Ontario Child Benefit: amount, eligibility and when it is paid

What is the Ontario Child Benefit?

The Ontario Child Benefit is a monthly provincial payment for low- to moderate-income families raising children under 18 in Ontario. The Province of Ontario funds it and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) delivers it, using the same information it already holds for the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB).

Because the CRA runs both programs, the OCB has no form, no separate account and no separate deposit. If you receive the CCB and live in Ontario, the CRA works out your OCB automatically each July.

How much is the Ontario Child Benefit amount for July 2026 to June 2027?

The maximum Ontario Child Benefit amount is $146.66 a month for each child under 18, according to the CRA's Ontario program page. Over 12 months that is $1,759.92 per child, which Ontario rounds to $1,760 a year.

Unlike the CCB, the OCB does not change with the child's age. A newborn and a 17-year-old attract the same maximum.

What income limit applies to the Ontario Child Benefit?

Families with adjusted family net income of $26,865 or less on their 2025 returns receive the full OCB from July 2026 to June 2027. Above $26,865, the CRA pays a partial benefit that shrinks as income rises.

The CRA's Ontario page does not print the reduction rate, so the most reliable way to check a partial amount is the CRA child and family benefits calculator, which applies the current formula. Your CCB notice for the benefit year is the final word on what you will receive.

Is the Ontario Child Benefit paid with the CCB?

Yes. The CRA adds the OCB to your CCB and sends one combined deposit on CCB days. So the Ontario Child Benefit payment dates are the same as the federal CCB dates, not the 10th-of-the-month schedule used for the Ontario Trillium Benefit.

Worked example: one combined deposit

A single parent in London, Ontario with one child aged 4 had adjusted family net income of $25,000 in 2025. That is below both the OCB threshold ($26,865) and the first CCB threshold ($38,237), so she gets the maximum of each: $679.75 CCB plus $146.66 OCB, for a single deposit of $826.41 on November 20, 2026.

Federal dates, including why December is early, are on the CCB payment dates page. The OTB schedule is on the separate OTB payment dates page.

Who meets the Ontario Child Benefit eligibility rules?

You are eligible for the OCB if you qualify for the CCB, live in Ontario and have a child under 18. The CCB tests, in short:

• You live with the child and are primarily responsible for their care and upbringing.
• You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes.
• You or your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person, temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the past 18 months with a valid permit, or registered under the Indian Act.
• You and your spouse or partner, if you have one, file a tax return every year, even with no income.

The full federal rules, including the presumption that the female parent is primarily responsible when both parents live together, are on the CCB eligibility page.

Do you need to apply for the Ontario Child Benefit?

No. The Government of Ontario confirms that applying for the CCB automatically assesses you for the OCB. What you do need is a CCB application for each child.

1. After a birth, adoption or a child coming to live with you, apply for the CCB through CRA My Account or with Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application.
2. File your return, and your partner's, by April 30 each year so July payments are calculated on time.
3. Tell the CRA promptly about a change in marital status, custody or address. Moving out of Ontario matters because provincial child benefits follow your province of residence.
4. Check your CCB notice each July, when the new benefit year amounts take effect.

What other Ontario credits do families with children get?

Children also raise your Ontario Trillium Benefit. The Ontario sales tax credit adds up to $378 for each child, and the Ontario energy and property tax credit uses the higher family income threshold of $36,309. In the north, single parents and couples qualify for the higher $290 maximum of the Northern Ontario energy credit.

See all Ontario deposits on one calendar on the Ontario benefit payment dates page.