CRA payment dates in May: early OTB, ACFB and the filing deadline

CRA payment dates May 2026: government payment dates table

These are the official federal and provincial benefit dates for May 2026. Two things stand out: the Ontario Trillium Benefit came two days early, and Alberta's quarterly benefit shared a date with CPP and OAS.

The previous month is on the April payment dates page, and the CRA payment dates calendar lists all twelve months.

Why the OTB came on May 8

The Ontario Trillium Benefit is issued on the 10th of each month. When the 10th is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the payment moves to the last working day before it. May 10, 2026 was a Sunday, so the OTB was issued on Friday, May 8.

This is the most common reason people think an OTB payment is late or early. The same rule points to Monday, May 10, 2027 for next year, since the 10th is a weekday; that is our projection, not an official date. Full rules are on the OTB payment dates page.

When is CPP paid in May?

CPP was paid on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, with OAS, GIS and the Allowance on the same day. Victoria Day, May 18, did not affect any federal payment date in 2026.

May OAS and GIS deposits use the April to June rate. Your GIS amount through June is based on your 2024 income; from July it switches to your 2025 income, which is one reason to file on time.

Is there a GST or CGEB payment in May?

No. There is no GST/HST credit or CGEB deposit in May. The quarterly credit came on April 2, 2026, and the next regular payment was the first CGEB deposit on July 3, 2026 (a one-time top-up was also paid on June 5). The Advanced Canada Workers Benefit also skips May. See CGEB payment dates for the quarterly schedule. That pattern holds in 2027: the CGEB is paid in July, October, January and April, so May 2027 will have no CGEB deposit either. The next one is January 5, 2027.

Provincial payments in May: the last ACFB quarter

May is the fourth and final Alberta Child and Family Benefit payment of the July to June year. The next payment, in August, starts a new year with new amounts based on the latest return. The next payment of the current benefit year is November 27, 2026, according to the Government of Canada calendar; the February and May 2027 dates have not been posted yet.

Worked example: ACFB in May 2027 for two children

For July 2026 to June 2027, the ACFB base component is $1,529 for the first child and $764 for the second, or $2,293 a year for a family with full eligibility. Split over four payments, that is about $573 per quarter. A family whose working income is above $2,760 can add a working component of up to $782 plus $712, or $1,494 a year, roughly $373 a quarter. The base amount shrinks once family net income passes $28,116.

Other provincial payments in May

• Ontario: OTB on May 8; Ontario Child Benefit in the May 20 CCB.
• British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, NL, PEI: child benefits inside the May 20 CCB.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: provincial disability benefit on May 25.
• Alberta: ACFB on May 27. More on the Alberta Child and Family Benefit page.
• Quebec: Retraite Québec, not the CRA, paid the Family Allowance on May 1, 2026 to monthly recipients (quarterly recipients had no May payment) and the QPP retirement pension on May 29. See the Quebec Family Allowance and QPP payment dates pages.

What is different about May: file by April 30 to keep July payments

May payments are the second-last of the benefit year. From July, the CRA recalculates the CCB, the CGEB, the OTB, the ACFB and most provincial credits using the previous year's return. If your return is not filed and assessed, those July payments can stop until it is.

The deadline for most people to file their 2025 return was April 30, 2026. The 2026 return is normally due by April 30, 2027; check the CRA's important dates page for confirmation. Both spouses or common-law partners need to file for family benefits.

If a May payment does not arrive

1. For the OTB, remember it may have arrived on the working day before the 10th, not after.
2. Wait 5 working days for a missing CCB or ACFB and 10 working days for the OTB before contacting the CRA.
3. Check CRA My Account for a hold or a request for documents.
4. For CPP or OAS, check My Service Canada Account before calling.

Our guide to a CCB payment that did not arrive walks through the CRA steps, and the June payment dates page shows what comes next.