The Canadian Old Age Security pension is a monthly payment available to most people aged 65 and older who have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning 18, funded from general tax revenues rather than payroll contributions. For January through March 2026, the maximum is $742.31 per month if you are 65 to 74 and $816.54 if you are 75 or older.1Government of Canada. Canada Pension Plan (2026) and Old Age Security (January to March 2026) What you actually receive depends on how long you lived in Canada, not on your work history or earnings.
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 65 and a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved. If you live in Canada, you need 10 years of residency after age 18. If you live outside Canada, you need 20 years of residency after age 18, and you must have been a citizen or legal resident on the day you left.2Government of Canada. Old Age Security – Do You Qualify
If your Canadian residency falls short, an international social security agreement may close the gap. Canada has agreements with dozens of countries that let periods of residency or contributions abroad count toward OAS eligibility.3Government of Canada. Pension and Benefits – Eligibility Each country still pays its own benefit under its own rules; the agreement helps you qualify, it does not merge your credits.
How Much You Receive
The amount is tied to years of Canadian residency after age 18. Forty years or more qualifies you for the full pension. With fewer, you get a partial pension equal to your years divided by 40.4Government of Canada. Old Age Security – How Much You Could Receive Someone with 25 years of Canadian residency receives 25/40, or 62.5%, of the full amount.
For January through March 2026, the full monthly pension is $742.31 for people aged 65 to 74 and $816.54 for those 75 and older.1Government of Canada. Canada Pension Plan (2026) and Old Age Security (January to March 2026) The 10% increase at 75 is automatic, applied the month after your 75th birthday.4Government of Canada. Old Age Security – How Much You Could Receive
Payment amounts are reviewed quarterly in January, April, July, and October to keep pace with inflation. They go up when the cost of living rises and never go down if it falls.4Government of Canada. Old Age Security – How Much You Could Receive
OAS payments are taxable, but tax is not withheld unless you ask Service Canada to deduct it, so people who don’t arrange withholding can face a lump-sum bill at tax time.5Government of Canada. Old Age Security – While Receiving OAS
Getting Your First Payment
Many people do not need to apply. The month after you turn 64, Service Canada mails one of two letters: a notice that you have been automatically enrolled, or a letter saying you may be eligible and need to file an application.6Government of Canada. Old Age Security – Apply, Delay, or Change Your Start Date If the automatic enrollment letter arrives and you are ready to start at 65, no action is needed. If neither letter reaches you within a month of your 64th birthday, contact Service Canada.
When you do have to apply, the paper form is the Application for the OAS and the GIS (ISP-3550), which covers both benefits in one package, and you can also apply online through your My Service Canada Account.6Government of Canada. Old Age Security – Apply, Delay, or Change Your Start Date You will need your Social Insurance Number and a full history of where you have lived since age 18, including dates outside Canada, because that residency history is how the government decides whether you get a full or partial pension.
Delaying Past 65
You can defer OAS beyond 65 for a permanently larger payment. Each month of delay adds 0.6%, capped at a 36% increase at age 70; waiting past 70 does not add anything more. Deferring to 70 turns the current $742.31 maximum into roughly $1,010 a month.
One trap catches people who don’t decide up front. If you apply after 65 without formally deferring, Service Canada can pay you retroactively for up to 11 months. If you chose to defer, you cannot claim retroactive payments for the deferral period.7Government of Canada. When to Start Your Retirement Pension
Deferral also blocks the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is only paid to people currently receiving OAS. For low-income seniors, the GIS given up during deferral years typically outweighs the future increase in OAS, so deferring rarely makes sense.
When the Government Takes Some Back
Higher-income retirees repay part or all of their OAS through the recovery tax. For 2026, repayment starts when net world income exceeds $95,323, at a rate of 15 cents per dollar above the threshold, and Service Canada reduces your monthly payments to collect it.8Government of Canada. Old Age Security Pension Recovery Tax
The pension is fully clawed back at high enough incomes: $154,753 for those 65 to 74 and $160,696 for those 75 and older in 2026.8Government of Canada. Old Age Security Pension Recovery Tax Net world income includes investment income, foreign pensions, and RRSP withdrawals, so spreading large withdrawals or capital gains across tax years is a practical way to stay under the threshold.
If you live outside Canada, a 25% non-resident tax is withheld from your OAS payments.9Government of Canada. T4058 – Non-Residents and Income Tax 2024 A tax treaty with your country of residence can reduce that rate, and filing Form NR5 with the Canada Revenue Agency lets Service Canada apply the treaty rate to each monthly payment rather than making you recover the difference later. An approved NR5 stays valid for five years.10Government of Canada. Lived or Living Outside Canada – Pensions and Benefits
Extra Benefits That Stack on OAS
The Guaranteed Income Supplement is a non-taxable monthly benefit for low-income seniors who already receive OAS and live in Canada. For a single person, the annual income cutoff (excluding OAS itself) is $22,488, and the maximum monthly payment is $1,108.74.11Government of Canada. Guaranteed Income Supplement – Do You Qualify Combined with a full OAS pension, GIS can bring a single senior’s monthly government income above $1,850, and because GIS is not taxed it is worth more dollar-for-dollar than OAS.12Government of Canada. Old Age Security Payment Amounts The same ISP-3550 application covers both.
Two related benefits sit outside the 65-and-over rule but connect to the OAS system. The Allowance pays people aged 60 to 64 whose spouse or common-law partner already receives OAS and qualifies for GIS, provided the applicant has 10 years of Canadian residency after age 18 and combined household income below $41,664.13Government of Canada. Allowance – Do You Qualify The Allowance for the Survivor covers people 60 to 64 whose spouse or common-law partner has died and who have not remarried or entered a new common-law relationship.14Government of Canada. Allowance for the Survivor Both stop at 65, when you transition to OAS itself, and neither is taxable.