CRA Benefit Payments April 2026: Dates, Amounts & Eligibility

Quick Answer

Four Payments, Four Dates, One Month to Plan

Millions of Canadian households rely on April benefit payments from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and April 2026 is no exception. Four separate deposits are scheduled this month, each arriving on a different date.

This guide covers three reader groups. If you receive the GST/HST credit, your payment arrives first on April 2. If you are a parent counting on the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), your deposit is scheduled for April 20. If you are a senior receiving the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Old Age Security (OAS), your pension is set for April 28. Ontario residents also receive the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) on April 10.

These April amounts are locked in — but your July benefits depend on filing your 2025 return by April 30. If you would rather hand that off, our personal tax filing team handles T1 returns for Ontario individuals and families.

Pick Your Path

GST/HST Credit: April 2, 2026

The GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low or modest incomes offset the goods and services tax they pay on everyday purchases. You do not apply separately — the CRA determines eligibility when you file your T1 return.

For the benefit year running July 2025 to June 2026, the maximum annual amounts are up to $533 for a single individual, $698 for a couple, and $184 per child under 19. Eligibility is based on your 2024 adjusted family net income. Income cutoffs reach roughly $56,181 for a single adult and $74,201 for a family of six, though partial amounts are paid above these levels.

For most households, the April 2 payment will match what you received in January 2026. For a fuller primer on how the GST/HST system works, see our earlier article. Starting July 2026, the credit is replaced by the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — covered in its own section below.

Ontario Trillium Benefit: April 10, 2026

If you live in Ontario, the OTB arrives between the federal GST/HST and CCB payments. The CRA administers it on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Finance, bundling three provincial credits into one monthly deposit.

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) helps with energy and property tax costs, based on rent or property tax paid in the prior year. The Northern Ontario Energy Credit (NOEC) supports Northern Ontario residents who face higher heating costs. The Ontario Sales Tax Credit (OSTC) offsets sales tax paid by lower-income Ontarians.

Eligibility is determined when you file your T1 return with the Ontario forms completed. For the 2025–26 benefit year, amounts are based on 2024 family net income and rent or property tax paid in 2024. A Mississauga renter earning $42,000 who paid $18,000 in rent in 2024 may qualify for a meaningful OEPTC component plus an OSTC portion, paid monthly through June 2026.

One option many Ontarians overlook: if your total annual OTB entitlement exceeds $360, you may elect a single lump-sum payment at the end of the benefit year instead of monthly installments. The election is made on your tax return.

Canada Child Benefit: April 20, 2026

The CCB is a tax-free monthly payment for eligible families with children under 18. Actual amounts depend on your adjusted family net income, the number of eligible children, their ages, and your marital status. As with the GST/HST credit, no separate application is required — the CRA calculates eligibility from your T1 return.

The 2025–26 figures reflect an increase that took effect in July 2025: maximum annual amounts rose by $160 per child under 6 and $135 per child aged 6 to 17. April 20 is the tenth monthly installment of this benefit year.

Your July 2026 CCB will be recalculated from your 2025 return. If your household income decreased in 2025, your benefit generally increases starting in July; if your income rose, the benefit typically decreases. Filing on time by April 30 is especially important for parents, since a late return can delay or interrupt CCB payments.

CPP and OAS: April 28, 2026

The Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security are administered by Service Canada, not the CRA, though they arrive through the same federal payment system. Most Canadians receiving CPP contributed during their working years; OAS eligibility is based on years of residency in Canada after age 18.

Most recipients receive less than the maximum amounts, since CPP scales with lifetime contributions and OAS with years of residency. OAS is also subject to a recovery tax (the “clawback”) when net world income exceeds $95,323 for 2026. This threshold applies only to higher-income seniors and does not affect most OAS recipients.

Low-income seniors receiving OAS may also qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), a tax-free monthly amount paid on top of OAS. Unlike GST/HST and CCB, CPP and OAS payments do not depend on filing each year — but filing still matters, because GIS entitlement is recalculated annually from your return.

Side-by-Side: All Four Payments at a Glance

A Five-Step Roadmap for April 2026

Follow these steps to make sure every April payment lands on time and your July benefits are calculated correctly.

1. 1
   Verify your direct deposit in CRA My Account by April 1.Confirm the bank account on file is current. Paper cheques can take up to seven additional business days to arrive.
2. 2
   Confirm your marital status and dependents are up to date.Changes must be reported within 30 days; outdated information can reduce or delay your GST/HST credit and CCB payments.
3. 3
   Mark the four April payment dates.April 2 for GST/HST, April 10 for OTB (Ontario residents), April 20 for CCB, April 28 for CPP and OAS.
4. 4
   File your 2025 T1 return by April 30, 2026.This is the single most important step for protecting your July benefits — the CRA recalculates GST/HST, CCB, and OTB entitlements every July from the prior year’s return.
5. 5
   If a payment is missing, wait five business days before contacting the CRA.For GST/HST, CCB, and OTB, call 1-800-387-1193. For CPP and OAS, call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914.

Staying on top of these steps helps you avoid CRA complications that can delay benefits.

What Changes in July: The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit

Starting July 2026, the GST/HST credit is renamed and restructured as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). The redesign includes a 25% increase in benefit amounts for five years, intended to help households manage the cost of food and other essentials.

As part of the transition, a one-time top-up equal to 50% of your 2025–26 GST/HST credit entitlement will be issued no later than June 2026. To qualify, you must have been eligible for the January 2026 GST/HST credit. No application is needed — the CRA issues the top-up using banking information already on file.

The mechanics stay the same after July: quarterly payments, eligibility from your most recent return, no application required. Filing your 2025 return on time is the only step you need to take.

Common Mistakes That Delay Your April Payments

• →Forgetting to update direct deposit after switching banks. A payment issued to a closed account bounces back to the CRA and can take weeks to reissue.
• →Failing to report a marital status change within 30 days. Marriage, common-law status, separation, and divorce all change your benefit calculation; late reporting can trigger overpayment recovery.
• →Missing the April 30 filing deadline when you had zero income. Even with no income, a filed T1 is the trigger for GST/HST, CCB, and OTB eligibility — a missed return can interrupt benefits starting in July.
• →Believing the viral “$2,000 CRA direct deposit” claim. Canada.ca has explicitly flagged this as disinformation; requests for banking details from anyone claiming to process it should be treated as fraud.
• →Ignoring CRA correspondence. Letters requesting documentation are time-sensitive; unanswered requests can pause your benefit payments until the review is resolved.
• →Not registering for CRA My Account. The portal is the fastest way to confirm payment amounts, update personal information, and receive benefit notices.

Self-employed individuals and their spouses have until June 15, 2026 to file their T1 return, but any balance owing must still be paid by April 30 to avoid interest charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

1. Canada Revenue Agency — Benefits payment dates: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/calendar.html
2. Canada Revenue Agency — GST/HST credit amounts: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/gst-hst-credit/how-much.html
3. Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Child Benefit overview: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html
4. Canada Revenue Agency — Ontario Trillium Benefit: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/provincial-territorial-programs/ontario.html
5. Service Canada — Canada Pension Plan amounts: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-benefit/amount.html
6. Service Canada — Old Age Security payment amounts: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/payments.html
7. Canada Revenue Agency — Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/benefit-payment-dates.html
8. Canada Revenue Agency — Recognize a scam: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/security/protect-yourself-against-fraud.html