Old Age Security (OAS): A Plain-Language Guide for Canadian Seniors

Old Age Security (OAS) is a monthly, taxable pension for people 65 and older, based on age and years lived in Canada, not work history. For October to December 2026, the maximum OAS is $762.50 a month at ages 65 to 74 and $838.75 at 75 or older, and the last 2026 payment dates are Wednesday, October 28, Thursday, November 26 and Tuesday, December 22.

This guide covers the 2026 payment dates, how much you can get, who qualifies, the clawback thresholds and how to apply, so you can feel clear about the benefit that forms the base layer of most seniors' income.

Do this next:

• If your parent's income is near $95,000, check the clawback in a minute with our free OAS Clawback Calculator.
• If their income is modest, run the Benefits Finder. Many seniors on OAS also qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement and never claim it.
• Planning for care? See how OAS fits a real budget with Can Mom Afford to Stay at Home?

When are the OAS payment dates in 2026?

The 2026 OAS payment dates are January 28, February 25, March 27, April 28, May 27, June 26, July 29, August 27, September 25, October 28, November 26 and December 22, according to the official benefit payment dates on canada.ca. OAS is paid once a month, usually in the last week, and December comes early because of the holidays.

You can also download the printable 2026 CPP and OAS payment calendar (PDF). As of October 4, 2026, Service Canada has not published the 2027 dates yet, and we'll add them here once it does.

Are OAS, GIS and CPP paid on the same day?

Yes. The Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor are paid on the same dates as OAS, and the Canada Pension Plan uses the same schedule. Most seniors see all of them land in their account on one day each month.

Direct deposit is the safest way to be paid. You can set it up or change it in your My Service Canada Account or by phone, and if you switch banks, update your details right away so no payment goes astray.

What if your OAS payment doesn't arrive?

Service Canada asks you to wait 5 to 10 business days after the payment date before contacting them, since mail and bank delays are common. After that, call 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786), where agents answer Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time.

Before you call, check your My Service Canada Account for a payment status or a letter. A missed payment is often a change of address or bank account that didn't reach Service Canada in time.

How much is Old Age Security in 2026?

For October to December 2026, the maximum OAS pension is $762.50 a month if you are 65 to 74, and $838.75 if you are 75 or older. The 10 percent increase at 75 starts automatically the month after your 75th birthday. Amounts rose 1.4 percent this quarter and 3.0 percent over the past year.

For July to September 2026, the maximums were $751.97 (65 to 74) and $827.17 (75 and older). OAS is taxable, while the GIS is not. The figures come from the official quarterly benefits table, and the full pension assumes 40 years in Canada after age 18.

How far does that go? The maximum OAS covers about a fifth of a typical Ontario retirement home rent; see our analysis of OAS against retirement home costs. For your own estimate, sign in to your My Service Canada Account.

What is Old Age Security?

Old Age Security is a monthly pension from the Government of Canada for people 65 and older. The thing that surprises most people is that it is residency-based, not contribution-based. You qualify through your age and the years you have lived in Canada, not through employment or payroll deductions.

That makes OAS different from the Canada Pension Plan, which is tied to what you paid in. Most seniors receive both, and together they form the foundation of retirement income, on top of any workplace pension and personal savings. You can read the official overview on the Government of Canada's OAS page.

Who qualifies for Old Age Security?

The rules come down to age and residency. To receive OAS, you generally need to:

• Be 65 or older.
• Be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved.
• Have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18 to receive it while living in Canada.

The full pension needs 40 years of residency after age 18. With fewer years, you get a partial pension worked out as your years in Canada divided by 40, so 30 years gets 30/40 of the full amount. If you live outside Canada, you generally need 20 years of residency.

The official eligibility page lays out the details, including international social security agreements that can help if you lived or worked abroad.

How do you apply for OAS?

Many people are enrolled automatically. If you are, Service Canada sends you a letter the month after you turn 64. If you don't receive that letter, you need to apply, so it's worth checking rather than assuming.

The easiest way is online through your My Service Canada Account. You can also mail the paper application (form ISP-3550) found on the OAS application page. Apply well before you want payments to start, and set up direct deposit at the same time.

Should you defer OAS?

You do not have to start OAS at 65. You can delay it for up to five years, until age 70, and each month you wait adds 0.6 percent to your pension, up to 36 percent more at age 70. There is no advantage to waiting past 70.

Deferring can make sense if you are still working, have other income, or expect a long retirement and want a larger guaranteed amount later. It may not make sense if you need the income now or have health concerns. Unlike CPP, you cannot start OAS before 65, so 65 to 70 is your window.

Our take: For most parents, starting OAS at 65 is the right call. Deferring pays off mainly if they're still working, would lose much of it to the clawback anyway, or have good health and other income to live on. If health is fragile, take it now.

What is the OAS clawback threshold for 2026?

For the 2026 income year, the OAS clawback (officially the recovery tax) starts at $95,323 of net income. You repay 15% of your income above that amount, until OAS is fully clawed back at about $155,320 (ages 65 to 74) or $161,320 (75 and older). The 2026 upper limits are estimates.

Most seniors are well under the threshold. It matters if you have a strong pension or a large one-time withdrawal, such as a RRIF lump sum or a capital gain from selling a cottage. The official OAS recovery tax page explains the rules, and our calculator shows what you'd keep.

Our take: A big RRIF withdrawal or the sale of a cottage in a single year is the classic clawback trap. If you can, spread large withdrawals over several years, and run the numbers before the money comes out, not after.

How much is the GIS, and who gets the Allowance?

If income is modest, OAS comes with valuable add-ons. The Guaranteed Income Supplement pays up to $1,138.90 a month for a single senior with income under $23,112 (October to December 2026), and it is not taxable. It can stop if you don't file your taxes, so file every year even with little income.

The Allowance is for 60 to 64 year olds whose spouse or common-law partner receives the GIS, and the Allowance for the Survivor is for low-income people in that age range whose partner has died. The official GIS and Allowance page explains who qualifies.

Our take: If your parent's income is modest, the GIS matters more than the OAS amount. File a tax return every year, even with almost no income, or the GIS can stop.

What should higher-income seniors know about OAS?

For 2026 income, OAS is fully clawed back at about $155,320 (ages 65 to 74) or $161,320 (75 and older), so many higher-income seniors receive little or none of it. If your parent's income sits between about $95,000 and those ceilings, a few levers can keep more of it:

• Pension income splitting with a spouse or partner.
• TFSA withdrawals, which don't count as income, in place of extra RRIF withdrawals.
• Timing large withdrawals and capital gains, such as selling a cottage or rental property, across tax years. Selling the family home is usually tax-free under the principal residence exemption.
• Deferring OAS for a few years when income is temporarily high, for example while still working at 65.

It also helps to see OAS against real costs. The maximum OAS covers about a fifth of a typical Ontario retirement home rent, and a much smaller share of a premium suite, which starts around $5,000 to $7,000 a month at the top of the market (illustrative 2026 Ontario figures).

Our take: If your parent's income is well above the clawback ceiling, don't build the care plan around OAS. Build it around investment income and home equity, and have a fee-only planner time the withdrawals in the year of a move to a premium residence, when one-off gains are most likely. Our OAS Clawback Calculator shows the effect in a minute.

How do OAS and CPP fit together?

People often mix these two up, so here is the simple version. The Canada Pension Plan is based on what you contributed during your working years, so the amount varies from person to person. Old Age Security is based on your age and years in Canada, and the full amount is the same for everyone who qualifies.

You do not choose between them. Most seniors receive both, on the same day each month, plus the GIS if their income is low. Together they are a foundation, which you build on with workplace pensions, savings and home equity when planning for care.

How do you stay on track with taxes and your details?

OAS is taxable, so it appears on your annual tax return, and you will receive a T4A(OAS) slip each year in your My Service Canada Account. If you expect a recovery-tax bill, you can ask to have tax withheld from your payments to avoid a surprise.

Tell Service Canada promptly if you move, switch banks, have a change in marital status, or spend an extended time outside Canada, since residency affects OAS. Watch for scams too: Service Canada will never call or text to demand payment or ask for your banking details. If in doubt, hang up and call the official number.

How can OAS help pay for care?

For most families, OAS and CPP together form a dependable monthly base for a care budget. On their own they rarely cover the full cost of assisted living or a retirement home, but combined with the GIS, savings and home equity, they go a long way.

A few ways to stretch them further:

• Pair OAS with the Canada Pension Plan and the GIS for lower-income seniors.
• Check provincial benefits, the Disability Tax Credit and the Home Accessibility Tax Credit that can offset costs.
• Compare real monthly fees in our guides on assisted living and retirement homes, and browse listings across Canada.

Where can you get help with OAS?

You do not have to sort this out alone. For questions about your own situation, Service Canada handles these every day.

• By phone: call 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786), Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, for OAS and CPP.
• Online: your My Service Canada Account is the fastest way to apply, check your amount and update your details.
• In person: you can also visit a Service Canada office for help with forms.

And when OAS is about funding care for someone you love, that is where we come in. Browse care options across Canada, or reach out to our advisors for free, friendly help putting the pieces together.