The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses information from your income tax and benefit return to calculate how much your CCB payments will be. To get the CCB, you and your spouse (if applicable) have to file your return every year, even if you did not have income in the year. Benefits are paid over a 12-month period from July to June. Benefit payments will be recalculated every July based on information from your income tax and benefit return from the previous year.