Canadian · Federal benefits
Canada Workers Benefit calculator.
The 2025-tax-year basic CWB and disability supplement, reproduced line-by-line from CRA's own Schedule 6 — including the secondary-earner exemption that most online calculators skip entirely.
Basic CWB phases in at 27% of family working income over $3,000, up to $1,633 (single) or $2,813 (with an eligible spouse or dependant), then phases out at 15% of adjusted family net income over $26,855 (single) or $30,639 (family). A DTC-eligible person can also claim a disability supplement up to $843.
Inputs
Estimated CWB
Enter your income and press Calculate.
The secondary-earner exemption most calculators miss
When a couple applies for the CWB, CRA doesn't just add both incomes together. The spouse with the LOWER working income gets a personal exemption from the family's adjusted net income — the lesser of their own working income or their own net income, up to $16,386. In practice this means a couple where one partner earns far less than the other qualifies at a materially higher combined income than the raw thresholds suggest, because a chunk of the lower earner's income is excluded from the phase-out calculation entirely.
Basic amount vs. disability supplement
The CWB has two independent parts. The basic amount is a single claim per family (one spouse claims it), phased in at 27% of family working income above $3,000 and phased out at 15% of adjusted family net income above the family-status base. The disability supplement is claimed separately by each Disability Tax Credit-eligible person in the household on their own Schedule 6, using their own working income — a couple where both spouses are DTC-eligible can each receive up to $843, and the phase-out rate for each drops from 15% to 7.5% specifically because both are eligible.
Sources, read 26 September 2026: CRA T1-2025 Schedule 6 (5000-S6), the actual worksheet this tool reproduces, CRA — Canada workers benefit: how much you can get. Quebec, Alberta and Nunavut use different Schedule 6 versions (5005-S6 for QC, 5009-S6 for AB, 5014-S6 for NU) with their own amounts and thresholds — not modelled here.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a working income above zero to qualify?
Yes — the basic CWB only phases in once family working income exceeds $3,000, and the disability supplement only phases in once the claimant's own working income exceeds $1,150.
Why is my province not shown?
This calculator models the federal formula used by every province and territory except Quebec, Alberta and Nunavut, which each run their own CWB variant with different base amounts and thresholds set out in their own Schedule 6. Use the Quebec/Alberta/Nunavut calculator instead if you live in one of those three.
Can both spouses claim the basic CWB?
No — only one spouse claims the basic CWB per family. If you can't agree who claims it, CRA decides. The disability supplement is different: each DTC-eligible spouse claims their own, on a separate Schedule 6.
What is the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB)?
Up to 50% of your CWB (basic and disability supplement) can be paid in advance quarterly instalments during the year, reported on an RC210 slip and reconciled against your final entitlement when you file. This tool estimates the annual entitlement, not the advance-payment reconciliation.
Estimate only
This reproduces CRA's federal Schedule 6 formula for the 2025 tax year. It does not model Quebec/Alberta/Nunavut's separate CWB variants, the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit reconciliation, reserve-earned tax-exempt income, or UCCB/RDSP repayment adjustments to net income. Confirm your exact entitlement with CRA or a tax professional.