GST/HST Credit (2026): It Now Has a Different Name
The CRA renamed it the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit as of July 2026 — its own page now reads "No longer available." The last old-name payment was April 2, 2026. Almost no other page has noticed.
CreditCardGuru Editorial Team
Rewards & Cards Research · September 17, 2026 · 7 min read
The GST/HST credit no longer exists under that name. As of July 2026 it is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit.
The CRA's own page now reads "GST/HST credit – No longer available," and states plainly: "The GST/HST credit has been renamed the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) as of July 2026."
Almost every page you will find searching for this still uses the old name and publishes the old schedule. Here is what actually changed, what did not, and why an eligible person might have received nothing.
What is it called now?
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, or CGEB. Same benefit, same purpose, new name.
The transition has a documented timeline:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| April 2, 2026 | The last quarterly payment under the GST/HST credit was issued |
| June 5, 2026 | A one-time top-up payment was issued, to provide support before the new benefit took effect |
| July 2026 | The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit took effect |
The June top-up went to people who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit in January 2026. If you qualified in January and saw an unexpected deposit in early June, that was it.
One substantive change beyond the name: the CRA notes that payments may previously have included amounts from provincial or territorial programs, and those will now be included with your CGEB payments.
Are you still eligible?
Almost certainly, if you were before. The CRA states the eligibility criteria are the same, and that if you were receiving the GST/HST credit and your situation has not changed, you are likely eligible for the CGEB.
The mechanism is unchanged too. File a tax return each year and the CRA automatically determines whether you are entitled — there is no separate application for existing filers.
That last point is the one that costs people money, so it is worth stating directly: if you do not file, you do not get paid, no matter how low your income is. For someone with no tax to pay, the return is the application.
How the amount is worked out
It is recalculated every July, using the previous year's tax return.
That is the mechanic behind the most common confusion in this whole topic. Payment periods run from July to June of the following year, and the amount for that period is set by the return you filed for the prior year.
Two consequences:
- Your payment can change in July even though nothing about your life changed that month. A different income figure on last year's return produced a different entitlement.
- A late return delays everything. The calculation cannot run without it.
Because the amount depends on your own income, family situation and the current benefit year's thresholds, no article can tell you your figure. Sign in to your CRA account and read it there.
You were eligible but got nothing
The usual causes are not about eligibility at all.
| What happened | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing has ever arrived | No tax return filed for the relevant year | File it, even with no income. Late returns can still produce a retroactive payment |
| Payments stopped this summer | Last year's return not filed or not yet assessed | Check the return's status in your CRA account |
| You are a newcomer and have had nothing | Newcomers apply on a form before their first return | Complete the CRA's application for the first year |
| Payment date passed, nothing arrived | Processing or banking details | Check your CRA account, then contact the CRA |
| Your amount changed unexpectedly | New benefit year recalculated from a different return | Compare against last year's assessed income |
On the first row — filing late is worth doing. The CRA confirms that if you file a prior-year return late you may still be entitled to a payment retroactively, and that any retroactive amount is now issued as a CGEB payment. Depending on when the return is assessed, it may arrive as a separate lump sum or combined with your next quarterly payment.
Where to check your own payments
Your CRA account, not an article.
- Sign in and choose your Individual account.
- On the Overview screen, select Benefits and credits.
- Go to Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit) for your payment amounts.
Historical GST/HST credit entitlements are there too — the CRA sent notices of your annual entitlement to your CRA account, or by mail if you did not have one.
A word about scams
A programme rename is exactly the moment fraud spikes, because "your benefit has changed, confirm your details" sounds plausible.
The CRA's own guidance is specific: it will only send email notifications if you have given it your email address, and those notifications will not ask you to provide personal information or click on any links.
Verify every payment detail by signing in to your CRA account directly. Do not use a link from an email or a text message.
Is GST the same as the GST credit?
No, and they point in opposite directions. GST and HST are sales taxes you pay. The credit — now the CGEB — is a payment made to you, intended to offset some of that tax for people on low and modest incomes.
Searching for "GST" will return both, plus business registration information. If money is supposed to be arriving in your account, the benefit is what you want.
The rename, the July 2026 effective date, the final GST/HST credit payment on April 2, 2026, the one-time top-up on June 5, 2026, the continuity of eligibility criteria, the inclusion of provincial and territorial amounts, the July-to-June benefit period, the retroactive-payment rule and the scam guidance are all from the Canada Revenue Agency's "GST/HST credit – No longer available" page at canada.ca, read September 2026. This programme is mid-transition, so check the CRA directly for current amounts and dates. No product is reviewed here and this page carries no affiliate links.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GST/HST credit still called that?
No. The CRA renamed it the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit as of July 2026, and its own page is now headed "GST/HST credit – No longer available." The benefit itself continues — the name and the payment label changed.
What is the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit?
It is the renamed GST/HST credit: a tax-free payment for individuals and families with low and modest incomes. The CRA states the eligibility criteria are the same, so if you qualified before and nothing has changed, you are likely eligible now.
When was the last GST/HST credit payment?
April 2, 2026 was the final quarterly payment under the old name. A one-time top-up followed on June 5, 2026 for people entitled to the credit in January 2026, and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit took effect in July 2026.
What was the June 5, 2026 payment?
A one-time GST/HST credit top-up, issued to provide support before the new benefit began in July 2026. It went to people who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit in January 2026. It was additional to the regular quarterly payments.
Do I have to apply for it?
Not if you file a tax return — the CRA automatically determines your entitlement from it. Newcomers to Canada are the exception and must apply on a form for their first year, before they have filed a Canadian return.
Do I get it if I have no income?
Yes, if you are otherwise eligible — but only if you file a return. The CRA cannot determine entitlement without one. For someone with no tax to pay, filing is purely to claim benefits, and skipping it means receiving nothing.
Why did my payment amount change in July?
Because it is recalculated every July using your previous year's tax return, and payment periods run July to June. A different income or family situation on that return produces a different entitlement, even if nothing changed for you in July itself.
I filed my taxes late — did I lose the payments?
Not necessarily. The CRA says a late prior-year return may still entitle you to a retroactive amount, now issued as a CGEB payment. It may arrive as a separate lump sum or combined with your next quarterly payment, depending on when the return is assessed.
Is GST the same thing as the GST credit?
No. GST and HST are sales taxes you pay on purchases. The credit — now the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit — is a payment made to you to help offset that tax. One goes out, the other comes in.
How do I check what I was paid?
Sign in to your CRA account, select your Individual account, choose Benefits and credits, then Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit). Previous entitlement notices are there too. Never verify payment details through an emailed link.