The Canada Workers Benefit: Who Qualifies, How Much, and When It's Paid

What the CWB is and how it works

The CWB has two parts: a basic amount for low-income workers and a disability supplement for low-income workers who are also eligible for the Disability Tax Credit. Both are refundable, so if the credit is larger than the tax you owe, the CRA pays you the difference.

The basic amount is built in three stages. First, it phases in: under the federal formula used outside Québec, Alberta and Nunavut, you earn 27 cents of benefit for every dollar of working income above $3,000, until you reach the maximum. Second, it holds at the maximum over a range of income. Third, once your adjusted net income passes a threshold, it is reduced by 15% of the income above that threshold until it reaches zero.

Working income includes employment income and self-employment earnings. Other income, such as EI benefits, investment income or pension income, doesn't help you earn the benefit but does count in adjusted net income when the phase-out is calculated. That's why two people with the same total income can get different CWB amounts.

For couples, there's a helpful feature: when calculating adjusted family net income for the phase-out, the lower-earning spouse or common-law partner can exclude up to $14,000 of their working income. That means a second earner taking a part-time job doesn't wipe out the household's benefit.

Who is eligible

To get the basic amount, you must meet all of these conditions:

• You earn working income and your net income is below the level set for your province or territory.
• You're a resident of Canada throughout the year.
• You're 19 or older on December 31, or you live with your spouse or common-law partner or your child.

You aren't eligible if any of the following apply:

• You were enrolled as a full-time student at a designated educational institution for more than 13 weeks in the year, unless you have an eligible dependant on December 31.
• You were confined to a prison or similar institution for at least 90 days during the year.
• You don't have to pay tax in Canada because you're an officer or servant of another country, such as a diplomat, or a family member or employee of such a person.

An eligible dependant is your child or your spouse's or partner's child who is under 19, lives with you on December 31, and isn't eligible for the CWB themselves. Outside Québec, the CWB treats couples and single parents as 'families' and everyone else as 'single', and the thresholds differ between the two.

How much you can get

Here are the federal figures for the 2025 tax year, which is the return filed in spring 2026, for residents of provinces and territories other than Québec, Alberta and Nunavut:

• Single individuals: maximum basic amount of $1,633, reduced when adjusted net income exceeds $26,855, and no basic amount once adjusted net income passes $37,742.
• Families: maximum basic amount of $2,813, reduced when adjusted family net income exceeds $30,639, and no basic amount once it passes $49,393.

The amounts and thresholds are indexed each year, so expect slightly higher figures on your 2026 return. Québec, Alberta and Nunavut have arrangements that change the amounts and thresholds for their residents. Alberta's and Nunavut's figures differ from the general ones, and Québec uses its own categories, with separate thresholds for singles and couples with and without children. Your tax software applies the right version for your province.

The CWB stacks with other benefits rather than replacing them. A low-income worker might also receive the GST/HST credit, the Canada child benefit and provincial credits, all based on the same tax return. Many of these payments are also not taxable; see our guide to tax-free income in Canada.

The disability supplement

If you're eligible for the Disability Tax Credit and have an approved Form T2201 on file with the CRA, you may also receive the CWB disability supplement, provided your net income is below the level for your province or territory. For the 2025 tax year, outside Québec, Alberta and Nunavut:

• Single individuals: maximum supplement of $843, reduced when adjusted net income exceeds $37,740, and none above $43,360.
• Families: maximum supplement of $843, reduced when adjusted family net income exceeds $49,389. It ends above $55,009 if one spouse is DTC-eligible, or above $60,629 if both are.

The supplement phases out at 15% of income above the threshold, or 7.5% when both members of a couple are eligible for it. Because it starts phasing out at a higher income than the basic amount, some people who earn too much for the basic CWB still get the supplement.

The supplement depends entirely on DTC approval. If you have a severe and prolonged impairment but have never applied, the Disability Tax Credit is worth looking into, since it also unlocks other programs.

How to claim

You claim the CWB on your income tax and benefit return. If you file electronically, certified tax software calculates it for you once you answer a few questions. On paper, you complete Schedule 6, Canada Workers Benefit, and enter the result on line 45300 (the disability supplement is on the same schedule).

The CRA also determines your eligibility when you file, so if you qualify but your software or preparer misses it, the CRA can apply it on assessment. The essential step is simply filing. If you haven't filed in a while, you may be leaving the CWB and other benefits unclaimed; our guide to how to file taxes in Canada covers the basics, and our guide to CRA late-filing penalties explains why catching up usually costs less than people fear, especially when you're owed money.

Couples should coordinate. For a couple, the CWB is calculated on family income, so both partners' returns matter; preparing them together in the same software makes it easier to get the claim right.

Advance payments: getting part of it during the year

Eligible workers now receive part of their CWB in advance, automatically. You don't need to apply. If your most recent return shows you're entitled to a CWB amount, the CRA pays up to 50% of it in advance, in three instalments, with the rest coming when you file your next return.

The three payments are made in July, October and January; the CRA publishes the exact dates on its benefit payment calendar. To receive them for a benefit period (July to June), the CRA must receive your return before November 1. Keep your direct deposit details and address current in your CRA account so the payments reach you.

Think of the advance payments as part of the benefit rather than extra money. They're calculated on your previous year's income. When you file the return for the year, your entitlement is worked out based on that year's actual income, and the advances you received are taken into account. If your income rose a lot, your final payment will be smaller, so don't count on a large CWB refund at tax time if you've already received advances.

Common reasons people miss the CWB

• Not filing a return. This is by far the biggest one. The CWB doesn't exist for you until you file.
• Assuming self-employment income doesn't count. It does, as long as you report it.
• Students working part-time. Full-time students enrolled for more than 13 weeks are excluded unless they have an eligible dependant, but part-time students who work may qualify.
• Not knowing about the disability supplement. If you're DTC-eligible, check that the supplement was calculated on your return.
• Moving or changing your address or bank account without telling the CRA, which can delay advance payments.

If you think you qualified in an earlier year and didn't receive the CWB, you can ask the CRA to adjust that return. For workers on tight budgets, a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year makes a real difference, and the only cost of claiming it is filing on time.

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