Nearly 153,000 Manitoba families will see larger Canada Child Benefit payments starting this month as the federal government increases the tax-free benefit for the 2026-27 payment year.

The maximum annual payment is rising to $8,157 per child under six and $6,883 per child aged six to 17.

That’s an increase of up to $160 for younger children and $135 for older children compared to last year.

The federal government says the benefit is indexed to inflation and is intended to help families cover the rising costs of essentials like groceries, clothing and child care.

In Manitoba, the Canada Child Benefit provides more than $1.4 billion annually to approximately 153,000 families.

Nationally, about 3.6 million families receive the benefit, supporting roughly 6 million children across Canada.