What Is the Canadian Workers Benefit?

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Danielle Kubes is a trained journalist and investor who has written about personal finance for the past six years. Her writing has been published in The Globe and Mail, National Post, MoneySense, Vice and RateHub.ca. Danielle writes about investing and personal finance for Wealthsimple. She has a Bachelor of Humanities from Carleton University and a Master of Journalism from Ryerson University.

The CWB, defined

The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) replaced the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) in 2019. It’s a refundable tax credit for low-income individuals with an adjusted net income between $3,000 and $33,015 or low-income families with an adjusted family net income between $3,000 and $43,212. The maximum benefit is $1,428 for individuals and $2,461 for families. An additional supplement is available to eligible individuals with disabilities.

How the CWB works

The benefit kicks in when you begin to earn an employment income of $3,000. You get 27% of every dollar you earn above that amount until the maximum benefit is reached for your family situation and province. When your household taxable income reaches a specific threshold, the benefits are reduced by 15% until it is completely eliminated, at a higher threshold. Only one person per household can receive the CWB, but each spouse may receive an additional disability supplement if they are both eligible.

The benefit comes in the form of a refundable tax credit. Normally, your tax refund cannot exceed what you actually paid in tax — the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is merely refunding an overpayment. In the case of a refundable tax credit, the CRA dips into its own coffers to pay you.

You can choose to get the exact amount in a lump sum once a year, or if eligible, spread it out throughout the year ((half the estimated amount in three advance payments throughout the year, and the rest in a lump sum after your taxes are assessed).

CWB eligibility

To receive the CWB, you must:

  • Be at least 19 years old by the end of the tax year, or be under 19 years old, but have a spouse, a common-law partner, or a child that lives with you

  • Be a resident of Canada for income tax purposes throughout the year

  • Earn $3,000 from working income, but have total adjusted family net income of less than $32,244 for singles or $42,197 for families

You are not eligible for the CWB if you are:

  • A full-time student for more than 13 weeks in the year, unless you have a child who lives with you

  • In prison for 90 days or more during the year

  • Not required to pay tax in Canada because you are a diplomat or in a similar situation or were a family member who lived with a person in this situation. If you were an employee of a person in this situation at any time in the year, you also aren't eligible.

You are eligible for the disability supplement if you are both:

How your CWB benefit is calculated

The amount you receive is based on the following factors:

  • Marital status

  • Province or territory of residence

  • Working income

  • Adjusted family net income

  • Eligibility for the disability supplement

You must first add up for yourself and an eligible spouse any:

  • Employment income

  • Taxable scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, and artist project grants

  • Self-employment income

  • Tax-exempt working income earned on a reserve (including this income is optional for the CWB) or an allowance received as an emergency volunteer

If your spouse is ineligible to receive the CWB, and you also do not have a child living with you, you must calculate your CWB as if you were single. Leave out any of your partner’s income. Your benefit will be calculated and distributed as if you were unattached.

For example, if you are child-free and your husband has been in prison for six months, then you do not need to include any of his income and you will receive a maximum benefit of $1,395.

Otherwise, you must include your total household taxable income and one of you will receive the CWB. If you can’t decide which partner will get the money, then the CRA will decide for you.

Next, if your working income is above $3,000, then you must determine your income for the purposes of the benefit (also called adjusted family net income (AFNI)). The following applies:

  • Net income on line 23600 (previously known as line 236) on your return. This is all sources of income, such as pensions, capital gains, social assistance payments, employment, minus all deductions, such as RRSP contributions

  • Plus tax-exempt income received on a reserve (minus the deductions related to that income) or an allowance received as an emergency volunteer

  • Plus any repayment of the universal child care benefit (UCCB) and RDSP

  • Minus income from the UCCB or RDSP

Based on this figure, you have your total AFNI, and you can calculate your CWB: 27% of every dollar between $3,000 and the first income threshold, then a clawback of 15% of every dollar after the final income threshold.

Individuals eligible for the Disability Tax Credit and CWB may also receive a CWB disability supplement. The maximum amount is $737 in 2023 for each person with a disability.

The government provides a calculator for all the benefits it offers and can estimate the amount you may get.

Applying for the CWB

Fill out Schedule 6 to claim the CWB. The calculated refundable credit will appear on line 45300 and will be included in your total refund amount (or used to reduce your amount owing if you're in that situation). If you forget to claim the CWB, the CRA will calculate your CWB benefit when assessing your submitted return.

Frequently asked questions

The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable federal tax credit available automatically to eligible low-income married or common-law couples and individuals who file taxes. The CWB has two parts: the basic CWB amount and the disability supplement. The supplement is provided to taxpayers who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).

The CWB is an enhanced version of the Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) that provides tax relief to low-income individuals and families with easy access, more benefits, and a higher income threshold.

To be eligible for the CWB, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 19 years old by the end of the tax year, or be under 19 years old, but have a spouse, a common-law partner, or a child that lives with you
  • Be a resident of Canada for income tax purposes throughout the year
  • Earn $3,000 from employment or self-employment, but have a total taxable income of less than $32,244 for singles or $42,197 for families

You are not eligible if:

  • You are a full-time student (studying more than 13 weeks during the year, unless you have a child that lives with you)
  • You were in prison for 90 days or longer during the tax year
  • You don’t pay taxes because you are a foreign officer or are in a similar situation or were a family member who lived with a person in this situation. If you were an employee of a person in this situation at any time in the year, you also aren't eligible.

You are eligible for the disability supplement if both of the following apply:

  • You are eligible for the CWB
  • You are eligible for the DTC

The CWB payment for individuals and families is 27% of the working income (over $3,000) up to a maximum of $1,395 if their income is less than or equal to $22,944. For families, the maximum CWB payment is $2,403 if their income is less than or equal to $26,177. The yearly CWB amount gradually reduces if the income is over $22,944 for individuals and $26,177 for families. One cannot receive the CWB payment if their adjusted net income is over $32,244 for individuals or $42,197 for families.

The maximum CWB disability supplement amount is $720. The amount is reduced if the net income is over $32,244 for individuals and $42,197 for families. No CWB amount is paid out if one spouse is eligible disabled (qualify for the DTC) and the net family income is over $46,997, or if both spouses are eligible disabled individuals and their net family income is over $51,797.

(The maximum amounts can differ slightly for Nunavut, Québec, and Alberta.)

To claim the CWB, an individual or family must have a working income of $3,000 or more.

The advance CWB payments are paid out quarterly on triannually on July 12, October 12, and January 12. If you did not receive your CWB payment, you should wait 10 full days before contacting the CRA. In certain cases, the CWB amount is paid after the CRA’s assessment of the tax return.

Only one family member (spouse) can claim the basic amount of the CWB. If only one partner qualifies for the disability supplement, that partner should claim the CWB.

However, if both spouses are eligible for the DTC, one of them can claim the basic CWB amount and both can claim disability supplement separately on Schedule 6. You can also get professional advice from a tax expert on how to maximize this benefit.

The CRA will determine your eligibility to receive advanced payments of your CWB so long as you file your tax return before November 1 of the benefit period. If you aren't eligible for advanced payments, you will receive the lump sum amount on your tax return.

The CRA calculates the CWB amount of an individual or family using:

  • Your marital status (if your spouse or common-law partner who is a Canadian resident during the tax year lives with you on December 31)
  • Province or territory you live in
  • Working income for the tax year
  • Your total adjusted family net income
  • Eligible dependant
  • Eligibility for the DTC
Last Updated November 11, 2023

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