Canada Workers Benefit: how it is paid, how much, and who qualifies

What is the Canada Workers Benefit?

The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit that tops up the earnings of people who work but earn a low income. Refundable means you receive it even if you owe no income tax. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) calculates it from your tax return and pays part of it ahead of time as the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) (CRA, line 45300).

The CWB has two parts. The basic amount goes to eligible workers and families. The disability supplement is an extra amount for workers who have an approved Disability Tax Credit certificate (Form T2201). You can receive both in the same year.

Unlike the Canada Child Benefit or the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, the CWB depends on having earned income. Someone with no employment or self-employment income gets nothing from it, however low their total income is.

How is the Canada Workers Benefit paid?

The CWB is paid in two pieces: up to 50% as advance payments during the year, and the balance as part of your tax refund or balance owing after you file. You do not apply for the advances; the CRA starts them automatically when your previous return shows you are entitled (CRA, how to claim).

The three advance payments for one tax year arrive in July, October and the following January. The Department of Finance described this pattern when advances began in July 2023, and said the advances are based on the income in the previous year's return (Finance Canada, July 2023).

At tax time you report every advance received, shown on your RC210 slip, and the CRA pays or credits whatever is left of your full-year entitlement. The mechanics of the RC210 and line 41500 are covered in how the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit works.

Canada Workers Benefit payment dates in 2026

In 2026 the CRA issues Canada Workers Benefit advance payments on Monday, January 12, Friday, July 10, and Friday, October 9 (Canada.ca benefits payment dates). The January payment is the last advance for the 2025 tax year; July and October are the first two advances for the 2026 tax year.

As of October 20, 2026, the CRA has not published the January 2027 date; next year's calendar usually appears late in the year. Direct deposit arrival, missing payments and the full date history are on the CWB payment dates page.

How much is the Canada Workers Benefit for 2025 and 2026?

For the 2025 tax year the maximum basic CWB is $1,633 for a single person and $2,813 for a family, and the disability supplement adds up to $843 (CRA, how much you can get). For 2026 the CRA indexed these amounts by 2.0% (CRA indexation table).

The benefit builds up at 27% of working income above $3,000 until it reaches the maximum, then shrinks by 15% of adjusted net income above the reduction threshold. Those rates come from the 2021 federal budget enhancement (Budget 2021, Annex 6). Worked examples at different incomes are on how much is the Canada Workers Benefit.

Who qualifies for the Canada Workers Benefit?

You can claim the CWB if you had working income, were a resident of Canada for the whole year, and were 19 or older on December 31 or lived with a spouse, common-law partner or child (CRA, who is eligible). Your net income must also be under the cut-off for your province and family type.

• Full-time students for more than 13 weeks of the year are excluded unless they have an eligible dependant on December 31.
• People confined to a prison or similar institution for 90 days or more in the year are excluded.
• Officers or servants of another country who are exempt from Canadian tax are excluded.

Couples get one family amount, claimed by one spouse. Full details, including how an eligible dependant is defined, are on Canada Workers Benefit eligibility.

How do you get the CWB and the advances?

You get the Canada Workers Benefit by filing a tax return. Certified tax software fills in Schedule 6 for you; on paper you complete Schedule 6 and carry the result to line 45300. The CRA then decides your eligibility and sends any amount owed automatically.

1. File your return every year, even if your income is very low, because the CWB and the advances both come from it.
2. Set up direct deposit in CRA My Account so advances land on the payment date.
3. File before November 1 of the benefit period; the CRA says a return received after that will not qualify you for that period's advances.
4. Keep the RC210 slip you receive each winter and report it on your next return.

If you also have a disability, the CWB disability supplement is added through the same schedule once your Disability Tax Credit is approved.

Canada Workers Benefit guides on this site

• CWB payment dates: every 2026 advance date, arrival times and what to do if a deposit is missing.
• Advanced Canada Workers Benefit: how the 50% advance is set, the RC210 slip and line 41500.
• How much is the Canada Workers Benefit: maximums, income limits and step-by-step calculations.
• CWB eligibility: age, residency, student and spouse rules.
• CWB disability supplement: who gets the extra amount and how it is advanced.

For every other federal deposit in the same months, see the CRA payment dates calendar.