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benefit payment dates

Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: Was the GST/HST Credit Top-Up Paid?

The one-time GST/HST credit top-up was issued June 5, 2026. The next scheduled Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment date is October 5; check your CRA account for personal details.

By TheFinanceBase Team 2 min read

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The one-time GST/HST credit top-up was issued on June 5, 2026—not October 4. The next scheduled Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) payment is October 5, 2026. Check your CRA account for your own payment details; a scheduled date does not guarantee a deposit at a particular hour.

Did the GST/HST credit top-up arrive?

According to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the one-time top-up was issued on June 5, 2026. It was part of the transition from the GST/HST credit to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which replaced the credit in July 2026. The top-up was a separate, one-time payment—not an October payment.

Finance Canada announced $3.1 billion in immediate support for 12 million current GST Credit recipients in 2026. That is the government’s program announcement, not a count of bank deposits confirmed by October 4.

When is the next Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment?

The CRA’s 2026 payment calendar lists October 5 as a quarterly CGEB payment date. As of October 4, that date is tomorrow. The benefit is paid four times a year, and its amount is recalculated each July using the previous year’s tax return. Your CRA account is the place to confirm your individual payment details.

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Who qualified for the one-time top-up?

The CRA says a person generally needed to file a 2024 tax return and be entitled to the GST/HST credit in January 2026. The amount depended on family situation and adjusted family net income for the relevant period. Being within a published maximum does not guarantee that you qualified for that amount.

  • If married or living common-law, one partner received the payment for both.
  • In shared-custody cases, each parent received half the amount that would apply with full custody.
  • The top-up generally represented a 50% increase to the total annual GST/HST credit amount for July 2025 through June 2026. It did not include related provincial or territorial program amounts.

How much was the one-time top-up?

The CRA published these maximums for the one-time payment. Actual amounts could be lower and depended on eligibility and household circumstances.

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One child Up to $441
Two children Up to $533
Three children Up to $625
Four or more children Up to $717

Why might the top-up be missing?

A missing payment entry does not mean the top-up is still pending: the CRA’s issue date was June 5. The CRA identifies several possible reasons you may not see a payment:

  • You did not file a 2024 tax return.
  • You were not entitled to the GST/HST credit in January 2026.
  • Your spouse or common-law partner received the payment for the household.
  • The payment was applied to an outstanding balance.

Sign in to your CRA account and check the benefits and credits or payment details for your case. If you have not filed a required return, filing it allows the CRA to assess your eligibility; it does not guarantee a particular benefit amount.

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How was the top-up paid?

Recipients with direct deposit received the payment in their bank account; others received a cheque by mail. Because the payment preceded the CGEB transition, it may appear under the GST/HST credit name.

For safety, navigate to the CRA account independently to check your benefit details. The CRA says email notifications are sent only if you provided an email address, and those messages will not ask you to provide personal information or click a link.

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