Key Takeaway Box:
- The Canada Child Benefits (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age.
- The CCB may include the child disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs.
- For the 2023–24 benefit year, families most in need can receive up to $7,437 per child under the age of 6 and $6,275 per child aged 6 through 17.
- The CCB payments are adjusted based on the number of children in your care, the age of your children, and your adjusted family net income (AFNI), as reported in last year’s tax return.
- To apply for the CCB, you need to file your tax returns, register the birth of your child, and provide proof of birth starting from November 20, 2023.
- You can use the child and family benefits calculator to estimate your payments and find out the payment dates.
Hello, Hustlers! If you are a parent or guardian of a child under 18 years of age, you may be eligible for the Canada child benefit (CCB), a tax-free monthly payment that can help you with the cost of raising your kids. In this article, we will give you an overview of the CCB, how much you can get, and how to claim it in 2024. We will also tell you about some other benefit plans that you may qualify for. So, let’s get started!
What is the Canada child benefits?
The CCB is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and it is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age¹. The CCB may include the child disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs¹.
The CCB replaced the universal child care benefit (UCCB), the Canada child tax benefit (CCTB), and the national child benefit supplement (NCBS) in July 2016. The CCB is more generous, simpler, and better targeted to low- and middle-income families than the previous child benefits¹.
What is a child disability benefit?
The child disability benefit (CDB) is a tax-free benefit for families who care for a child under age 18 with a severe and prolonged impairment in physical or mental functions. The CDB is paid as a supplement to the CCB¹.
To qualify for the CDB, your child must be eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC), which is a non-refundable tax credit that helps persons with disabilities or their supporting persons reduce the amount of income tax they may have to pay¹.
Child benefit overview
For the 2023–24 benefit year, families most in need can receive up to $7,437 per child under the age of 6 and $6,275 per child aged 6 through 17². This represents an increase of 6.3% from the previous year³.
The CCB payments are adjusted based on the number of children in your care, the age of your children, and your adjusted family net income (AFNI), as reported in last year’s tax return¹. Your AFNI is your family net income minus any UCCB and registered disability savings plan (RDSP) income received, plus any UCCB and RDSP amounts repaid¹.
The payments gradually start decreasing when the AFNI is over $34,863. The reduction rate depends on the number of children and their ages. You can use the child and family benefits calculator to estimate your payments and see how they are calculated¹.
The CCB payments are made on the 20th of every month, unless it falls on a weekend or a holiday. In that case, the payments are made on the next working day. The payment dates for 2024 are as follows⁴:
| Month | Date |
|---|---|
| January | 19 |
| February | 27 |
| March | 20 |
| April | 19 |
| May | 18 |
| June | 20 |
| July | 19 |
| August | 18 |
| September | 19 |
| October | 18 |
| November | 20 |
| December | 18 |
Increase in the paycheck for CCB 2024
The CCB is indexed to inflation, which means that it increases every year to keep up with the rising cost of living. The CCB also includes a one-time additional payment of $300 per child under the age of 6, called the CCB young child supplement, for the 2020–21 benefit year¹.
The CCB is expected to increase by 6.3% for the 2023–24 benefit year, which means that eligible families will receive more money every month. For example, a family with two children under the age of 6 and an AFNI of $30,000 will receive $14,874 in CCB payments for the 2023–24 benefit year, which is $882 more than the previous year³.
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- How to Get the Grocery Rebate Payments in Canada in January 2024
Other benefit plans for CCB
In addition to the CCB, you may also qualify for other benefit plans that are related to the CCB or administered by the CRA. These include:
- The Canada workers benefit (CWB), which is a refundable tax credit that provides tax relief for eligible low-income individuals and families who are in the workforce¹.
- The goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, which is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low and modest incomes offset all or part of the GST or HST that they pay¹.
- The climate action incentive (CAI), which is a refundable tax credit that helps offset the cost of the federal carbon pollution pricing system for residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario¹.
- The Canada recovery benefit (CRB), which is a taxable benefit that provides $500 per week for up to 38 weeks for workers who are not employed or self-employed due to COVID-19 and who are not eligible for EI regular benefits or EI sickness benefits¹.
- The Canada recovery caregiving benefit (CRCB), which is a taxable benefit that provides $500 per week for up to 38 weeks per household for workers who are unable to work for at least 50% of the week because they must care for a child under the age of 12 or a family member who needs supervised care due to COVID-19¹.
- The Canada recovery sickness benefit (CRSB), which is a taxable benefit that provides $500 per week for up to four weeks for workers who are unable to work for at least 50% of the week because they contracted COVID-19, self-isolated for reasons related to COVID-19, or have underlying conditions, are undergoing treatments or have contracted other sicknesses that, in the opinion of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, person in authority, government or public health authority, would make them more susceptible to COVID-19¹.
Here’s how to claim it in 2024
To apply for the CCB, you need to do the following:
- File your tax returns every year, even if you have no income to report. This allows the CRA to calculate your CCB payments based on your AFNI¹.
- Register the birth of your child with your province or territory. This will allow the CRA to start or update your CCB payments automatically¹.
- Provide proof of birth for your child starting from November 20, 2023. This is a new requirement that aims to prevent fraud and ensure that only eligible families receive the CCB. You can provide proof of birth by uploading a copy of your child’s birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card, or citizenship certificate through My Account or the MyBenefits CRA mobile app. You can also mail or fax a copy of the document to the CRA¹.
If you have any questions or need help with your CCB application, you can contact the CRA by phone, mail, or online. You can also visit the CCB web page for more information and resources.
Conclusion
The CCB is a tax-free monthly payment that can help you with the cost of raising your children. It is based on your income, the number of children in your care, and their ages. The CCB may also include the child disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs. The CCB is expected to increase by 6.3% for the 2023–24 benefit year, which means that you will receive more money every month. To apply for the CCB, you need to file your tax returns, register the birth of your child, and provide proof of birth starting from November 20, 2023. You can use the child and family benefits calculator to estimate your payments and find out the payment dates. You may also qualify for other benefit plans that are related to the CCB or administered by the CRA.
We hope that this article has given you a clear overview of the CCB and how to claim it in 2024. If you found this article helpful, please share it with your fellow Hustlers and subscribe to our newsletter for more tips and tricks on how to make the most of your CCB and other benefits. Thank you for reading and happy hustling! 😊