Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) 2026: What's Included + When You Get Paid

If you live in Ontario and have a low or modest income, the province can pay you money every month. It helps with energy, property tax and sales tax. This payment is called the Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB). It is paid on the 10th of each month, or on the last working day before when the 10th falls on a weekend or holiday.

The last two payments of the year are on November 10 and December 10, 2026. Payments from July 2026 to June 2027 are based on your 2025 tax return.

This guide lists every 2026 date. It also explains the three credits inside the OTB, how to apply on your tax return and why a payment can start late.

The OEPTC is the largest OTB component for many people. It helps with energy costs and property taxes, and renters can qualify too because part of rent is treated as contributing to those costs.

You may qualify if you were an Ontario resident on December 31, 2025 and during 2025 you paid rent, property tax, long-term care home accommodation costs, or eligible home energy costs while living on a reserve.

The final amount depends on age, income, family situation, and how much rent or property tax you paid.

The NOEC is for residents of Northern Ontario. It covers the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timiskaming.

You may qualify if you lived in Northern Ontario on December 31, 2025 and paid rent, property tax, or eligible energy costs. It is extra support on top of the OEPTC, because energy costs tend to be higher in the north. Read more about Northern Ontario Energy Credit eligibility.

If the 10th falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the CRA issues the payment on the last business day before the 10th.

Just like other CRA-administered benefits, the July switchover is where your amount can change because the benefit year resets. Parents who also receive child benefits may want to review CCB payment dates for 2026 to see the same July pattern in another program.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the OTB is that it is only for homeowners. That is not true. Renters absolutely qualify.

If you rent, you report the rent you paid during 2025 on ON-BEN. The OEPTC formula uses that amount to estimate the property tax and energy costs connected to your housing. If you own, you report the property tax you paid on your principal residence. If you live in Northern Ontario, you may also qualify for the NOEC on top.

For example, Priya rents a one-bedroom apartment in Hamilton for $1,500 per month, while David owns a condo in the same area and paid $3,200 in property tax during the year. Both can qualify for the OEPTC, even though the inputs are different.

If you lived in a designated Ontario university, college, or private school residence during 2025, you can still apply for OTB using the relevant residence sections on ON-BEN. You may not claim the same rent/property tax inputs as a regular renter, but you may still qualify for some OTB components depending on your situation.

Form ON-BEN is the application form used for the Ontario Trillium Benefit and Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant. It is how you claim the OEPTC and NOEC when filing your 2025 return.

The OSTC is automatic, but the other two components depend on ON-BEN. Skipping it is one of the most common reasons Ontario residents miss out on OTB money.

ON-BEN includes an election, in box 61060, that lets some people delay their OTB. They then get it as one lump-sum payment at the end of the benefit year instead of monthly. This option is only available if your yearly OTB is more than $500. You make the choice when you first file your return; for the 2025 return, the deadline is December 31, 2026.

If your entitlement is $500 or less, the CRA pays it as a lump sum automatically. If you are eligible to choose, monthly payments are usually more practical for recurring bills. A lump sum may suit people who want one larger deposit for a specific purpose.

If you choose the lump-sum option, the payment is issued on June 10, 2027. There is no extra interest for waiting.

Yes. If you chose the lump-sum option and later decide you would prefer monthly payments, call the CRA at 1-877-627-6645 or write to your tax centre. Within four to eight weeks after your request is processed, the CRA pays any amounts owed to you for the current benefit year. Monthly payments then follow.

The reverse decision usually has to be made when you originally file.

If your 2025 return was assessed by June 19, 2026, your payments for July 2026 to June 2027 started on July 10, 2026. If it was assessed after that date, or you have not filed yet, the first payment comes four to eight weeks after assessment. After that, it is paid on the 10th of each month.

This is one more reason filing early matters. See why filing your taxes keeps your benefits coming.

Jasmine is 28, single, and rents a basement apartment in Scarborough for $1,400 per month. She earned $34,000 in 2025. She filed her 2025 return in March 2026, and her tax software asked about Ontario rent and prepared ON-BEN from the information she entered.

Because she is an Ontario resident with modest income and eligible rent paid, she may qualify for the OEPTC and the OSTC. Her return was assessed in time, so her payments for July 2026 to June 2027 started on July 10, 2026.

Marc and Louise are a married couple living in Sudbury. Their combined 2025 income was $68,000 and they paid $3,800 in property tax. Louise completes ON-BEN when they file.

Because they live in Northern Ontario, they may qualify for the OEPTC and the NOEC. At that income they get no OSTC, because it goes down by 4% of family income over $36,309. Their annual OTB could still be higher than a similar southern Ontario household because of the extra Northern Ontario energy support.