Low-income and middle-income earning individuals face difficulties meeting the high costs of living essentials, especially if they have children under 18. The Provincial Government of Ontario offers a social assistance program called the Ontario Child Benefit program or OCB to help low-income and middle-income residents of Ontario meet the costs of basic needs for their children. The Ontario Child Benefit program or OCB payment dates are usually on the 20th of every month.
What Is The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)?
The Ontario Child Benefit or OCB is a financial assistance program fully funded and sponsored by the provincial government of Ontario. It is offered to low-income and middle-income residents who find it hard to meet the costs of basic needs and provide for their children.
Similar to the federal government's Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the Ontario Child Benefit offers employed and unemployed eligible individuals non-taxable benefit payments to provide coverage for the costs incurred by raising and caring for children under 18.
The program, issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on behalf of the Ontario government, has provided financial aid to over one million children in more than 500,000 families.
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) Payment Dates 2023
The OCB payments are made together with the Canada Child Benefit payment as a single payment every month. Individuals eligible for the CCB alongside the OCB will receive both benefit payments on the 20th day of every month.
If you are eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit in 2023, you will receive your benefit payment on the following dates:
- January 20, 2023
- February 20, 2023
- March 20, 2023
- April 20, 2023
- May 19, 2023
- June 20, 2023
- July 20, 2023
- August 18, 2023
- September 20, 2023
- October 20, 2023
- November 20, 2023
- December 13, 2023
Related: You may also be interested in the Ontario Trillium Payment dates.
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to receive the monthly Ontario Child Benefit, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a resident of Ontario
- You must have a child under the age of 18 and be primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child
- You must be eligible to receive the Canada Child Benefit or CCB
- You and your spouse or partner must have filed your income tax and benefit returns for the previous year
- You must be 18 years or older
- You must meet the OCB income requirements
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB): How Much Can You Receive?
The amount you may be eligible to receive for the Ontario Child Benefit is determined based on the number of children under 18 years in your care and your adjusted family net income.
Your monthly OCB payment will be made together with the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment. If you are eligible for the OCB, you may receive up to $125.75 per month ($1,509 per year) for each child you have under the age of 18.
However, if your adjusted family net income is greater than $23,044, you may receive a partial benefit.
How To Apply For The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)
To apply for the Ontario Child Benefit, you must apply for and be eligible to receive the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). Once you apply to receive the Canada Child Benefit, you will be automatically assessed for the Ontario Child Benefit.
After applying for the Canada Child Benefit, you should receive your Ontario Child Benefit payments within 8 weeks of submitting your application online or within 11 weeks if you applied by mail. However, you must file your income tax and benefit returns annually to keep receiving the benefit.
If you have any inquiries about the OCB, you can contact the CRA at 1-800-387-0193 (toll-free) or 1-800-665-0354 (TTY).
Other Child Benefit Programs In Ontario
Aside from the Ontario Child Benefit, the Ontario provincial government also offers residents other child benefit programs. They include:
Transition Child Benefit
The Transition Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to beneficiaries of Ontario Works who are not recipients of the OCB. The benefit aims to enable low-income individuals with children under the age of 18 to cover the costs of living expenses.
Eligible individuals may receive up to $230 per month for each child they have under the age of 18 under their care.
Individuals who receive the Ontario Works monthly benefit payments do not need to apply for the Transition Child Benefit, as the benefit payment will be automatically added to their Ontario Works payment.
Ontario Child Care Tax Credit
The Ontario Child Care Tax Credit is also referred to as the Ontario Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) Tax Credit and offers taxable financial assistance to eligible residents enabling them to care for their children.
The program aims to provide low-income and moderate-income individuals and families the freedom and flexibility to decide how they want to take care of and provide for their children.
Eligible individuals can claim this tax credit when they file their income tax and benefit returns, and they may claim up to 75% of child care expenses such as:
- Camp fees
- Daycare center fees
- Sports schools
- Boarding school fees
- Caregiver fees
- Other child-related expense costs
To be eligible to receive the Ontario Child Care Tax Credit, you must:
- Be an Ontario resident
- Be qualified to claim the Child Care Expense Deduction
- Have a family unit net income that is not greater than $150,000
If you are eligible for the tax credit, you may receive up to:
- $6,000 for each child under the age of 7 years.
- $3,750 for each child aged 7 to 16 years old.
- $8,250 for each child with a severe disability.
Related: You may be interested to learn about the OAS payment dates.
In Summary
Low-income and middle-income individuals, as well as unemployed individuals, can receive the Ontario Child Benefit or OCB to help them provide for their children. The Ontario Child Benefit has provided relief for more than 1,000,000 children in over 500,000 homes over the years.
The program provides non-taxable financial support to eligible Ontario residents with children under the age of 18 who find it hard to meet the costs of living expenses for their children.
The CRA issues the Ontario Child Benefit to eligible recipients on behalf of the Ontario government.
To apply for and receive the benefits, you must first apply for and be qualified to receive the Canada Child Benefit or CCB. Once eligible for the CCB, you will be automatically assessed for the OCB. However, you must file your income tax and benefit returns every year to keep receiving the benefits.
Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) Payment Dates FAQs
How much is the Child Benefit in Ontario per month?
If you are eligible for the Ontario Child Benefit, you may receive up to $125.75 per month for each child under 18.
Who qualifies for Ontario Child Benefit?
You may be qualified for the OCB if you:
- Are a resident of Ontario
- Earn low-income
- Have a child less than 18 years old in your care and are the main caregiver of the child
- Your spouse or common-law partner has filed your income tax returns for the previous year
- Are qualified to receive the Canada Child Benefit
How often is Ontario Child Benefit paid?
The Ontario Child Benefit is paid monthly. Eligible individuals will receive their OCB payments together with their CCB payments at the same time.
What day do Child Benefits get paid in Ontario?
The Ontario Child Benefit payment is made on the 20th day of every month, together with the Canada Child Benefit payments.
