If you live on a low income, the new federal budget proposes some extra help. A single person could get a one-time payment of up to $339 in early 2027. None of it is law yet, so no payment changes today.
This matters if you get Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works payments, earn low wages, raise children or care for someone. The budget 2026 benefits for low-income Canadians are still proposals. Parliament has to pass them first.
Proposed groceries payment
up to$339once
for a single person without children · Early 2027, if passed
Couple, two childrenup to $679
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Key facts · 5 facts · checked November 6, 2026ShowHide
- Proposed groceries payment: up to $339 for a single person, early 2027
- Workers benefit: you could qualify with $500 of earnings from the 2027 tax year
- Workers benefit advances: would be halved from July 2027 and end from 2028
- Caregiver credit: would become refundable, up to $1,260 a year for 2027
- All are proposals: nothing changes until Parliament passes them
Main source: Chapter 3: A more affordable life | Budget 2026 (Government of Canada)
How much can you get?
The table shows what the budget proposes. Each amount is the most a household could get if the proposal becomes law.
| Proposal | What it would do | When it would start |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries and Essentials Benefit supplement | One-time extra payment: up to $339 for a single person without children, up to $679 for a couple with two children | Early 2027 |
| Build Canada Workers Benefit | Lower earnings needed to qualify: $500 instead of $3,000 | 2027 tax year |
| Canada Caregiver Credit | Paid even if you owe no tax: up to $1,260 a year | 2027 tax year |
| Automatic Federal Benefits | Outreach to help about 150,000 more people get benefits | Not stated yet |
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Groceries and Essentials Benefit
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit is the quarterly federal payment for people with low and modest incomes. The budget proposes a one-time 50% increase for July 2026 to June 2027, paid in early 2027.
It would go to over 12 million people. A single person without children could get up to $339. A couple with two children could get up to $679.
Counting the regular payments and the extra payment made in June 2026, total support for that year would be up to about $1,290 for a single person. For a couple with two children it would be up to about $2,570.
Build Canada Workers Benefit
This is the budget's new version of the Canada Workers Benefit, a tax credit for people who work for low pay. You would need to earn only $500 in the year to qualify, instead of $3,000. For the disability supplement, the earnings needed would drop from $1,150 to $200.
These changes would start with the 2027 tax year. The budget says about 1.9 million workers would get more. The lowest earners could get up to $675 more.
There is a catch for people who get advance payments. From July 2027, the advance would be cut in half: 25% of your entitlement instead of 50%. From the 2028 tax year, advances would end. You would get the rest after you file your tax return.
Canada Caregiver Credit
Today this credit only lowers the tax you owe. The budget proposes to make it refundable, so you could get money back even with no tax to pay. It would be worth up to $1,260 a year for 2027.
The budget says about 585,000 caregivers would get support from this change.
How not to miss it
- Do nothing special yet. These are proposals, not new rules.
- File your tax return every year, even with little or no income. The groceries benefit for July 2026 to June 2027 is based on your 2025 income.
- If you rely on advance workers benefit payments, plan for smaller advances from July 2027 if the change passes.
- Watch for scams. Never give payment or banking details to a text or email that promises a budget benefit.
Your next steps
- File your income tax return on time, every year.
- Read the plain summary in the Budget in brief.
- Check your payments in CRA My Account when the first changes are due.
- Run the BenefitCheck calculator to see which current benefits you may be missing.
Questions people ask
Questions people ask
Does the federal budget change my payments now?
No. A budget is a plan, not a change to the rules. The measures in it are proposals until Parliament passes them into law. Your current federal payments stay the same for now. Watch canada.ca for news on whether each proposal becomes law.
When would the groceries benefit supplement be paid?
The budget proposes to pay it as a one-time payment in early 2027. It gives no exact date yet. A single person without children could get up to $339. The amount depends on your income and family size, and it only happens if the proposal becomes law.
Do I need to apply for the extra groceries payment?
The budget describes it as an extra payment on the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. That benefit is based on your tax return, so the safest step is to file every year, even with little or no income.
What would change for low-wage workers?
The budget proposes that you could qualify for the workers benefit with only $500 of earnings from the 2027 tax year. Advance payments would be cut in half from July 2027 and would end from the 2028 tax year. The rest would come after you file your return.
Can caregivers with no income get the caregiver credit?
Under the proposal, yes. The Canada Caregiver Credit would become refundable, so you could get money back even if you owe no tax. It would be worth up to $1,260 a year for 2027. You would still need to qualify as a caregiver under the tax rules.