Ontario Child Benefit: Amount and Payment Dates 2026
A tax-free monthly payment from the Province of Ontario for low to moderate income families, paid together with the Canada Child Benefit. Here is how much you can get and how income changes it.
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How much is the Ontario Child Benefit and when is it paid?
The Ontario Child Benefit pays up to $146.66 a month for each child under 18 from July 2026 to June 2027, about $1,760 a year. Families with adjusted family net income above $26,865 get a reduced amount. It is paid monthly in the same deposit as the Canada Child Benefit, usually on the 20th.
What is the Ontario Child Benefit?
The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) is a tax-free monthly payment that helps low and moderate income families in Ontario with the cost of raising children under 18. The Province of Ontario pays for it in full, and the Canada Revenue Agency runs it on Ontario's behalf alongside the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
There is no separate application. If you apply for the CCB and live in Ontario, the CRA checks your OCB entitlement automatically using the family income on your tax returns. That is why both parents or partners need to file every year, even with little or no income.
How much is the Ontario Child Benefit?
For July 2026 to June 2027, the maximum is $146.66 a month for each child under 18, or about $1,760 a year per child. You get the full amount if your adjusted family net income is $26,865 or less. Above that, the total benefit for all your children falls by 8% of the income over the threshold.
| Children under 18 | Maximum per month | Maximum per year | Benefit ends at income of about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $146.66 | $1,760 | $48,860 |
| 2 | $293.32 | $3,520 | $70,860 |
| 3 | $439.98 | $5,280 | $92,860 |
| 4 | $586.64 | $7,040 | $114,860 |
The last column is our arithmetic, not a published figure: the yearly maximum divided by 8%, added to the $26,865 threshold. Because the reduction is applied to the family's total, every extra child extends the income range where some benefit is still paid. The base amounts in Ontario's Taxation Act are indexed each year, which is why the current figures are higher than the numbers written into the law.
Figures checked October 2026; confirm current amounts with Ontario.ca and the CRA's Province of Ontario benefits page.
Worked example: a family with two children
Take an Ontario family with two children under 18 and an adjusted family net income of $40,000 on their 2025 tax returns. Here is how the CRA's formula works out for July 2026 to June 2027.
- Maximum for two children: $146.66 times 12 months times 2 children is $3,519.84 a year.
- Income over the threshold: $40,000 minus $26,865 is $13,135.
- Reduction at 8%: $13,135 times 0.08 is $1,050.80 a year.
- Yearly benefit: $3,519.84 minus $1,050.80 is $2,469.04.
- Monthly payment: $2,469.04 divided by 12 is about $205.75.
The same family at $26,865 or less would get the full $293.32 a month. For the federal side of the same deposit, run your numbers through the Canada Child Benefit calculator, which estimates the CCB on its own.
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When is the Ontario Child Benefit paid in 2026?
The Ontario Child Benefit is paid monthly in the same deposit as the Canada Child Benefit. CCB payments usually arrive on the 20th of each month, or on the last business day before it when the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday. The full 2026 schedule is on our CCB payment dates page.
Amounts reset each July, when the CRA recalculates the benefit from the previous year's tax returns. The July 2026 payment was the first one based on 2025 income. If your payment changes in July, the new notice from the CRA explains why. The Ontario Trillium Benefit is a separate payment with its own schedule, covered in our Ontario Trillium Benefit dates guide.
Who is eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit?
You are eligible if you live in Ontario, are entitled to the Canada Child Benefit for a child under 18, and your adjusted family net income is low enough to leave an amount after the 8% reduction. Both you and any spouse or common-law partner must file tax returns every year.
- Residency. You must be a resident of Ontario for benefit purposes.
- Child under 18. The child must live with you and you must be primarily responsible for their care.
- CCB application. Apply for the CCB through CRA My Account, at birth registration or with the CRA's application form. The OCB follows automatically.
- Shared custody. Ontario's Taxation Act gives shared-custody parents half of the amount each would get with full custody, mirroring the CCB approach.
- Tax filing. No return means no payment, even if your income is zero. The tax filing deadline guide has the dates.
Ontario Child Benefit versus the Canada Child Benefit
| Ontario Child Benefit | Canada Child Benefit | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid by | Province of Ontario | Government of Canada |
| Run by | CRA, for Ontario | CRA |
| Who gets it | Ontario families with children under 18 | Families across Canada with children under 18 |
| Application | Automatic with the CCB | Apply once to the CRA |
| Payment | Same monthly deposit | Monthly, usually the 20th |
| Taxable | No | No |
The two benefits use different income thresholds and reduction rates, so a family can lose the OCB entirely and still receive a sizeable CCB. Together they can be a large share of a young family's monthly income, which makes them worth planning around. Our guide to the cost of raising a child in Canada shows how far they go.
Budgeting with the Ontario Child Benefit
Because the benefit arrives on a predictable date, it works well as a dedicated line in your budget. Many families point it at one recurring child cost, such as child care fees, groceries or activities, so it does not disappear into general spending. Our guide to the average cost of daycare in Canada covers Ontario fees.
EMOH Pay is free to start on iPhone, Android and the web. You can log the combined CCB and OCB deposit as income, set budgets with overspend alerts and share them with a partner through family sharing, each with their own login. For more on managing a household budget in the province, see budgeting in Ontario.
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Get started free➜Ontario Child Benefit: Amount and Payment Dates 2026: frequently asked questions
Do I need to apply separately for the Ontario Child Benefit?
No. When you apply for the Canada Child Benefit and file your taxes, the CRA works out your Ontario Child Benefit automatically and adds it to the same monthly payment.
Is the Ontario Child Benefit taxable?
No. Ontario describes it as a tax-free payment, so you do not report it as income on your return.
Why did my Ontario Child Benefit change in July?
The benefit is recalculated every July using the previous year's adjusted family net income and the newly indexed amounts. A higher income in 2025 means a lower payment from July 2026.
What is the income limit for the Ontario Child Benefit?
There is no single cut-off. The full amount is paid up to $26,865 of adjusted family net income, then the benefit falls by 8% of income above that. With one child it reaches zero at about $48,860; more children extend the range.
Who do I contact about the Ontario Child Benefit?
For payment and account questions, contact the CRA. The CRA's Ontario page also lists the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services at 1-888-789-4199 for program questions.
Related guides and tools
CCB payment dates 2026: the Canada Child Benefit is paid around the 20th of each month. See the full schedule, how dates…
Canada Child Benefit CalculatorCanada Child Benefit calculator: enter your family net income and your children's ages to estimate your monthly and yearly…
Ontario Trillium Benefit Payment Dates (2026)Ontario Trillium Benefit payment dates for 2026, how the monthly 10th-of-the-month rule works, who gets a lump sum and what…
Cost of Raising a Child in CanadaThe cost of raising a child in Canada by age and category, from child care to food and activities, plus the benefits and tax…
Average Cost of Daycare in Canada by ProvinceThe average cost of daycare in Canada was $435 a month for full-time centre care in 2025. See every province, $10 a day fee…
Budgeting in Ontario 2026: $2,000+ Rent, 13% HSTOntario in 2026: one-bedroom rent around $2,000+, a $17.20/hr minimum wage and 13% HST. Aim to keep housing at or below 35%…
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