Updated July 2026. If you saw claims online about a GST/HST payment landing in February 2026 — on the 4th, the 16th, or any other February date — that was false. The CRA pays this credit quarterly, not monthly, and there has never been a February payment since the benefit was introduced in 1991.
What the Actual 2026 Payment Schedule Looked Like
- January 5, 2026
- April 3, 2026
- July 3, 2026
- October 5, 2026
Payments land on the 5th of the month, shifting slightly when that date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday — which is why the April date moved to the 3rd.
Update: The Credit Has a New Name
As of July 2026, the GST/HST credit was renamed the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), alongside a 25% increase in payment amounts. A one-time top-up payment also went out on June 5, 2026, ahead of the transition. If you were already receiving the GST/HST credit, nothing changes on your end — eligibility rules and how your amount is calculated stay the same, and you don’t need to reapply.
Why the February Misinformation Kept Spreading
The claims appear to confuse the GST/HST credit’s quarterly schedule with other federal and provincial benefits that genuinely do pay out in February. Benefits that were actually paid in February 2026 include:
- Canada Child Benefit (CCB) — February 20, 2026
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) — February 25, 2026
- Old Age Security (OAS) — February 25, 2026
- Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) — February 10, 2026
- Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) — February 19, 2026
The CRA has also warned directly that there is no separate “$2,000 relief payment” being issued by direct deposit — a claim that circulates periodically and has no basis in any actual government program.
Source: Canada Revenue Agency, GST/HST credit (now Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit) payment dates.
