Budget 2026 says the 2027 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Supplement would provide a one-time 50% increase delivered early in 2027.
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Budget 2026 includes plans to enhance the Canada Groceries Essentials Benefit through a 2027 supplement, with the federal government saying it would arrive in early 2027.
The Canada Groceries Essentials Benefit was officially implemented in July 2026, replacing the GST/HST credit, and the federal government says it provides quarterly support to more than 12 million individuals and families with low or modest incomes, indexed annually to keep pace with the cost of living.
According to the federal government, the benefit was increased by 25% in July 2026, and that increase is intended to remain in place for five years from 2026 to 2031; it also included a 50% one-time top up in June 2026.
For 2026-27, the government says the 2027 Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Supplement would provide a one-time 50% increase for eligible recipients, bringing the supplement to up to $339 for a single person without children and up to $679 for a couple with two children.
The federal government says the total support in 2026-27 would be up to about $1,290 for a single person without children and $2,570 for a couple with two children when combined with the June 2026 top-up and the 25% July 2026 increase, and it estimates the supplement would provide $4.1 billion in additional support and be expected to lift an additional 120,000 people out of poverty in 2027.
Budget 2026 also says it will expand and stabilise funding for Nutrition North Canada, which aims to help lower imported food costs and support local food harvesting in remote northern communities.
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