9 ways Canadians can get money from Ottawa as tax deadline looms
Canadians now have just days before the April 30 deadline to file their taxes.
And as well as submitting an accurate return, it’s important to know about all the benefits and rebates you may be eligible to claim this year — especially as inflation hit 2.4 per cent in March , squeezing budgets for many.
But between rebates for first-time home buyers and lump sums to cover groceries and essentials, the federal government has a number of benefits, credits and programs that offer financial relief. Some you can apply for throughout the year, and some are dependent on filing your taxes on time.
Here are all the ways Canadians can get a helping hand from Ottawa this year, and how to check if you’re eligible.
Canada caregiver credit
Individuals who support a spouse, common-law partner, or a dependant with a mental or physical infirmity may be eligible to claim the Canada caregiver credit (CCC).
An individual is considered dependent if they regularly and consistently rely on a caregiver for basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter and clothing, the CRA website explains.
The amount individuals can claim depends on their relationship to the dependant, the dependant’s income and whether any other credits are claimed for the dependant.
The CCC can be claimed by filling in Schedule 5 on a tax return.
Canada child benefit
The Canada child benefit (CCB) is a monthly payment to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. It may be combined with the child disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs (such as the BC family benefit and the New Brunswick child tax benefit).
Parents and carers can apply when registering the birth of a newborn or, if they did not do this at the time, they can apply online through their CRA account.
The CCB amount is calculated based on family income and the number and ages of eligible children, and is automatically deposited by CRA.
Disability tax credit
This tax credit helps people with disabilities, or their supporting family member, reduce the amount of income tax they may have to pay, and aims to offset some of the extra costs related to the disability.
Individuals can check their eligibility on the government website and, if their situation qualifies them for support, apply via their CRA account. They must also find a medical practitioner who can certify that the information provided is accurate.
Approved applicants can claim the DTC on their tax return and may also be able to claim it going back up to 10 years if they were eligible in past years but did not claim.
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
In July 2026, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) will replace the GST/HST credit. The new CGEB will boost payments by 25 per cent for five years.
Payments are made quarterly, with the remaining payment dates landing on July 3 and October 5 in 2026.
As a part of the transition to the new CGEB, an additional one-time GST/HST credit top-up payment will be provided to individuals who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit in January 2026, and will be issued starting June 5, 2026.
Eligibility is based on income using 2024 and 2025 tax returns, and the CRA will automatically deposit the funds.
Home accessibility credit
The Home Accessibility Tax Credit (HATC) is designed to help homeowners cover the costs of renovations that make their home more accessible and safer.
Claimants must be eligible for the disability tax credit or over the age of 65 (or have claimed the Canada caregiver credit), and renovations must have been made to a home they own.
Up to $20,000 per year can be claimed by completing the chart for line 31285 using the Federal Worksheet , then entering the result on line 31285 of a federal tax return.
Canada training credit
Eligible Canadians can claim the Canada training credit (CTC) to help with the cost of tuition and other fees for courses taken throughout the year.
Individuals must be between the ages of 26 and 66, and fees must have been paid to an eligible educational institution for courses taken in the year that the credit is being claimed for, or to certain bodies for an occupational, trade or professional examination.
The amount that can be claimed is whichever is less out of the Canada training credit limit (CTCL) for the year (which is shown on the latest notice of assessment or reassessment) or 50 per cent of the eligible tuition/fees paid.
The CTC is claimed on line 45350 of the income tax and benefit return.
Canada workers benefit
The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit to help individuals and families who are working and earning a low income.
Individuals are eligible if their net income is below the level set for their province or territory of residence. They may also be eligible for the disability supplement part of the CWB if they are receiving the disability tax credit, too.
The CRA website states that the maximum basic amount for the CWB for the 2025 tax year is $1,633 for single individuals or $2,813 for families. The maximum amount for the disability supplement is $843 for single individuals or $843 for families.
The CWB can be claimed by filing a tax return and filling out Schedule 6, and the advanced payments are issued on July 12, October 11 and January 10.
First-time home buyers’ rebate
The first-time home buyers’ (FTHB) GST/HST rebate eliminates the GST (or federal part of the HST) for first-time home buyers on a new home valued up to $1 million.
For homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million, the maximum rebate is gradually reduced (at or above $1.5 million, there is no rebate).
The home must be newly built or substantially renovated and for use as the individual’s primary place of residence.
Individuals who built or substantially renovated the house, or hired someone else to do the work, can file a claim on their CRA account.
For homeowners who purchased the home from a builder, submitting a claim depends on whether they bought or lease the land, too, and if the builder pays or credits the rebate to them. Detailed guidance for each situation can be found on the CRA website .
Unclaimed cheques
As of October 2025, the CRA says it’s been sitting on a pile of more than 10 million uncashed cheques with an average value of about $170 each.
The CRA has a web page devoted to uncashed cheques. The simplest way to find out if you are owed money is to log into your account and look for the “uncashed cheques” link on the overview page.
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