government payments

August tends to be an expensive month for Quebecers, with back-to-school shopping, vacation spending, and the last stretch of summer plans all landing at once.

The good news is that a full slate of deposits from Revenu Québec, the Canada Revenue Agency and Retraite Québec is scheduled between now and August 31. A few of the government payments are also arriving at higher amounts than they were in the spring, since July marked the start of a new benefit year for several federal programs.

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Canadian seniors collecting Old Age Security are getting a slightly bigger deposit this week, with the first payment of the new quarter landing just in time to reflect the latest cost-of-living adjustment.

In case you didn't know, Service Canada revisits OAS amounts four times a year, in January, April, July, and October, to keep pace with the Consumer Price Index. The rates that had been running since April are now done, replaced by a fresh set for the July-through-September stretch, and this week's deposit is the first one to reflect them. No matter what happens with the cost of living, these amounts can never be adjusted downward from one quarter to the next.

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Parents checking their bank accounts today might notice a bigger deposit than usual. The Canada Child Benefit moved into a new benefit year on July 1, and the first payment reflecting that increase went out this Monday, July 20, right on schedule.

Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed the new amounts in a release on Monday. For the 2026-2027 benefit year, families can now receive up to $8,157 annually for each child under 6, and up to $6,883 for each child aged 6 to 17. That works out to increases of up to $160 per child under 6 and up to $135 per child aged 6 to 17, compared to what families were getting the year before.

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Quebec seniors are getting a slightly bigger Old Age Security deposit from here on out, with new amounts kicking in this month just in time for July's payment.

Service Canada revisits OAS amounts four times a year, in January, April, July and October, to keep them in line with the cost of living as tracked by the Consumer Price Index. The rates that had been running since April are now done, replaced by a fresh set for the July-through-September stretch. This month's deposit is the first to reflect them.

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If your budget tends to feel the squeeze toward the end of the month, there's a federal payment heading out this week that could take some of the pressure off.

The Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) is going out in July, and if you work and earn a lower income, this week's deposit could give you a useful boost. It's a refundable tax credit from the Canada Revenue Agency aimed at topping up the income of lower-earning workers, and the good news is that most people who qualify don't have to do anything to get it.

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Canadian parents who receive the Canada Child Benefit may notice a higher amount hitting their bank accounts this month.

Starting in July, the CCB moves into a new benefit year, and the maximum amounts are going up across the board. For families who lean on the deposit for groceries, daycare or school costs, it means a little more landing in the account than it did through the spring.

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If grocery bills have been wearing you down, there's a bit of federal relief hitting bank accounts this week, and for most people it works out to a nice chunk of change.

The money arrives on July 3, and it's the first proper payment from the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), a new program that permanently takes over from the GST/HST credit in order to help modest-income Canadians manage the rising cost of living. More than 12 million Canadians are expected to get it.

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If you've got kids and you're already bracing for back-to-school spending, here's a small bit of relief landing sooner than you'd expect. Most Quebec families who receive the Family Allowance are about to get a little extra in their account, and it shows up automatically.

On July 2, 2026, Retraite Québec is paying out its school supplies supplement to eligible families, worth $127 per child for the 2026-2027 school year. It goes out alongside the regular quarterly Family Allowance payment, so it'll arrive in the same deposit.

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For Canadians who have been feeling the squeeze at the grocery store, some meaningful federal relief is coming this month, and it's bigger than what most people were receiving before.

Starting July 3, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is rolling out quarterly payments under a new program called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which permanently replaces the GST/HST credit. If you received a payment on June 5, that was a one-time bridge deposit to ease the transition. What's coming July 3 is the first real installment of the new benefit, and the amounts are higher.

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Canadian parents have a deposit coming this week, and it's the last one before benefit amounts go up.

June's Canada Child Benefit payment lands on Friday, June 19, right on schedule. For a lot of families, it's a reliable part of the monthly budget, going toward groceries, daycare, school costs or whatever the household needs most.

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In case you didn't know, the federal government began sending out a one-time supplemental GST/HST credit payment on June 5, with eligible Canadians set to receive up to $717 depending on their family situation.

The Canada Revenue Agency is handling the payments automatically, but if you've been checking your bank account and coming up empty, there are a few explanations worth knowing about.

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Quebec seniors have another Old Age Security deposit coming later this month, and it arrives just ahead of a scheduled rate review.

Service Canada adjusts OAS amounts four times a year, in January, April, July and October, to keep payments in step with inflation through changes in the Consumer Price Index. The current rates have been in place since April and remain unchanged through the end of June. What lands in accounts this month will be the last payment at the current amounts before July's adjustment takes effect.

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