Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

IMPORTANT: As of July 2016, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) has replaced the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS), and Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB).

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment meant to help eligible families with the costs of raising children under the age of 18. Your CCB payment might also include child disability payments and any related provincial or territorial programs, depending on what your situation is.

To be eligible for CCB payments, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • You must live with the child (who is under 18) and be primarily responsible for his or her care and upbringing
  • You must be a resident of Canada for tax purposes and
  • You or your spouse or common-law partner must be:
    • a Canadian citizen
    • a permanent resident
    • a protected person
    • a temporary resident who’s lived in Canada for the past 18 months, and who has a valid permit in the 19th month or
    • an Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act

Note: You can’t claim your CCB on your tax return. If you’re eligible for the CCB payments and have applied for them, you’ll automatically receive your monthly payments. 

When should I apply for the payments?

If you were receiving the UCCB or the CCTB amounts for your children, don’t worry! You’ll automatically be registered for the CCB.

You should apply for the CCB payments soon after your child is born, or as soon as you become your child’s primary caregiver, so that you don’t miss out on any payments. You can apply by:

If you share custody of your child and each parent lives with them for about half of the time, the CCB will be split evenly between you. Refer to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website to learn more on applying for CCB when sharing custody.

How much CCB will I get?

To determine your CCB amount, the CRA looks at factors like the number of children who live with you, their ages, if they qualify for the child disability amount, and your adjusted family net income. Some of this information comes from your tax return, so it’s important that you and your spouse file one each year, even if you don’t have income for the year.

Payments are calculated in July and stay in effect until June of the following year, unless there’s a change in your family situation.

For July 2017 to June 2018, the basic CCB rate is:

  • $6,400 per year ($533.33 per month) for each child under the age of 6
  • $5,400 per year ($450 per month) for each child between the ages of 6 and 17

However, if your adjusted family net income is over $30,000, these amounts start getting reduced.

Note: Be sure to keep your information (such as marital status, number of children in your care, your address, etc.) up to date with the CRA so that you get the right payment amount that you’re entitled to.  

Related programs

There are several provincial and territorial programs that are related to the Canada child benefit and administered by the CRA. Your information from the CCB application is used to determine if you’re eligible for these programs; you don’t have to apply separately. Click on the links below for more information on each of these programs:

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