How to Apply for the Nunavut Child Benefit
There is no separate Nunavut Child Benefit application: the CRA uses Form RC66 to determine entitlement, and the benefit is combined with the Canada Child Benefit into one monthly payment.
How to Apply for the Northwest Territories Child Benefit
There is no separate Northwest Territories Child Benefit application: applying for the Canada Child Benefit is the application, and the CRA assesses you for the NWT benefit at the same time.
Applies in: Northwest Territories
The short answer
There is no separate Northwest Territories Child Benefit application. You do not need to apply for the NWT Child Benefit. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses the information from your Form RC66, Canada Child Benefit Application, to determine if you are entitled to receive the benefit. If you are already enrolled in the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) program and meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically qualify for the NWT Child Benefit. Your CCB application is the application.
The NWT Child Benefit provides low-to-modest income families with monthly cash payments to help with the costs of raising children. It is a non-taxable benefit based on the number and ages of children in a family, as well as family net income declared in the previous year's income tax return. It is administered by the CRA on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), and it is included in your monthly Canada Child Benefit payment from the Government of Canada.
What the Northwest Territories Child Benefit pays
Families with a net income under $30,000 receive the full benefit. Families with a net family income between $30,000 and $80,000 may receive a portion of the benefit. The maximum annual amounts, as published by the GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment, are:
| Number of children | Under the age of 6 | Aged 6 to 17 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $815 | $652 |
| 2 children | $1,467 | $1,174 |
| 3 children | $1,997 | $1,597 |
| 4 children | $2,445 | $1,956 |
| 5 children or more | $2,445 plus $367 for each 5th and subsequent child | $1,956 plus $293 for each 5th and subsequent child |
The amount you receive may be lower than the maximum, depending on your net family income. To estimate how much you may be eligible for, use the CRA Child and Family Benefits Calculator — you will need specific information from your income tax return, and the reliability of the result depends on the accuracy of the information you enter.
To be eligible for all or a portion of the benefit, you and your spouse (if applicable) must be an NWT resident, be a parent or primary caregiver of one or more children under the age of 18 who live with you, have a family net income of less than $80,000 per year, and file an income tax return every year.
How the application works
There are two main ways to apply for the CCB, and each one also covers the NWT Child Benefit. This guide does not repeat the full CCB application — the steps, documents, and processing times are in our How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit guide. In brief:
- CRA My Account online. Sign in to your CRA account, open "Apply for child benefits," confirm your contact information, marital status, and citizenship, add the child's details, and submit. The CRA may ask for proof of the child's birth afterwards, which you can send through the "Submit documents" service.
- Form RC66 by mail. Complete Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application, attach the documents the form asks for, and mail it to your tax centre. Newcomers may also need Schedule RC66SCH, which covers status in Canada and income for periods when no Canadian tax return was filed.
There is no deadline to apply for the NWT Child Benefit — it is assessed through the federal government at tax time. Apply for the CCB as soon as you qualify: when a child is born, when a child starts living with you, when you gain custody, or when a shared-custody arrangement begins, ends, or changes. Apply once, through one route: a second application for the same child can delay the first one.
Keeping the benefit going
Once payments start, two habits keep them going:
- File a tax return every year. Both you and your spouse or common-law partner must file, even with no income. The CRA recalculates the benefit from the most recent returns on file, and payments are based on the previous year's family net income.
- Report changes as soon as they happen, through CRA My Account where possible: a change of address, a change in marital status, a child starting or stopping living with you, a shared-custody arrangement beginning, ending, or changing, or a child leaving Canada. Late reporting can mean an overpayment you have to repay, or money you were owed and missed.
Payments are typically issued on the 20th of each month. If a payment does not arrive, check CRA My Account first for the next payment date and for any message asking for documents. A payment can be held up by an unreported change, a missing tax return, or a document the CRA is still waiting for. Fix the underlying item rather than reapplying.
For questions about the benefit, the CRA can be reached at 1-800-387-1193.
How the amount falls between $30,000 and $80,000
The benefit does not drop off a cliff at $30,000. The GNWT handout shows it is phased out gradually across the band: it starts to fall once family net income passes $30,000 and reaches zero when income reaches $80,000. Halfway through the band, at $55,000, a family gets about half the maximum — for example, about $408 a year for one child under 6, against the $815 maximum. Use the CRA Child and Family Benefits Calculator for your own exact figure, since the handout gives the calculation as a formula, not a lookup table.
What the opened pages do not state
The GNWT page states the full-benefit income line ($30,000), the partial-benefit band ($30,000 to $80,000), and the maximum annual amounts, and the GNWT handout linked below publishes the phase-out formula behind the band — the amount falls gradually from $30,000 to zero at $80,000, as the section above explains. The handout gives the calculation as a formula, not a lookup table, so for your own exact figure use the CRA Child and Family Benefits Calculator. The page also does not list NWT Child Benefit payment dates separately, because the benefit arrives with the CCB payment; check the CRA's CCB payment dates for the date. This guide gives no advice on whether you qualify — that is the CRA's decision when it assesses your CCB application.
Related guides:
- How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit — the federal application that also covers the Northwest Territories Child Benefit, with the full steps for each route.
- How to Apply for the Yukon Child Benefit — Yukon's child benefit, also assessed from the CCB application with no separate form.
- How to Apply for the Newfoundland and Labrador Child Benefit — Newfoundland and Labrador's child benefit, also administered by the CRA with the CCB.
- How to Apply for the Nova Scotia Child Benefit — Nova Scotia's child benefit, also assessed from the CCB application.
- How to Apply for the Prince Edward Island Child Benefit — Prince Edward Island's child benefit, also administered by the CRA with the CCB.
- How to Apply for the GST/HST Credit — the federal quarterly credit, which a CCB application also registers you for.
Applying for the Northwest Territories Child Benefit, in five steps
- Apply for the Canada Child BenefitUse CRA My Account or Form RC66 by mail. There is no separate NWT Child Benefit form.
- The CRA checks you for the NWT benefit tooThe CRA uses the information from your CCB application to determine if you are entitled to the NWT Child Benefit.
- File a tax return every yearYou and your spouse or common-law partner must file a return each year so the CRA can recalculate the benefit.
- Payments arrive with the CCBThe NWT Child Benefit is included in your monthly Canada Child Benefit payment, typically issued on the 20th of each month.
- Report changes as they happenTell the CRA about a change of address, marital status, or a child starting or stopping living with you.
Questions people ask
Is there a separate application for the Northwest Territories Child Benefit?
No. You do not need to apply for the NWT Child Benefit. If you are already enrolled in the Canada Child Benefit program and meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically qualify. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses the information from your Canada Child Benefit application to determine if you are entitled to the NWT benefit.
How much is the Northwest Territories Child Benefit?
The maximum annual amount depends on the number and ages of your children. For one child it is $815 a year if the child is under 6, or $652 a year if the child is aged 6 to 17. For two children it is $1,467 under 6 or $1,174 aged 6 to 17; for three children $1,997 or $1,597; for four children $2,445 or $1,956. Families with a net income under $30,000 receive the full benefit, and families with a net family income between $30,000 and $80,000 may receive a portion.
How do I apply for the Canada Child Benefit in the Northwest Territories?
Apply online through CRA My Account or by mail with [Form RC66](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/rc66.html), Canada Child Benefits Application. The full steps for each route are in our [How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit](/guides/how-to-apply-for-the-canada-child-benefit/) guide — this guide does not repeat them.
How is the Northwest Territories Child Benefit paid?
It is included in your monthly Canada Child Benefit payment from the Government of Canada, in a single monthly payment. Payments are typically issued on the 20th of each month. The benefit is non-taxable.
Do I have to file a tax return to keep getting the Northwest Territories Child Benefit?
Yes. You and your spouse or common-law partner must file an income tax return every year. The benefit is based on your family net income declared in the previous year's income tax return, and your family net income must be less than $80,000 a year.
Is there a deadline to apply for the Northwest Territories Child Benefit?
No. There is no deadline to apply — the benefit is assessed through the federal government at tax time. Apply for the Canada Child Benefit as soon as you qualify, when a child is born, when a child starts living with you, or when you gain custody, so you do not lose months you could have been paid for.
Sources
- Government of the Northwest Territories, NWT Child Benefit — no separate application, the $30,000 full-benefit line and $30,000 to $80,000 partial band, the maximum annual amounts by number and age of children, the under-$80,000 eligibility rule, payment with the CCB typically on the 20th, and the CRA calculator link.
- Government of the Northwest Territories, NWT Child Benefit handout — the benefit phased out gradually from $30,000 to zero at $80,000, the phase-out formula, and the maximum annual amounts by number and age of children.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Northwest Territories Tax Information (2025) — the CRA uses Form RC66 to determine entitlement, the benefit is combined with the CCB into one monthly payment, and the CRA contact number.
- Canada Revenue Agency, How to apply — Canada child benefit (CCB) — no separate application for related provincial and territorial programs, the CCB routes, and the supporting documents including Form RC66 and Schedule RC66SCH.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application — the paper application form, which also registers children for related federal, provincial, and territorial programs.