Published 15 hours ago • loading... • Updated 6 hours ago
Liberals’ grocery benefit payments start for eligible Canadians today
Eligible households will receive a one-time payment equal to 50% of the annual benefit, and quarterly payouts will rise 25% for five years.
On Friday, June 5, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney's government began distributing top-up payments for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit to eligible Canadians.
First announced by Carney in January, the one-time top-up provides up to $533 to households, building on the previous GST/HST credit system.
An estimated 12 million Canadians qualify for automatic payments based on their 2024 tax returns, with single adults without children receiving up to $267.
While the payments aim to ease financial pressure, employers added 10,000 positions in May though the unemployment rate remained at 6.9 per cent.
The Bank of Canada is expected to hold interest rates steady at 2.25 per cent on Wednesday, amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the July 1 North American trade review.