GST credit top-up coming in spring after bill fast-tracked in Parliament

OTTAWA — Canadians who receive the GST benefit will get a one-time top up payment this spring after parliamentarians fast-tracked the legislation to set it motion.

The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit received royal assent late today, after passing the final vote in the Senate earlier in the day and the House of Commons last week.

The finance department says the benefit will provide a one-time top-up payment “as early as possible this spring” worth 50 per cent of the credit.

The normal value of the benefit, which is paid to Canadians with low and modest incomes, will also increase by 25 per cent for five years starting in July.

The government says it will help more than 12 million Canadians and that when combined, the measures mean a family of four will receive up to $1,890 this year, and about $1,400 annually for the next four years.

The Conservatives helped speed the bill through the House last week, offering their support even though they called it a “Band-Aid solution.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2026.

—With files from Nick Murray, Kyle Duggan and Craig Lord