The feds are planning a one-time Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit payment increase
Payment amounts would be boosted by 50%.
Grocery store in Canada.
You could get more money from the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit in 2027.
The federal government has proposed a one-time increase that would provide hundreds of dollars to eligible Canadians.
On November 5, 2026, the federal government released Budget 2026, which includes plans to introduce a Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Supplement as part of efforts to make life more affordable.
This one-time payment increase is meant to "provide more help with the cost of groceries and other essentials."
With the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Supplement, the federal government would give eligible individuals and families a one-time 50% increase to their payment amount for the 2026-27 benefit year, issued in early 2027.
The supplement would provide up to $339 for a single person without children and up to $679 for a couple with two children.
Combined with the June 2026 one-time top-up and the 25% increase in the benefit as of July 2026, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Supplement would total up to about $1,290 for a single person without children and $2,570 for a couple with two children for the 2026-27 benefit year.
According to the federal government, this would provide $4.1 billion in additional support to Canadians and lift an additional 120,000 people out of poverty in 2027.
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit is a tax-free quarterly payment that's issued to more than 12 million individuals and families with low or modest incomes.
There was a one-time 50% top-up in June 2026, and a five-year 25% increase in payment amounts came into effect when the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026.
To be eligible for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, you must be a resident of Canada for tax purposes in the month before a payment and at the start of the month when a payment is made.
Also, you must be at least 19 years old. If you're under 19 years of age, you must meet at least one of the following conditions to be eligible:
- you have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner
- you are (or were) a parent and live (or lived) with your child
Your adjusted family net income must also be less than the maximum income level thresholds set by the Canada Revenue Agency.
The current payment amounts for the 2026-27 benefit year are up to $679 if you're a single individual, up to $890 if you're married or have a common-law partner, up to $234 for each eligible child under the age of 19, and up to $445 for the first eligible child in a single-parent family.
That works out to quarterly payments of up to $169.75 for single individuals, up to $222.50 for married or common-law individuals, up to $58.50 for each eligible child under 19, and up to $111.25 for the first eligible child in a single-parent family.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.