Canada's federal and provincial governments have several benefit programs to provide financial aid to eligible citizens. Like other provinces, Alberta also has a number of financial assistance programs that provide income support, health support, as well as other benefits to low-income and middle-income earning Albertan individuals and families.
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is one such program that provides financial assistance to eligible individuals and families with children under the age of 18. In the following sections, you'll learn what the ACFB program is, who's eligible and what the ACFB payment dates are.
What Is The Alberta Child And Family Benefit (ACFB)?
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is a family-oriented financial assistance program sponsored by the provincial government of Alberta. It aims to provide direct financial aid to low-income and middle-income earning individuals and families in Alberta to assist with the costs of raising children under the age of 18.
The program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on behalf of the provincial government and offers non-taxable quarterly payments to eligible Albertans.
Introduced in July 2020, the ACFB is a coalition of the Alberta Child Benefit (ACB) and the Alberta Family Employment Tax Credit (AFETC).
By merging these two programs, Alberta aims to ensure that low-income Albertan families or individuals receive more benefits than they previously did. The provincial government also seeks to make the program's administration more effective.
ACFB Payment Dates 2022
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments are made quarterly and are issued by the CRA on behalf of the provincial government.
If you are eligible to receive the ACFB in 2022, you will receive your benefit payments on the following dates:
- February 25, 2022
- May 27, 2022
- August 26, 2022
- November 25, 2022
You can choose to receive your Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments either by direct deposit or by cheque.
However, direct deposits are the preferred routes as they are quick, easy, secure and reliable.
Like the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments, if the benefit amount you're eligible for is less than $10 for any given quarter of the year, you may receive your benefit payments less frequently than on the payment dates mentioned above.
Related: You may also be interested to learn the Alberta Seniors Benefit Payment Dates.
ACFB Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- You must have one or more children under the age of 18 in your care.
- You must be a resident of Alberta.
- You must meet the income requirements.
- You must file your annual income tax returns.
You should note that you'll still be eligible to receive the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) even if you already receive other benefits such as the Income Support, Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) or the Alberta Child Benefit (ACB).
In the same vein, receiving the ACFB does not affect your eligibility for other financial assistance programs in Alberta.
Alberta Child And Family Benefit (ACFB): How Much Can You Receive?
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit amount you may be eligible to receive depends on your family's net income and the number of children you have under 18.
To better understand how much you're eligible for, you must know that the Alberta Child and Family Benefit has two components:
- The base component
- The working component
The Base Component
The base component is a portion of the Alberta Child and Family Benefit to which all lower-income families are entitled. It provides benefit payments to lower-income families with children under 18, even if they do not earn any employment income.
Consequently, the maximum base component is independent of your income, but it increases with every child under 18 under your care.
The Working Component
The working component is available to families when their employment income becomes greater than $2,760.
The amount paid to these families increases at 15% for every additional dollar they earn over $2,760 until they reach the maximum benefit amount.
The more they work, the higher their benefit amount. This is to encourage beneficiaries to work and remain in the workforce.
The maximum benefit amount you and your family are eligible for thus depends on your family's net income and the number of children you have. The following table shows how these maximum ACFB amounts vary in the ACFB program:
| Number of Children | Maximum Base Component | Maximum Working Component |
| 1 | $1,330 | $681 |
| 2 | $1,995 | $1,301 |
| 3 | $2,660 | $1,672 |
| 4 or more | $3,325 | $1,795 |
You can also use the Child and Family Benefits Calculator from the CRA to find out how much you may be eligible to receive. You should note that you'll need the information from your income tax returns to get a specific amount.
Related: You may be interested in the OAS Payment Dates.
Alberta Child And Family Benefit Clawback
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit is an income-tested benefit program. Hence, families with lower incomes receive greater benefits than families with higher income levels. Once your family's net income reaches a certain threshold, the benefit amount you receive will be clawed back.
For families receiving the base component, the benefit amount they receive starts reducing when the family's net income becomes greater than $24,467.
On the other hand, for the working component, reduction starts when the family's net income exceeds $41,000. Furthermore, the benefit amount will be completely clawed back when your family's net income reaches $61,000.
How To Apply For The Alberta Child And Family Benefit (ACFB)
As an Alberta resident, if you file your annual income tax returns and are qualified to receive the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB), you will be automatically considered for the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB). You do not need any other application process.
If you haven't done so already, you can apply for the CCB here.
For any enquiry on financial assistance in Alberta, you can contact Alberta Supports at 1-877-644-9992.
Changes That Can Cause Your Eligibility To Be Reassessed
Certain situations or changes in your family's status may cause your eligibility status with the ACFB to change. Such changes include:
- If you have another child, you may be eligible to receive a higher benefit amount than you previously received.
- If you and your family relocate out of Alberta, you may be required to refund part of the money you received during the months when you lived outside Alberta.
- If you are a new Alberta resident, you will become eligible for the ACFB in the month following your move to the province.
This means that you should contact the CRA if your household status changes so as not to receive any underpayments or overpayments.
The CRA regularly reassesses the eligibility status of recipients as updated information is received.
Your eligibility might be reassessed if:
- Your family is qualified to receive a higher benefit than what is originally paid. In this case, the CRA will provide an additional payment equal to the difference between what should be paid and what is being paid.
- Your family qualifies to receive a lower benefit or no benefit at all. In this case, the CRA will send you a letter informing you that you will have to refund any overpaid benefits.
In Summary
Low-income and middle-income Albertan families and individuals with children under the age of 18 may be qualified to receive the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB). The ACFB provides financial assistance to eligible Alberta residents to help cover the costs of raising children in Alberta.
The benefit amount depends on the number of children you have and on your employment income. Besides meeting the eligibility criteria, you must file your income tax and benefit returns annually to keep receiving the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) payment.
ACFB Payment Dates FAQs
Is the ACFB taxable?
No, the Alberta Child and Family Benefit (ACFB) is a non-taxable income, and you do not have to include it as income when filing your income tax returns for the year. You also do not owe taxes deductible from any ACFB payment you receive.
How much is the Alberta Child and Family Benefit?
Eligible individuals and families may receive a maximum Alberta Child and Family Benefit amount of $3,325 for the base component and a maximum of $1,795 for the working component, making the maximum total amount $5,120.
How often do you get the Alberta Child and Family Benefit?
You will get your Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments four times per year if you are eligible for the program. The benefit payments are made quarterly by the CRA in February, May, August and November to eligible recipients through direct deposit or by cheque, depending on what payment method you sign up for.
Who gets the Alberta Child and Family Benefit?
To get the Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments, you must have one or more children under the age of 18 in your care. You must also be an Alberta resident, meet the income criteria and file your annual income tax returns.
Is ACFB paid monthly?
No, the ACFB is not paid monthly. Unlike other child benefits like the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the ACFB payments are made to recipients quarterly in February, May, August and November.
