Your federal benefit payments could be delayed or stopped soon and here's why
These benefits offer thousands of dollars.
Canadian money.
There are a lot of government payments that give out money quarterly or monthly throughout the year.
But some of the benefits you receive could be delayed or stopped soon.
That includes the Canada Child Benefit, Advanced Canada Workers Benefit, Canada Disability Benefit and the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit.
"Filing your taxes is the essential trigger for receiving government benefits," said Stefanie Ricchio, a CPA and TurboTax spokesperson.
It's because the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses the income reported on your tax return to determine your eligibility and payment amounts.
According to the CRA, filing your tax return could get you benefit payments that "put more money in your pocket."
You might not even know you're entitled to these government benefits until you file and receive a payment.
The upcoming benefit year for many federal payments is from July 2026 to June 2027, so your eligibility and payment amounts are based on the 2025 return you file this year.
If you file late, you could delay payments during the 2026/27 benefit year until the CRA receives and assesses your tax return.
If you don't file your taxes this year, you could cause your payments to stop.
"Even if you have no income to report, you and your spouse must both file annually to avoid payment interruptions," Ricchio told Narcity.
This also applies to provincial and territorial programs like the Ontario Trillium Benefit, which you're automatically registered for when you file your tax return.
Ricchio told Narcity that the government can't assess your financial situation if you don't do your taxes, so you could "miss out on thousands of dollars" that these tax-free income-based benefits offer.
"Filing on time ensures your information is current, reflecting any changes in marital status or the number of children in your care, which directly impacts your benefit totals," the tax expert said.
The tax filing deadline for most individuals is Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The due date for self-employed individuals and the spouses or common-law partners of self-employed individuals is Monday, June 15, 2026.
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This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.