Liberals' affordability benefit coming June 5

The federal Liberals' one-time payment that aims to help families struggling with the high cost of living will land on June 5.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in January that Ottawa would issue a direct payment worth 50 per cent of the full-year value of the government's existing GST/HST credit, which will now be called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit.

That program offers support to lower-income households, and any eligible family which has filed its 2024 tax return and already receives the quarterly tax credit will get the one-time "top-up" automatically.

Ottawa says a family of four with a net income of $40,000 would receive $533 in June, while a single person earning $25,000 annually would get half that amount.

Regular quarterly payments of the credit will also increase by 25 per cent for five years starting in July.

Taken together, the federal government says a family of four could get up to $1,890 this year and a single person could get up to $950 through the increased benefit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2026.

By The Canadian Press | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.