class earners get oh nothing, prices keep going up $7.00 for a tube of sensodyne toothpaste.
Anonymous
June 2, 2026 at 8:18 pm
I want a chef, chauffeur and mansion like PP gets for free.
This getting pretty tired. carney gets it all for free too. They all do. Go swallow yourself you anti Canadian putz.
I want a chef, chauffeur and mansion like PP gets for free.
Canadians cant afford to pay for food or the roof over their head so the liberals come up with this joke, they should pound sand with that!!
Prime minister spends six figures a month on food on the jet alone while I dont even get 200 bucks back because I apparently make too much. Vote for 51 i guess
$200 a year? Well steak and lobster for the whole family every day now.
Instead of cutting taxes, the government spends money to create a new bureaucracy to process payments of your own tax dollars back to you, then claim the government, giving back a tiny bit of your tax money are heroes for helping Canadians. 🙄
Stop the hand outs making people lazy
I love our beautiful prime sinister. I’m so glad when he gives me the time of day.
My wife and I, are both retired and don’t get anything either, but I will never cry about the less fortunate getting something from the government, thats just so Conservative.
@Ben You are missing the point… Trudeau did the same thing before…
Instead of fixing the problem, they just hand out money (that Canada doesn’t have).
We send Billions of dollars all over the world to help others, but can’t help Canadians afford groceries? Canada needs to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first, then we can help others.
The School Lunch Program is a perfect example… instead of focusing on the problem of affordability and getting back to having people be able to afford groceries. The government just throws money at us and tells us to be thankful.
Ben, you do realize that those “seniors” are entitled to CPP as they paid into it but the other benefits are clawed back if you make too much. My utility bills, groceries, gas, etc. all cost the same as yours do.
Willow, same as my household. Two retired but we get none of these canadian benefits. I doubt those receiving the benefits are even canadian.
@Ben. What is your yearly salary. I want taxes less and these types of programs cancelled
I am so happy I got hard
Ben…the “lower class” make more than I do with all the government handouts. I’m struggling and don’t get anything.
I don’t mind that I make over the limit for the benefit, because other people less fortunate than I will benefit. That’s a social good.
GST yay
Benny wants more.
It sounds like Ben wants more, a great liberal supporter, a yours is mine kinda guy.
Seniors hold the largest amount of wealth, and get CPP, OAS, and GIS. Yet some of them still want more. What about those who make less than you, ie. the younger generations?
People who make too much money and can’t get the benefit are complaining! Can’t you think of others and those who are less fortunate than you? Guess not.
What percentage of Canadians will actually get any money. They talk about everything Carney and this Liberal government is doing to help people yet my husband and I are seniors and get nothing.
bloody joke is what it is