Canadian families are getting child tax payments today

Canadian parents should keep an eye on their bank accounts today for their incoming child tax payments.

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) — a tax-free payment from the government to help with the cost of raising children — is administered monthly by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

A notice on the CCB site says that due to ongoing fires in Alberta and BC, impacted residents may experience a delay in the mail delivery of their child tax payments.

Are you a resident affected by the #wildfires in Western Canada? We can help you get direct deposit so you can keep getting your benefits: 1-800-959-8281https://t.co/OSCxBv1o7f#ABFire #ABWildfire pic.twitter.com/viAv29oUcM

— Canada Revenue Agency (@CanRevAgency) May 12, 2023

The government advises those affected to check Canada Post for updates. You can also use the CRA’s My Account to register for direct deposit to avoid interruptions.

If you have kids and want in on this benefit, here’s what you need to know.

Who’s eligible?

Your children will need to be under 18 years old to be eligible for the child tax payment.

Besides that, the federal government says you need to meet all of the following conditions to be provided the payment:

• You are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child
• You are a resident of Canada for tax purposes
• You or your spouse or common-law partner must be any of the following:
  • A Canadian citizen
  • A permanent resident
  • A protected person
  • A temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months, and who has a valid permit in the 19th month other than one that states “does not confer status” or “does not confer temporary resident status”
  • An individual who is registered, or entitled to be registered under the Indian Act

How can you apply for this child tax payment?

The government advises Canadians to apply for the CCB as soon as their child is born; a child starts to live with you, or returns to live with you after a temporary period with someone else; you begin, end, or change a shared custody arrangement; or you get custody of a child.

You can apply through several avenues. The first is through registering the birth of your baby with your province or territory. If you apply this way, you’ll receive your first payment within eight weeks.

The second way is through your personal CRA My Account.

Lastly, you can apply by mail. You’ll just need to fill out and sign this form, and send it to your tax centre.

If you register via mail, you should receive your first child tax payment within 11 weeks.

How much will you get?

The amount depends on multiple factors including:

• The number of children in your care
• The age of your children
• Your marital status
• Your adjusted family net income (AFNI), as reported in last year’s tax return

You can calculate your CCB payment here.

Missing child tax payments?

In March, parents across the country woke up to missing CCB payments, claiming that the CRA’s work to offset taxpayer debt is affecting their child tax benefit.

The CRA responded and explained the reason for this to Daily Hive that same month.

If you are registered for a CCB payment, hopefully, you receive it today.

If not, the CRA advises you to wait five working days before you contact them.