Minister Hajdu highlights new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit

WINDSOR, ON, Feb. 18, 2026 /CNW/ - The global landscape is rapidly changing, leaving economies, businesses and workers under a cloud of uncertainty. In response, Canada's new government is focused on what we can control: building a stronger economy to make life more affordable for Canadians. Affordability pressures--especially those related to food--require immediate support for Canadians.

Today in Windsor, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada's Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, visited the UHC – Hub of Opportunities to highlight how the government is working to put more money back in the pockets of those most affected by the rising price of food, and to tackle food insecurity across a range of fronts.

As announced on February 12 by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, the government has passed legislation to implement the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit to help more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians afford day-to-day essentials, including around 5 million¹ in Ontario, starting in the spring of 2026.

The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit:

• provides a one-time top-up payment to be paid as early as possible this spring and no later than June 2026--equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025–26 value of the GST credit. This delivers $3.1 billion in immediate assistance to individuals and families who currently get the GST credit.
• increases the value of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit by 25% for five years starting in July 2026. This increase delivers $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026–27 to 2030–31 period, including to 500,000 new individuals and families.

Taken together, these measures will provide up to an additional $402 to a single individual without children, $527 to a couple, and $805 to a couple with two children. At these levels, Canada's new government will be offsetting grocery cost increases beyond overall inflation since the pandemic.

The government also recently announced a suite of measures to tackle food insecurity, support producers and strengthen supply chains, including:

• Setting aside $500 million from the Strategic Response Fund to help businesses address the costs of supply chain disruptions without passing those costs on to Canadians at the checkout line.
• Creating the $150 million Food Security Fund under the existing Regional Tariff Response Initiative for small and medium enterprises and the organizations that support them.
• Introducing immediate expensing for greenhouse buildings to lower the cost of food production. This allows producers to fully write off greenhouses acquired on or after November 4, 2025, and that become available for use before 2030. This measure supports increased domestic supply and investment in food production over the medium-term.
• Providing $20 million to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund to ease immediate pressures on food banks. This supports food banks and other national, regional and local organizations to deliver more nutritious food to families in need.
• Developing a national food security strategy to tackle the root causes of food insecurity--one that strengthens domestic food production and improves access to affordable, nutritious food.
• This strategy will also include measures to implement unit price labelling and support the work of the Competition Bureau in monitoring and enforcing competition in the market, including food supply chains.

Quotes

"We know families and individuals in communities like Windsor are feeling the pressure of rising costs. The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit represents material financial support for those Canadians who need it the most while the government's plan to build the strongest economy in the G7 takes effect. Our plan is clear: to build a strong economy that benefits all Canadians, and where economic growth is real and shared."
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada's Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

"Following the recent Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit announcement, we are honoured to welcome Minister Patty Hajdu to witness the transformative work happening at UHC for our community. Her visit is a chance to showcase the real, positive impact we are creating together."
-- June Muir, Chief Executive Officer, UHC-Hub of Opportunities

Quick facts

• Under the proposed Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit:
• A single senior with $25,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $267 plus a longer-term increase of $136 for the 2026–27 benefit year (total increase of $402). In total, they would receive $950 for the 2026–27 benefit year (including the top-up).
• A couple with two children with $40,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $533 plus an increase of $272 for the 2026–27 benefit year (total increase of $805). In total, they would receive $1,890 for the 2026–27 benefit year (including the top-up).
• After the one-time payment is made in the spring of 2026, eligible families and individuals in Canada will receive the enriched regular payments under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit as of July 2026.
• The benefit will be paid quarterly, at the start of the quarter, to permit timely access to the funds to help families with day-to-day expenses. These amounts are additional to existing benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Disability Benefit, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
• The government is focused on making life more affordable for Canadians. The National School Food Program is a landmark investment that aims to provide access to nutritious food for up to 400,000 children every school year. By supporting the health and academic success of students, including those living in food-insecure households, the program promotes healthier futures and more affordability to Canadian families.

Associated links 

• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to make groceries and other essentials more affordable for Canadians | Prime Minister of Canada
• Backgrounder: The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
• Feeding the future today: Canada's National School Food Program
• National School Food Program Act
• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to lower costs for Canadians

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[¹ NL: 187,000.  PEI: 56,000.  NB: 280,000.  NS: 360,000.  QC: 2.8 million.  ON 5 million.  MB: 475,000.  SK: 354,000.  AB: 1.3 million.  BC: 1.7 million.  YK: 10,000.  NWT:  11,000.  NU: 9,000.]

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact: Jennifer Kozelj, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, [email protected], 343-540-6643; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]