12 million Canadians to receive one-time bonus payment from CRA this Friday

Millions of Canadians will receive a top-up payment of as much as $717 from the federal government directly into their bank accounts this week.

The top-up is part of the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, formerly known as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit, and is equal to 50 per cent of the annual value of the GST Credit from July 2025 to June 2026.

The federal government said the new benefit will provide relief to more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians by helping them afford day-to-day essentials. Eligible individuals will receive the payment on Friday, June 5.

According to the Department of Finance, Bill C-19, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act, will deliver $3.1 billion in immediate assistance through the top-up.

Anyone who received the January 2026 GST/HST credit — or was eligible for it — will automatically receive the one-time payment into their bank account, as long as they have a direct deposit set up with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If not, they will receive a cheque in the mail.

The Department of Finance also outlined how much eligible Canadians can expect to receive.

A single individual with no children will receive a one-time top-up of up to $267, while those who are married or have a common-law partner could get a maximum payment of up to $349.

Those eligible with children will receive up to $441 if they have one child, $533 with two children, $625 with three children, or up to $717 with four children.

Those who have shared custody of a child will get half of the amount they would have received if they had full custody of the child.

Meanwhile, Bill C-19 also increases the value of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit by 25 per cent for five years, starting in July 2026 — a change the government says will deliver $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period, including to 500,000 additional individuals and families.

However, while eligibility for this week’s top-up is determined by 2024 tax returns, the increased quarterly payments are based on 2025 returns.

This year’s upcoming quarterly payment dates are July 3 and October 5.

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