Topic

Provincial and territorial benefits: what each province pays and when it arrives

Most provincial and territorial benefits in Canada are paid by the Canada Revenue Agency inside a federal payment: child benefits arrive in the same deposit as the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) on or near the 20th, and sales tax and low-income credits arrive with the quarterly Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB). No separate application is needed; filing a tax return is what qualifies you.

12 guides in this topic Updated October 20, 2026

A Service Canada office building in Iqaluit, Nunavut — Photo: OhanaUnited, CC BY-SA 4.0

What are provincial and territorial benefits?

Provincial and territorial benefits are tax-free payments that a province or territory funds but asks the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to calculate and deliver. The CRA uses the same tax return information it uses for federal benefits, so the province does not run a separate application or income check.

Because the CRA administers them, most of these amounts never arrive as a standalone deposit. They are added to a federal payment you already get, and your bank statement shows one combined amount. That is the main reason people cannot find their provincial benefit: it is already inside the CCB or CGEB deposit.

There are three exceptions to that pattern. Alberta and Ontario pay some programs on their own schedules, and Manitoba and Quebec run their main family payments themselves rather than through the CRA.

How are provincial benefits paid?

Every CRA-administered provincial program is attached to one of three delivery routes. Knowing which route your program uses tells you the date to watch.

With the Canada Child Benefit. Monthly provincial child benefits are merged into the CCB. In 2026 the CCB dates are January 20, February 20, March 20, April 20, May 20, June 19, July 20, August 20, September 18, October 20, November 20 and December 11.
With the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. Provincial sales tax, HST and low-income credits are merged into the quarterly CGEB, which replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. The 2026 CGEB dates were July 3 and October 5, and the next is January 5, 2027.
On a separate day. The Alberta Child and Family Benefit is paid quarterly on its own date, and the Ontario Trillium Benefit is paid monthly around the 10th.

If you use direct deposit, the CRA sends provincial and territorial amounts to the same bank account as the federal payment they travel with. Full federal dates for each month are on the CRA payment dates calendar.

Provincial child benefits paid with the CCB

Provincial child benefits are paid monthly in the same deposit as the Canada Child Benefit, on the CCB payment date. They are calculated for a benefit year that runs from July to June, using the family's adjusted family net income (AFNI) from the previous calendar year. July 2026 to June 2027 payments use 2025 income.

Provincial and territorial child benefits combined with the CCB, July 2026 to June 2027 (CRA provincial program pages)
Province or territory	Program	Maximum per child	Income where it starts to shrink
British Columbia	BC Family Benefit	$145.83 a month first child, $91.66 second, $75 each additional	$30,176
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Child Benefit	$127.08 a month	$26,000 (ends at $34,000)
New Brunswick	NB Child Tax Benefit	$20.83 a month	$20,000
Prince Edward Island	PEI Child Benefit	$34.16 a month (under $45,000); $24.16 ($45,000 to $80,000)	$45,000
Newfoundland and Labrador	NL Child Benefit	$157.33 first child, rising to $192.50 for the fourth and later	$20,397
Yukon	Yukon Child Benefit	$80.50 a month	$35,000
Northwest Territories	NWT Child Benefit	$67.91 a month for one child under 6; $54.33 for one child aged 6 to 17	$30,000
Nunavut	Nunavut Child Benefit	$58.00 a month	$22,065

Ontario's child benefit follows the same route: the Ontario Child Benefit pays up to $146.66 a month per child and is merged into the CCB. Ontario families also get the separate monthly Ontario Trillium Benefit on or near the 10th.

Guides for each program: BC Family Benefit, Nova Scotia Child Benefit and New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit.

Which provincial benefits are paid with the GST credit (now the CGEB)?

Five provinces pay a credit through the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, the federal quarterly payment that replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. These credits used to arrive with the GST/HST credit and still follow the same January, April, July and October rhythm.

Provincial credits combined with the CGEB, July 2026 to June 2027 (CRA RC4210 and provincial program pages)
Province	Credit	Maximum per year	Reduction
Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit	$460 individual, $460 spouse, $181 per child (two maximum); $1,282 family cap	Above $39,345 AFNI
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Affordable Living Tax Credit	$255 individual or couple, plus $60 per child	5% of AFNI over $30,000
New Brunswick	NB Harmonized Sales Tax Credit	$300 individual, $300 spouse, $100 per child	2% of AFNI over $35,000
Prince Edward Island	PEI Sales Tax Credit (PEI Essentials Benefit from November 2026)	$310 individual, $365 couple or single parent; $175 minimum under the new name	Not stated as a flat rate
Newfoundland and Labrador	NL Income Supplement and NL Seniors' Benefit	$520 single, $589 with spouse, $231 per child; seniors up to $1,882	Seniors' benefit full at $30,409 or less

The province-specific guides are Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax Credit and PEI sales tax credit. The federal CGEB portion of the same deposit is calculated separately and shown on its own line of the notice.

Province-by-province table of benefits

This table lists every province and territory, the programs that apply, and which payment each one arrives with. Amounts are for the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year unless noted.

Provincial and territorial benefits by delivery route, checked September 2026
Province or territory	Paid with the CCB	Paid with the CGEB	Paid separately or by the province
British Columbia	BC Family Benefit	None since the climate action tax credit ended in April 2025	BC Senior's Supplement (province)
Alberta	None	None	Alberta Child and Family Benefit (CRA, quarterly); Alberta Seniors Benefit (province)
Saskatchewan	None	Low-Income Tax Credit	None
Manitoba	None	None	Manitoba Child Benefit (province; the CRA runs no Manitoba program)
Ontario	Ontario Child Benefit	None	Ontario Trillium Benefit (CRA, monthly)
Quebec	None	None	Family allowance (Retraite Quebec); solidarity tax credit (Revenu Quebec)
New Brunswick	Child Tax Benefit, Working Income Supplement, School Supplement	HST Credit	None
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Child Benefit	Affordable Living Tax Credit	None
Prince Edward Island	PEI Child Benefit	Sales Tax Credit / Essentials Benefit	None
Newfoundland and Labrador	NL Child Benefit	Income Supplement, Seniors' Benefit	NL Disability Benefit (CRA, monthly)
Yukon	Yukon Child Benefit	None	None
Northwest Territories	NWT Child Benefit	None	None
Nunavut	Nunavut Child Benefit	None	None

Provinces that pay on their own schedule

Alberta's family benefit is the clearest case: the CRA pays it in February, May, August and November, separately from the CCB. The 2026 dates are February 27, May 27, August 27 and November 27. The full schedule and amounts are on Alberta Child and Family Benefit payment dates.

Quebec families deal with two provincial agencies instead of the CRA. Retraite Quebec pays the family allowance, with a 2026 maximum of $3,068 per child, and Revenu Quebec pays the solidarity tax credit. The timing rules for the credit are on Quebec solidarity tax credit.

Do I need to apply for provincial benefits?

No separate application is needed for any CRA-administered provincial or territorial benefit. The CRA checks your eligibility each July from your tax return, and your spouse's or common-law partner's return if you have one.

File your tax return every year by April 30, even if you had no income. Both partners must file.
Apply for the Canada Child Benefit when a child joins your home. Provincial child benefits are assessed through the same CCB application, so there is nothing extra to fill in.
Keep your address current with the CRA. Provincial eligibility follows the province you live in, so a move changes which program pays you.
Read the notice the CRA sends each July. It lists the provincial amount separately from the federal one.

Are provincial benefits paid on the same day as the CCB?

Yes, if the program is a provincial child benefit. The provincial amount lands in the same deposit as the Canada Child Benefit, so the September 2026 BC Family Benefit, Nova Scotia Child Benefit and NB Child Tax Benefit all arrived on September 18 with the CCB. October's arrived on October 20, and the next CCB dates are November 20 and December 11, 2026.

Credits tied to the CGEB arrive on the CGEB date instead: the October 2026 payment came on October 5, and the next is January 5, 2027. Alberta's family benefit and the Ontario Trillium Benefit keep their own dates.

The 2027 dates for the CCB and the Alberta Child and Family Benefit are not yet announced, and the CRA's payment calendar does not list the January 2027 CGEB date yet, although its CGEB guide sets it for January 5. The CRA usually posts the next year's calendar late in the year.

What if the provincial part is missing?

Check the July notice first: a provincial amount of zero usually means your income was above that program's limit. If you expected a payment and nothing arrived, the CRA asks you to wait 5 working days for CCB and Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments, and 10 working days for other benefits including the CGEB, before contacting it.

Common questions

Which provincial benefits does the CRA pay?

The CRA pays child benefits for BC, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador and the three territories, sales tax or low-income credits for Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador, plus the Alberta Child and Family Benefit and Ontario Trillium Benefit. It runs no program for Manitoba.

Why don't I see my provincial child benefit on my bank statement?

Because it is combined with the Canada Child Benefit into one deposit. Your CRA notice or My Account shows how much of that deposit is the provincial part.

What happens to my provincial benefit if I move to another province?

Provincial eligibility follows your province of residence, so the CRA switches you to the new province's programs once it has your new address. Update your address in My Account or with the CRA as soon as you move to avoid an overpayment from the old province.

Are provincial benefits taxable?

The CRA-administered provincial child benefits and sales tax credits are tax-free, so they are not reported as income on your return.

Which province pays its child benefit separately from the CCB?

Alberta. The Alberta Child and Family Benefit is paid four times a year, in February, May, August and November, on its own date rather than with the monthly CCB.