What criteria are used to determine eligibility for CCB Credit?

To receive the CCB, the parent or guardian must meet the following criteria:

• tax purposes.
• Be the primary caregiver of a child under 18.
• Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months, and who has a valid immigration status.

If a child is under the care of a department, agency, or institution that receives a children’s special allowance (CSA), the CCB cannot be issued since the CSA takes its place. 

The CCB is a crucial benefit designed to help families with the cost of raising children, aiming to provide financial support to those who need it most.

How is the amount of the CCB Credit determined?

The amount of the CCB a family receives is based on several factors, including:

• The number of children in the family.
• The ages of the children
• The family’s net income.
• The marital status of the parent or guardian applying for the benefit.

When is the amount of the CCB Credit determined?

The benefit year for the CCB runs from July of one year to June of the next. Families must file their income tax and benefit returns every year, even if they did not earn income in the year, to continue receiving the CCB without interruptions. Each year, the CCB amounts are adjusted to account for inflation.

The CCB is designed to decrease as the family’s net income increases, ensuring that the support is directed primarily towards lower to middle-income families.

Who normally receives the benefit?

The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is normally paid to the parent who primarily takes care of the child or children under the age of 18. This parent is responsible for the day-to-day activities and needs of the child, including health, education, and overall well-being. Typically, this is the parent with whom the child lives most of the time.

What happens to your CCB Credit after separation?

Your CCB will be recalculated based on your individual income which may result in higher payments if your income is lower than your ex spouse.

What is considered sole custody?

If a child lives with you more than 60% of the time, you are considered to have sole custody and entitled to the full CCB Credit.

If the child spends between 40-60% of the time with each parent, both parents are considered to have shared custody. 

After separation, how is CCB paid if parenting time is equal?

When parents separate and share equal parenting time, the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is affected in specific ways. In situations where separated parents share equal parenting time (joint custody arrangement), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can split the payment of the CCB between the parents. This means each parent would receive 50% of the CCB amount they would have been eligible for if the child lived with them full-time. It’s important for both parents to apply for the CCB and to inform the CRA of their shared custody arrangement to ensure the benefit is distributed correctly.

What happens if you remarry?

If you are receiving CCB as a single parent and then marry or get into a common-law relationship, your payments are recalculated based on your combined income. Only one CCB payment is issued per family each month.