Canada workers benefit (CWB)
Basic amount eligibility
You are eligible for the basic amount of the CWB if you meet all the following conditions:
Earn working income and your net income is below the net income level set for your province or territory of residence
Are a resident of Canada throughout the year
Are 19 years of age or older on December 31, or you live with your spouse or common-law partner or your child
You are not eligible for the CWB if any of the following applies:
Are enrolled as a full-time student at a designated educational institution for more than 13 weeks in the year unless, on December 31, you have an eligible dependant
Are confined to a prison or similar institution for a period of at least 90 days during the year
Do not have to pay tax in Canada because you are an officer or servant of another country, such as a diplomat, or you are a family member or employee of that perso
Who an eligible spouse or common-law partner is
For CWB purposes, an eligible spouse is someone who meets all the following conditions:
Lives with you as your spouse or common-law partner on December 31 (or, if they died after June 30, 2025, they were your cohabiting spouse or common-law partner on the date of death and you were not the cohabiting spouse or common-law partner of another individual on December 31, 2025)
Is a resident of Canada throughout the year
Your spouse or common-law partner is not an eligible spouse for the CWB purposes if any of the following applies:
Are enrolled as a full-time student at a designated educational institution for more than 13 weeks in the year unless, on December 31, they have an eligible dependant
Are confined to a prison or similar institution for a period of at least 90 days during the year
Do not have to pay tax in Canada because they are an officer or servant of another country, such as a diplomat, or are a family member or employee of such a person
Who an eligible dependant is
For CWB purposes, an eligible dependant has to meet all of the following conditions:
Is your or your spouse's or common-law partner's child
Note: For the purposes of this claim, a child includes a person under your custody and control who was wholly dependent on you for support. A child you lived with and cared for under kinship or close relationship program (of the federal government, a provincial or territorial government or an Indigenous governing body), can still be an eligible dependant, even if you received payments under that program, as long as the payments were not a children's special allowance for that child.
Is under 19 years of age and lives with you on December 31
Is not eligible for the CWB
How much you can get
The amount you can expect to receive for the CWB depends on your income and your province or territory of residence.
Basic benefit maximum amount
The maximum basic amount for the CWB for 2025 is:
$1,633 for single individuals
The amount is gradually reduced if your adjusted net income is more than $26,855. No basic amount is paid if your adjusted net income is more than $37,742.
$2,813 for families
The amount is gradually reduced if your adjusted family net income is more than $30,639. No basic amount is paid if your adjusted family net income is more than $49,393