CCB payments stopped or reduced: the reasons and how to restart them

Why did my CCB stop?

When CCB payments stopped completely, the CRA has either found a gap in your file or decided you are no longer entitled. The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a monthly tax-free payment that depends on two things the CRA must be able to confirm: who the child lives with, and your family's income from a filed tax return. Break either link and payments pause.

The CRA lists these reasons for a stopped CCB: a tax return not filed by April 30, an unanswered CRA letter, an address or bank change not reported, a marriage, separation or divorce, income above the limit, a child who turned 18 or left your care, and no longer meeting residency or status rules (CRA, keep getting your CCB payments).

A single month that did not arrive is a different problem, usually timing or banking; start with CCB payment not received for that. This page covers payments that have stopped for good or dropped sharply.

The October 20, 2026 payment went out on schedule, and the next CCB payments are November 20 and December 11, 2026. The December payment comes early, so no deposit on December 20 does not mean your CCB has stopped. If a scheduled payment is missing, wait 5 working days before contacting the CRA. The CRA has not posted its 2027 dates yet.

You or your partner did not file a tax return

Both you and your spouse or common-law partner must file a return every year, even with no income, to keep the CCB (CRA, T4114). The CRA cannot work out adjusted family net income from one return, so a partner's unfiled return stops the benefit for the whole household.

Timing makes this easy to miss. Payments from July 2026 to June 2027 depend on 2025 returns, so a household where one partner skipped the 2025 return sees the July 2026 payment disappear even though nothing else changed.

If your partner lives outside Canada

A spouse or common-law partner who is not a resident of Canada does not file a Canadian return, but their world income still counts. Report it on Form CTB9, Income of Non-Resident Spouse or Common-Law Partner for the Canada Child Benefit, for each year, or the CRA cannot calculate your CCB.

Fix: file the missing return, or send Form CTB9. Once it is assessed, the CRA recalculates the benefit and pays the months you missed with a later scheduled payment.

Why was my CCB reduced in July?

A CCB payment reduced in July almost always reflects the annual recalculation. Each July the CRA resets the benefit using the previous year's adjusted family net income, so July 2026 payments use 2025 income (CRA, how we calculate your CCB). A raise, a new partner's income, or a large RRSP withdrawal in 2025 all lower payments from July 2026.

The figures apply the published rates for two children: 13.5% of income between $38,237 and $82,847, then $6,022 plus 5.7% of income above $82,847. In this example, a jump from $60,000 to $90,000 of family income cuts the CCB by about $291 a month. Model your own case with the CCB calculator.

Why is my CCB lower this month? Match the month to the cause

Custody or marital status changed

A change in who the child lives with changes who gets the CCB. The CRA says each parent must tell it immediately about a new custody arrangement. When the child lives with each parent 40% to 60% of the time, each parent receives 50% of the amount they would get with full custody, based on their own household income; the full rules are on CCB shared custody.

A new marriage or common-law partner adds that person's income to your family income, which often reduces the CCB. A separation of more than 90 days can raise it. Either way, the CRA adjusts payments from the month after the status changed, and late reporting can create an overpayment you must repay. Timing and forms are covered in CRA marital status change.

Other reasons the CCB stopped

• Your child turned 18. The last CCB payment for that child is the month of the 18th birthday; see CCB stop age.
• The child left your care. If the child now lives with the other parent, a relative or in foster care, your payments for that child end.
• Residency or status ended. Leaving Canada ends eligibility. Temporary residents qualify only after living in Canada for 18 months with a valid permit, so a permit that lapses ends payments. If you applied to renew or extend your permit before it expired, send the CRA proof that the application is in progress, or a copy of the new permit once you have it.
• An unanswered CRA letter. Requests for proof of the child's birth, residence or custody put payments on hold until you reply.
• Statement of Income not sent. Newcomers who were not residents for the full year may need to send income information before payments continue.

How do I restart my CCB payments?

To restart the CCB, fix the cause and let the CRA recalculate; you do not normally need to re-apply for a child already registered. The CRA says it resumes payments once your information is updated and pays amounts owed with your next scheduled payment.

1. Sign in to CRA My Account and read the latest CCB notice and any letters in the Mail section.
2. File any missing return for you or your partner, or send Form CTB9 for a non-resident partner.
3. Answer any request for documents through the Submit documents service in My Account.
4. Update marital status, address and direct deposit if any are out of date.
5. If the child now lives with you again, tell the CRA about the custody change.
6. Watch for a notice of redetermination, then check the next payment date on CCB payment dates.

If the recalculation shows you were overpaid, the CRA takes the balance from future benefits; see benefit overpayment. For other benefits that stopped at the same time, the missing benefit payment hub lists each program's rules.