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 Ontario Child Benefit
There is no separate Ontario Child Benefit application: applying for the Canada Child Benefit is the application, and the CRA assesses you for the Ontario benefit at the same time.
Applies in: Ontario
The short answer
There is no separate Ontario Child Benefit application. When you apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), you do not need to apply separately for related provincial and territorial programs — the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) determines your eligibility for the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) at the same time. Your CCB application is the application. If you are already receiving the CCB and live in Ontario, the CRA has already assessed you for the OCB; there is no extra form to chase down.
The Ontario Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly amount paid to help low- to moderate-income families provide for their children. It is funded entirely by the Province of Ontario and administered by the CRA on Ontario's behalf. OCB payments are delivered with the Canada Child Benefit in a single monthly payment, so the two amounts arrive together.
What the Ontario Child Benefit pays
For July 2026 to June 2027, you may be eligible to receive up to $146.66 per month for each child under 18 years of age — about $1,760 a year per child. If your adjusted family net income is above $26,865, you may receive a partial benefit. The amount is worked out from your adjusted family net income on your previous year's tax return, so for the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year the CRA uses your 2025 return. The benefit is recalculated each July.
That July recalculation is why filing matters. If your income fell, the payment can rise; if it rose, it can fall; if a return is missing, the CRA has nothing to recalculate from, and payments can stop. You and your spouse or common-law partner must file a tax return every year, even in a year with no income to report.
How the application works
There are three ways to apply for the CCB, and each one also covers the OCB. This guide does not re-walk the full CCB application — the steps, documents, and processing times are in our How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit guide. In brief:
- Birth registration for a newborn. When you register the birth in Ontario, the form asks whether you consent to your information being shared with the CRA, and asks for your Social Insurance Number. If you consent and give your SIN, the CRA receives the information and decides eligibility without a separate application. Ontario offers online birth registration. If you do not consent, nothing is sent to the CRA and you need to use one of the other two routes.
- 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. Allow about 8 weeks.
- 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. Allow about 11 weeks.
Apply 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. Waiting until tax time loses months you could have been paid for. 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 each July from the most recent returns on file.
- 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.
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 Ontario Child Benefit itself, the CRA page points to the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, or you can call 1-888-789-4199 (TTY 1-800-387-5559).
What the opened pages do not state
The CRA's Ontario page states the maximum ($146.66 a month per child) and the full-benefit income line ($26,865) but does not publish the reduction rate above that line or the income level at which the benefit reaches zero, so this guide states neither — use the CRA's child and family benefits calculator for your own figure. The page also does not list OCB payment dates separately, because the OCB 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 Ontario Child Benefit, with the full steps for each route.
- How to Apply for the Quebec Family Allowance — Quebec's child benefit, the one province where the child benefit is not a CRA program.
- How to Apply for the Ontario Trillium Benefit — Ontario's combined energy, property tax, and sales tax credit, also administered by the CRA.
- How to Apply for the GST/HST Credit — the federal quarterly credit, which a CCB application also registers you for.
- How to Apply for Ontario Works — Ontario's last-resort income support, a separate program with its own application.
- How to Apply for ODSP in Ontario — Ontario disability support, a separate Ontario benefit with its own two-stage application.
Applying for the Ontario Child Benefit, in five steps
- Apply for the Canada Child BenefitUse birth registration, CRA My Account, or Form RC66 by mail. There is no separate Ontario Child Benefit form.
- The CRA checks you for the Ontario benefit tooWhen you apply for the CCB, the CRA determines your eligibility for related provincial programs, including the Ontario 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 every July.
- Payments arrive with the CCBThe Ontario Child Benefit is paid in a single monthly payment together with the Canada Child Benefit.
- 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 Ontario Child Benefit?
No. When you apply for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), you do not need to apply separately for related provincial programs — the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) determines your eligibility for the Ontario Child Benefit at the same time. Your CCB application is the application.
How much is the Ontario Child Benefit?
For July 2026 to June 2027, you may be eligible to receive up to $146.66 per month for each child under 18. If your adjusted family net income is above $26,865, you may receive a partial benefit. The amount is recalculated each July from your previous year's tax return.
How do I apply for the Canada Child Benefit in Ontario?
Apply through birth registration for a newborn, 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 Ontario Child Benefit paid?
It is paid together with the Canada Child Benefit in a single monthly payment, by direct deposit or cheque. It is a tax-free amount, funded entirely by the Province of Ontario and administered by the CRA on Ontario's behalf.
Do I have to file a tax return to keep getting the Ontario Child Benefit?
Yes. You and your spouse or common-law partner must file a tax return every year, even in a year with no income to report. The CRA uses those returns to recalculate the benefit each July, and payments can stop if a required return is missing.
What if my child was born in Ontario — do I apply at the hospital?
You can apply for the Canada Child Benefit at the same time as you register the birth of your newborn, using the Automated Benefits Application. Give your consent for your information to be shared with the CRA and enter your Social Insurance Number. If you do not consent, you will need to apply through CRA My Account or by mail instead.
Sources
- Canada Revenue Agency, Province of Ontario — the Ontario Child Benefit as a tax-free amount for low- to moderate-income families, the $146.66 monthly maximum and $26,865 income line for July 2026 to June 2027, payment with the CCB in a single monthly payment, funding by Ontario with administration by the CRA, and the Ministry contact number.
- Canada Revenue Agency, How to apply — Canada child benefit (CCB) — no separate application for related provincial programs, the three CCB routes, the 8-week and 11-week processing times, 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.