Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) Payment Dates 2026
Date Published: July 6, 2026•8 min read
Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) Payment Dates 2026
The three 2026 Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) payment dates are January 12, July 10, and October 9. The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a federal refundable tax credit for low-income employed Canadians. It has two parts: a basic amount available to qualifying workers, and a disability supplement for those who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit.
If you're receiving these advance installments, they only make up part of the picture. The agency splits your total entitlement so that roughly half arrives throughout the payment period, while the rest is reconciled when you submit your return. Keeping track of the payment dates helps you plan around the gaps, especially since deposits are spaced four to five months apart. The sections below walk through the exact dates, how much you can expect to get, who qualifies, and what to do if a deposit doesn't show up as expected.
Key Takeaways
2026 ACWB payment dates: January 12, July 10, October 9, plus a final instalment via tax refund in Spring 2027
Maximum CWB (2025 tax year, paid 2026): $1,633 for single workers / $2,813 for families
Disability supplement: Up to $843 additional for eligible recipients
No separate application required: The agency calculates your entitlement automatically when you submit your T1
The credit is refundable — issued even if you owe no income taxes
"Canada FHB/ALF" on your bank statement may be how your bank labels this payment or other federal government deposit
CWB Payment Dates 2026 — Full Schedule
The ACWB delivers up to 50% of your total CWB entitlement across three advance payments each year. The remaining balance is issued as part of your tax refund the following spring, after you submit your T1.
Payment | Date | Notes | Cycle |
Instalment 1 | January 12, 2026 | Final instalment of prior payment cycle | Closes Jul 2025–Jun 2026 |
Instalment 2 | July 10, 2026 | First instalment of new payment cycle | Opens Jul 2026–Jun 2027 |
Instalment 3 | October 9, 2026 | Second instalment of new payment cycle | Jul 2026–Jun 2027 |
Final payment | Spring 2027 | Remaining 50% via refund after lodging 2026 T1 | Reconciled at submission |
If a payment date falls on a weekend or federal statutory holiday, the deposit arrives on the last working day before that date. If your deposit doesn't arrive on the expected date, wait 10 working days before contacting the agency.
The payment period doesn't line up with the calendar year — it runs from July to June. The January 2026 instalment closes out the period that started in July 2025, while the July 2026 instalment opens the next cycle. This is why the January payment is labelled as the "final instalment of prior payment cycle" in the table above.
If your earnings, marital status, or eligible dependents change partway through a payment period, those changes generally won't affect your advance installments until the agency reassesses your file. They'll be reflected in your final payment the following spring instead.
Other important government payment dates:
How Much Is the Canada Workers Benefit in 2026?
The amount you get depends on your earnings, household status, and province of residence. The table below reflects the 2025 tax year figures, which determine payments issued in 2026.
Recipient | Maximum Amount | Phase-Out Starts | Entitlement Ends |
Single individual | $1,633 | Earnings over $26,855 | Earnings over $37,742 |
Household with dependants | $2,813 | Earnings over $30,639 | Earnings over $49,393 |
Disability supplement | +$843 | Earnings over $37,740 | Earnings over $43,360 |
Figures are for the 2025 tax year, paid in 2026. Residents of Quebec, Nunavut, and Alberta are subject to different maximum amounts under provincial agreements. Visit canada.ca for provincial-specific figures and the CRA benefit calculator.
What Determines How Much You Get?
Four factors drive your entitlement:
Your family status determines whether you get the single rate ($1,633) or the higher rate ($2,813).
Your net earnings relative to the phase-out threshold gradually reduce what you're entitled to. Earning above the threshold doesn't eliminate the benefit immediately — it reduces it on a sliding scale until the income ceiling is reached.
Disability Tax Credit eligibility unlocks the additional $843 supplement, which is calculated and applied separately.
Your province of residence plays a role too: Quebec, Nunavut, and Alberta calculate the benefit under separate provincial agreements and use different maximum amounts.
Use the CRA child and family benefit calculator to estimate your specific amount.
To put the phase-out in perspective: a single individual earning $26,855 or less would generally get the full $1,633 (subject to the working income threshold also being met). Between $26,855 and $37,742, the entitlement is adjusted gradually as wages rise, reaching zero at $37,742.
The same logic applies to families between $30,639 and $49,393, and to the $843 add-on between $37,740 and $43,360. Because the reduction is gradual rather than a hard cutoff, a small raise or a few extra shifts won't suddenly disqualify you — it will simply reduce your entitlement by a proportional amount.
If your earnings are close to either threshold, running the numbers through the agency's calculator before filing can help you gauge what to expect.
There's also a minimum earned income requirement: you generally need to have made at least $3,000 in employment or self-employment income during the period to claim this benefit at all, regardless of how low your overall net income is.
Who Qualifies for the Canada Workers Benefit?
To be eligible for this federal income support program, you must:
Be at least 19 years old on December 31 each calendar year. You may also qualify if you are under 19 but live with a spouse, common-law partner, or an eligible dependant.
Be a resident of Canada for the entire period.
Have earned income from employment, self-employment, or a combination of both.
Have a net income below the maximum threshold for your province or territory and household situation. The benefit is phased down gradually as earnings rise and is fully phased out once income exceeds the applicable limit.
You are generally not eligible if you:
Were a full-time student for more than 13 weeks in that period and did not have an eligible dependant.
Were confined to a federal, provincial, or territorial correctional facility for 90 days or more in a row in that year.
Were a non-resident diplomat, officer, or servant of another country, or a household member of such a person, whose income is exempt from Canadian tax under a treaty or similar agreement.
Most Canadians with earned employment income below the phase-out ceiling meet the threshold. If you're unsure,CRA eligibility page is the authoritative reference to check, and it also lists related income support programs you may be entitled to.
A few of these criteria are worth a closer look.
The "eligible dependant" rule means that even if you're under 19, you can still qualify if you have a spouse, common-law partner, or a child living with you.
The residency requirement is strict: there's no legal wiggle room — you need to be a Canadian resident for the complete year, not just part of it. The earned income requirement covers more than a traditional paycheque — tips, commissions, and net self-employment income (after business expenses) all count toward the working income used to calculate your entitlement.
The student exclusion is specifically about full-time enrolment. Part-time students and full-time students with an eligible dependant aren't excluded on this basis.
The incarceration rule only applies to the period of confinement itself: if you were incarcerated for fewer than 90 consecutive days, or were released partway through that year, you may still be entitled to the benefit for the portion of the period you were not incarcerated.
How to Claim the CWB — Steps and Deadlines
Submit your T1 income tax return annually: The agency can't calculate or issue the benefit without a submitted T1. The standard deadline is April 30; self-employed individuals have until June 15 (but any balance owing is still due April 30).
Complete the form (Schedule 6 — Canada Workers Benefit): Most Canadian tax software handles this automatically when you enter your income. If you submit a paper T1, include Schedule 6. This is the most common reason eligible Canadians miss out — don't skip this step.
Submit before November 1 to claim instalments: The agency must receive your T1 before November 1 of the payment period (July to June) to include you in the deposit cycle.
Set up direct deposit via your CRA online account: Deposits are issued by direct deposit or cheque. Direct deposit is faster and reduces the risk of a missing payment. You can enrol or update your banking information at any time through your CRA My Account.
If you’re also claiming the disability supplement, you’ll need to have an approved Form T2201 (Disability Tax Credit Certificate) on file with the CRA. No additional forms are required for the basic CWB.
Do You Need to Apply for the CWB?
No. The CRA calculates your CWB automatically when you file your T1 return and Schedule 6 is completed. ACWB advance payments are also automatic for recipients who qualified in the prior year; no reapplication is needed. The single requirement is that you file your taxes each year. If you don’t file, you won’t receive the benefit, regardless of eligibility.
What Does "Canada FHB/ALF" Mean on Your Bank Statement?
CRA deposits appear on bank statements under various abbreviated codes, and the exact label depends on your financial institution's internal labeling system. "Canada FHB/ALF" is one such code that may represent a CWB payment or another federal benefit, depending on the mix of credits you receive.
"FHB/ALF" likely stands for the French and English abbreviations of a federal benefit program ("ALF" = Allocation canadienne pour les travailleurs, the French name for ACWB). Note that bank labels aren’t standardized, and the same deposit may appear differently across banks.
The only way to confirm the exact source of a CRA deposit is to log into CRA My Account and review your Benefits and Credits transaction history. If you don’t have CRA My Account access, you can call the CRA benefit enquiries line at 1-800-387-1193 to verify the source and amount of any deposit.
What to Do If Your CWB Payment Is Late or Missing
A missing deposit is almost always caused by a tax filing or direct deposit issue rather than a qualification issue. Try these steps before contacting the agency:
Wait 10 working days from the expected deposit date — processing delays are common around payment dates.
Confirm direct deposit is set up in CRA My Account under "Banking information." If no account is on file, a cheque will be mailed to your address of record, which takes longer.
Confirm your T1 was submitted and the form was completed. If it was missing, you may need to file an adjusted return (T1-ADJ) to trigger the benefit.
Confirm your earnings were within the qualifying threshold. Use the agency's calculator to verify your net income falls below the phase-out ceiling for your family situation.
If none of the above resolves the issue, call the federal benefits line at 1-800-387-1193 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time). Have your SIN and most recent T1 on hand.
It's also worth checking your mailing address and banking details if you've moved or switched banks recently. A deposit sent to a closed account will be returned to the agency, which can delay your next payment while the issue is resolved. Updating your information in your CRA online account as soon as a change happens is the easiest way to avoid this.
If you recently started qualifying for the first time, remember that advance instalments only begin after the agency processes your submission. A first-time filer may not see a deposit until the following payment cycle, even though they'll still receive their complete entitlement through their tax refund.
Need Funds Before Your Next CWB Payment?
The CWB pays out three times a year, which means four- to five-month stretches between deposits. If an unexpected expense comes up between payment dates, iCash offers up to $1,500 by Interac e-Transfer® in 2 minutes, 24/7. iCash requires a minimum working income of $800 per month for Interac e-Transfer® loans; both employment and self-employment income qualify, so most CWB recipients meet this threshold. Borrowing costs $14 per $100 borrowed.
Approval for payday loans isn’t guaranteed, and conditions apply.
See what borrowing would cost with the iCash Payday Loan Calculator, and learn more about borrowing responsibly.
About the author
