Question Period Note: CANADA CHILD BENEFIT

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) provides support to about 3.5 million families, including over 6 million children, putting more than $28.6 billion, tax free, in the hands of Canadian families each year.

Most families receiving the maximum CCB amounts are single-parent families, with approximately 90% of them being single mothers.

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) has helped reduce the number of children living in poverty by hundreds of thousands since its introduction in 2016.

The CCB is tax free and provides more support for low-to middle-income families with children. Because it is based on income, it provides more support to those who need help the most.

The CCB has been annually indexed since 2018 to keep up with the rising cost of living.

The Government will continue to support Canadians who are facing rising costs of living, to make life more affordable, and build a strong economy that benefits all Canadians.

In July 2016, the CCB replaced three different previous benefits—the Canada Child Tax Benefit including the National Child Benefit Supplement, and the Universal Child Care Benefit—with one simplified, fair and tax-free monthly child benefit.

The CCB is having a significant positive impact on families with children. Based on the most recent data available, on average, the CCB made up 31% of after-tax income for recipients living in poverty in 2022. In 2023, there were approximately 886,000 children living in poverty and the poverty rate for children was 11.8%. (2023-base MBM).

The number of children in poverty increased by close to 120,000 between 2022 and 2023. Overall, child poverty has decreased by 31.1% between 2015 and 2023.

Starting in January 2025, the government extended eligibility of the CCB for six months after an eligible child’s death if the individual would have otherwise been eligible for the CCB in respect of that particular child. This proposed change is effective for deaths that occur after 2024.

The Department of Finance is the policy lead on the CCB, and the Canada Revenue Agency administers the benefit. ESDC contributes to policy development by working collaboratively with them and with provincial and territorial governments, to help ensure that the CCB continues to result in strengthened systems of support for all low- to middle-income Canadian families with children.

Calculating the Poverty Rate

Canada’s Official Poverty Line, based on the Market Basket Measure (MBM), sets income thresholds for a modest standard of living and is regularly updated to remain relevant. In 2025, Statistics Canada introduced a new MBM base to better reflect current realities. As a result, we now track progress using an index that compares rates to 2015.

Indexation and Benefit Amounts

To ensure that the CCB continues to help Canadian families over the long term, the Government began indexing the benefit annually in July 2018, to keep pace with the cost of living. For the 2025-26 benefit year, beginning July 2025, the maximum annual CCB amount is $7,997 per child under 6 years of age, and $6,748 per child aged 6 through 17. Families with less than $37,487 in adjusted family net income receive the maximum benefit.

For instance, a family with one child age 5 and one child age 9, with an adjusted family net income of $65,000, will receive $11,028 in 2025-26. This represents $518 more than they would have received in 2024-25 ($10,510).

Special Circumstances

The Children’s Special Allowances (CSA) program provides payments to federal and provincial agencies and institutions (such as children’s aid societies) that care for children. The monthly amount payable for each child is equal to the maximum amount of the CCB. For eligible children, the CSA payment may also include the Child Disability Benefit. An agency can request that CSA payments be made directly to a foster parent of the child.

In addition, there is the Child Disability Benefit (CDB) which is a monthly benefit included in the CCB to provide financial assistance to qualified families caring for children who have a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions. For the 2025-2026 benefit year, the Child Disability Benefit provides $3,411 for each child under the age of 18 who is eligible for the Disability Tax Credit.

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