Updated July 2026. The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) increased for 2026 as part of the CRA’s annual inflation-based adjustment, giving low-income workers a bit more support against rising rent, grocery, and transportation costs.
What the CWB Is
The CWB is a refundable tax credit for low-earning workers — you get the payment even if you owe no tax. It has two parts: a basic amount for eligible individuals and families, and a disability supplement for those who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. Your amount depends on employment income, marital status, family size, province of residence, and disability status.
2025 Tax Year Amounts (Filed in 2026)
- Maximum for single individuals with no children: $1,633/year
- Maximum for families: $2,813/year
- Disability supplement: up to an additional $843/year for those who qualify
The disability supplement phases out gradually once adjusted net income passes $37,740, and disappears entirely above $43,360.
How the 2026 Increase Reaches You
The CWB increased roughly 2.0% for 2026 to keep pace with inflation, consistent with the indexing process used in prior years. Here’s the timing quirk worth knowing: advance CWB payments are issued three times a year, calculated from your previous year’s tax return — so the 2026 advance payments were based on 2025 amounts. You won’t see the full effect of the 2026 increase until you file your 2026 return in spring 2027, at which point any gap between what you received in advance and what you’re actually entitled to gets reconciled.
The Bottom Line
If you’re eligible for the CWB, keep filing your taxes every year even if your income is low or you owe nothing — it’s the only way the CRA can calculate and deliver both your advance payments and your final entitlement accurately.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency, Canada workers benefit — how much you can get.
