Canada Child Benefit Rates 2025: Amounts, Clawbacks, and Payment Dates

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a monthly, tax-free payment that helps families with the cost of raising children under 18. For the 2025-2026 benefit year, maximum amounts have been indexed upward, and the program remains one of the most significant income-tested benefits in Canada.

2025-2026 CCB Maximum Annual Amounts

The CCB amounts for the benefit year running July 2025 to June 2026 are based on your 2024 adjusted family net income (AFNI).

These figures apply when family net income is below the first phase-out threshold. The amounts are indexed to inflation using the CPI adjustment, which was approximately 2.7% for this benefit year (up from $7,787.00 / $6,570.00 for the July 2024 – June 2025 benefit year).

Example — Family with one child age 3 and one child age 9, income below $37,487:

$7,997.00 + $6,748.00 = $14,745.00/year or $1,228.75/month

How the Income Clawback Works

The CCB is income-tested and phases out in two steps as family net income rises.

Phase 1 — First Reduction

Begins when adjusted family net income (AFNI) exceeds $37,487.

The reduction rate depends on the number of children (these percentages are fixed by legislation and do not change year to year — only the dollar thresholds are indexed):

Example — 2 children, AFNI of $60,000:

• Excess income: $60,000 − $37,487 = $22,513
• Reduction: $22,513 × 13.5% = $3,039.26
• Maximum for 2 children: $7,997.00 + $6,748.00 = $14,745.00
• Adjusted CCB: $14,745.00 − $3,039.26 = $11,705.74/year

Phase 2 — Second Reduction

Begins when AFNI exceeds $81,222.

The second phase-out rate is lower because the first phase-out has already significantly reduced the benefit. The phase 1 reduction is applied up to the $81,222 threshold, then phase 2 takes over on income above that threshold.

When the CCB Reaches Zero

For a family with one child under 6 (maximum $7,997.00), the CCB reaches approximately zero at:

• Phase 1 reduces the benefit by 7% across the $37,487–$81,222 band: 7% × ($81,222 − $37,487) = $3,061.45, leaving $7,997.00 − $3,061.45 = $4,935.55 entering Phase 2
• Phase 2 reduces the remaining $4,935.55 at 3.2%: exhausted at $81,222 + ($4,935.55 ÷ 0.032) ≈ $235,459 AFNI

Families with more children or children in the 6-17 age range retain some CCB at higher incomes due to additional child amounts.

CCB for Shared Custody

When parents share custody (at least 40% of the time with each parent), each parent receives 50% of the CCB that would otherwise be paid to the parent with full custody. Both parents must be registered for the CCB and provide the shared custody arrangement details.

Disability Supplement

The CCB disability supplement provides an additional amount for families with a child who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). For 2025-2026:

$3,411.00 per year per eligible child ($284.25/month)

The CDB has its own income test, and it is not the CCB’s first threshold. It starts being reduced when adjusted family net income exceeds $81,222 for this benefit year — the same figure as the CCB’s second phase-out threshold, not the $37,487 first one:

So a family earning $45,000 with a DTC-eligible child still receives the full $3,411 — their CCB base benefit is being clawed back at that income, but the disability supplement is not.

Payment Dates (2025-2026)

CCB payments are issued on the 20th of each month (or the nearest business day):

How to Apply for the CCB

You can apply for the CCB through:

1. Automated Benefits Application (ABA): When you register a birth in most provinces, you can consent to have the CRA automatically applied for the CCB
2. CRA My Account: Use the “Apply for Child Benefits” service online
3. RC66 form: Mail or submit a completed Canada Child Benefits Application to the CRA

Both parents (or legal guardians) must be registered. The primary caregiver — typically the parent who primarily cares for the child — receives the payment.

CCB and Family Net Income

The CCB calculation uses family net income, which is the sum of:

• Your net income (line 23600 of T1)
• Your spouse’s or common-law partner’s net income

RRSP contributions, union dues, and child care expenses all reduce net income — and therefore increase CCB payments. This gives families with modest to moderate incomes additional incentive to maximize deductions.

Provincial Supplements

Several provinces offer additional child benefit payments alongside the federal CCB:

These are coordinated with the federal application — applying for the CCB typically registers you for provincial supplements automatically. Ontario is explicit about it: “When you apply for the Canada Child Benefit, you are automatically assessed for the Ontario Child Benefit — there is no separate application.”

Do not confuse the Ontario Child Benefit with the Ontario Sales Tax Credit. The OSTC is one of the three components of the Ontario Trillium Benefit (alongside the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit), it is sales-tax relief rather than a child benefit, and it is paid on the OTB’s own schedule — the 10th of the month — rather than with the CCB.

Registering your children for the CCB also enrols them for the per-child amount of the 2026 GST/HST credit, another quarterly tax-free payment for modest-income families.

Common Questions

Is the CCB taxable? No. The CCB is completely tax-free and does not count as income for any purpose.

What if my income changes? The CCB is recalculated every July based on the previous year’s tax return. A significant income increase one year will reduce the following year’s CCB (July to June). Conversely, if income drops, you will see higher CCB from July of the following year.

What happens when a child turns 18? The CCB stops in the month following the child’s 18th birthday. If your child is also eligible for the DTC, the disability supplement may continue if they qualify for the Adult DTC.

Sources

• CRA — Canada Child Benefit
• CRA — Canada Child Benefit — how we calculate your benefit