If your budget tends to feel the squeeze toward the end of the month, there’s a federal payment heading out this week that could take some of the pressure off.
The Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) is going out in July, and if you work and earn a lower income, this week’s deposit could give you a useful boost. It’s a refundable tax credit from the Canada Revenue Agency aimed at topping up the income of lower-earning workers, and the good news is that most people who qualify don’t have to do anything to get it.
What is the Canada Workers Benefit?
The Canada Workers Benefit, or CWB, is a refundable tax credit from the federal government meant to support people who are working but earning a lower income. It has two parts: a basic amount for eligible workers, and an additional supplement for those who qualify for the disability tax credit.
The amounts aren’t the same everywhere. A few provinces, Quebec included, use their own formulas, and Quebec’s payouts are among the highest in the country.
What’s the advance payment about?
Rather than waiting to collect the full credit at tax time, eligible workers get part of it early through the ACWB. The CRA sends out up to 50% of your total annual benefit in advance, split into instalments through the year, and if you qualify for the disability supplement, half of that is folded in too.
There’s no separate application. As long as you qualify for the CWB and were living in Canada on the first day of the payment period, the CRA issues the advance automatically based on your latest tax return, which is one more reason it pays to file.
When the payment arrives
The next ACWB deposit is scheduled for July 12, but since that lands on a Sunday, the CRA is moving it up to Friday, July 10. It’s the first of this benefit year’s instalments, with the final one set for October 11. If the money hasn’t shown up within 10 business days of that date, the CRA asks that you wait it out before getting in touch.
How much you can get in Quebec
For 2026, a single person in Quebec with no kids can receive up to $1,665 a year, as long as their net income stays under $27,392. For families, the maximum rises to $2,869, provided family net income doesn’t top $31,251.
On top of that, a supplement of up to $860 is available for people living with a disability, regardless of family situation.
These amounts shrink gradually once your income passes the threshold, so you may receive less than the maximum even if you still qualify. You also need at least $3,000 in working income to be eligible. The CRA’s child and family benefits calculator can help you estimate your own amount.
Who qualifies?
To get the basic CWB, you need to have earned working income, be a resident of Canada throughout the year, and be at least 19 years old on December 31, unless you live with a spouse, common-law partner or child, in which case you can be younger. Your net income also has to fall under the limit for your household type.
For the disability supplement, you need to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit and have an approved Form T2201 on file with the CRA.
How to claim it
You don’t apply separately for the CWB. As a refundable tax credit, you claim it when you file your federal tax return, and most tax software walks you through it automatically. If you filed for 2025 and were eligible, the advance payments are handled for you.
If you’re married or have a common-law partner, only one of you receives the advance payments for the household. It generally goes to whoever has the higher working income, or to whoever filed first if your incomes are the same.
Is it taxable?
No. The Canada Workers Benefit is a refundable tax credit, not income, so it isn’t taxed. Even the advance payments you receive during the year don’t count as income and won’t affect what you owe at tax time.
