Guides

Canadian benefit guides

Plain-language explainers for federal and provincial programs: who qualifies, current amounts, when they pay and how to apply. Each guide links to the official source and shows when it was last checked.

Start from what's happening in your life

Having a babyA new baby opens up several federal and provincial benefits, most of which start from one application. Doing…Turning 65At 65 you become eligible for Old Age Security and possibly the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and several…Losing your jobIf you lose your job, Employment Insurance is usually the first step, but your lower income may also qualify…Living with a disabilityMany disability supports depend on first getting the Disability Tax Credit approved. From there you can access…After a deathWhen someone dies, survivors may be entitled to one-time and ongoing payments, and some benefits must be…New to CanadaNewcomers can get several benefits soon after arrival, but most require a tax filing record. Getting a SIN and…Separation or divorceA separation changes your family income for benefit purposes, which can increase what you receive. You must…Going to schoolStudents can get federal and provincial grants and loans, plus tax credits once they file. Savings in an RESP…

Federal programs

Disability

Canada Disability BenefitThe Canada Disability Benefit is a monthly payment for low-income working-age adults with disabilities. You need an…
Canada Disability Savings Grant and Bond (RDSP)The government adds grant and bond money to a Registered Disability Savings Plan to help people with disabilities save…
Canada Pension Plan disability benefitCPP disability gives monthly payments to people under 65 who can't work regularly because of a severe and long-lasting…
Child Disability Benefit (CDB)The Child Disability Benefit is extra tax-free money added to the Canada Child Benefit for a child with a disability.…
Disability Tax Credit (DTC)The Disability Tax Credit lowers the income tax paid by people with a severe and prolonged impairment, or by family who…

Family

Canada Child Benefit (CCB)The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment to help families with the cost of raising children under 18. The…
CPP children's benefitA monthly CPP payment for the child of a contributor who gets a CPP disability benefit or who has died. It is paid until…
EI maternity and parental benefitsThese EI benefits help parents take time off work for a new baby or adopted child. Quebec residents use the Quebec…

Health

Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP)The Canadian Dental Care Plan helps pay for dental care for people without dental insurance. Families earning under…

Housing

Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC)This credit lowers your tax when you renovate a home to make it safer or easier to use for a senior or a person with a…
Home Buyers' Plan (HBP)The Home Buyers' Plan lets you borrow from your RRSP, tax-free, to buy or build your first home. You must pay the money…

Pension

Canada Pension Plan retirement pensionThe CPP retirement pension is a monthly payment for people who paid into CPP while working. You can start it any time…
CPP death benefitThe CPP death benefit is a one-time payment made after a CPP contributor dies. It usually goes to the person's estate.
CPP survivor's pensionThe survivor's pension pays a monthly amount to the spouse or common-law partner of a CPP contributor who has died. The…

Savings

Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG)The government adds money to a child's RESP when you save for their education after high school. Lower-income families…
Canada Learning Bond (CLB)The Canada Learning Bond puts free money into an RESP for children from low-income families. You do not have to…
First Home Savings Account (FHSA)The FHSA lets first-time home buyers save for a home with tax-deductible contributions and tax-free growth. Qualifying…

Seniors

Allowance and Allowance for the SurvivorThese are monthly payments for low-income people aged 60 to 64. The Allowance is for spouses of GIS recipients, and the…
Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)GIS is an extra monthly payment for low-income seniors who get OAS. The less income you have, the more you can get.
Old Age Security (OAS) pensionOAS is a monthly payment for people 65 and older who have lived in Canada long enough. You do not need to have worked to…

Students

Canada Student Grants and LoansThe federal government gives grants and loans to help pay for college or university. Grants don't need to be paid back,…

Tax credit

Canada Carbon Rebate (closed)The Canada Carbon Rebate has ended. The federal fuel charge was removed April 1, 2025, and the final rebate was paid…
Canada Caregiver Credit (CCC)The Canada Caregiver Credit lowers your income tax if you support a spouse, partner or dependant with a physical or…
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly GST/HST credit)The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit is a tax-free quarterly payment for people with low and modest incomes. It…
Canada Workers Benefit (CWB)The Canada Workers Benefit is a refundable tax credit for people who work and earn a low income. You claim it on your…
Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC)You can reduce your income tax by claiming eligible medical costs you paid for yourself or your family. Only the part…

Veterans

Veterans Affairs Canada disability benefitsVeterans Affairs Canada pays tax-free disability benefits to service members and Veterans with health conditions linked…

Work

EI caregiving benefitsEI caregiving benefits help you take time off work to care for someone who is critically ill, injured or near the end of…
EI regular benefitsEI regular benefits give temporary income to people who lose their job through no fault of their own. You must have…
EI sickness benefitsEI sickness benefits pay part of your income when you can't work for medical reasons. You can get up to 26 weeks.

Provincial programs

Alberta all programs we check

Alberta Child and Family BenefitACFB gives quarterly payments to lower-income Alberta families with children under 18. It has a base part and a working…
Alberta Seniors BenefitA monthly provincial payment for lower-income Alberta seniors who receive Old Age Security. How much you get depends on…

British Columbia all programs we check

Affordable Child Care BenefitThe ACCB helps B.C. families with monthly child care costs, paid directly to the child care provider. Eligibility…
B.C. Family BenefitThe B.C. Family Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment for families with children under 18 in British Columbia. It is…
Rental Assistance ProgramRAP gives monthly rent help to low-income working families in B.C. renting in the private market. BC Housing administers…
Shelter Aid For Elderly RentersSAFER gives monthly cash help with rent to B.C. renters aged 60 or older with low to moderate incomes. BC Housing runs…

Manitoba all programs we check

Manitoba Rent AssistRent Assist is a monthly shelter benefit for low-income Manitoba renters, whether or not they receive Employment and…

New Brunswick all programs we check

New Brunswick Child Tax BenefitThe NB Child Tax Benefit is a small monthly payment for lower-income families, combined with the CCB. It comes with a…

Nova Scotia all programs we check

Nova Scotia Child BenefitThe Nova Scotia Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment for low- and modest-income families with children under 18.…

Ontario all programs we check

Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS)GAINS is a monthly Ontario top-up for low-income seniors who already get OAS and GIS. It is calculated automatically…
Ontario Child BenefitThe Ontario Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment for low- and moderate-income families raising children under 18.…
Ontario Electricity Support ProgramOESP gives lower-income households a monthly credit directly on their electricity bill. The Ontario Energy Board runs…
Ontario Trillium BenefitThe Ontario Trillium Benefit combines three credits that help with energy costs, property tax or rent, and sales tax.…

Quebec all programs we check

Québec Family AllowanceAllocation famille is Retraite Québec's tax-free payment for families with children under 18. The amount depends on…
Québec Parental Insurance PlanQPIP replaces part of your income during maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave in Québec, instead of EI…
Québec Shelter Allowance ProgramAllocation-logement helps low-income families and people aged 50 or older who spend too much of their income on housing.…
Québec Solidarity Tax CreditThis refundable Revenu Québec credit helps low- and moderate-income households with QST and housing costs, with an extra…
Québec Work PremiumThe work premium is a refundable Québec tax credit that rewards low- and moderate-income workers. There is an adapted…

Saskatchewan all programs we check

Saskatchewan Low-Income Tax CreditSLITC is a quarterly, tax-free payment to low- and modest-income Saskatchewan residents. It is paid with the federal…

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