OAS Payment Dates 2026 and the Current Old Age Security Amounts

All 2026 OAS payment dates

Service Canada publishes one calendar for both public pensions, so the Old Age Security pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Allowance, the Allowance for the Survivor and the Canada Pension Plan are all paid on these dates. Payments land in the last week or so of each month, on a business day. December is the exception: the payment comes early, on Tuesday, December 22, 2026, before the holidays.

The 2027 payment dates had not been published as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026. This page will add them as soon as Service Canada publishes its 2027 calendar.

OAS and GIS amounts for October to December 2026

OAS amounts are reviewed four times a year. For October to December 2026 they rose by 1.4%, and by 3.0% compared with October 2025. These are the maximum monthly amounts published by the Government of Canada:

These are maximums, not what everyone receives. Your own amount depends on how long you lived in Canada after age 18, the age you started your pension and your income. The OAS income limits in the table are the levels at which the pension is fully recovered through the recovery tax (see below), based on 2025 income. Your exact amount is shown in My Service Canada Account.

When OAS goes up: the quarterly schedule

Unlike CPP, which is adjusted once a year in January, OAS is reviewed every three months — in January, April, July and October — in line with the Consumer Price Index. If prices rise, the payment goes up; if prices fall, the payment stays the same. It never goes down because of the cost of living.

The next review takes effect with the January 2027 payment. The new amounts are normally posted on Canada.ca shortly before the quarter begins.

GIS, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor are also indexed quarterly, but your personal amount is recalculated once a year, in July, using your income from the previous calendar year. That is why GIS payments often change in July even when the maximums barely move.

The 10% increase at age 75

Your OAS pension rises automatically by 10% the month after your 75th birthday. You do not need to apply. That is why the table above shows a higher maximum for people 75 and over ($838.75 instead of $762.50 for October to December 2026).

The 10% increase applies to the OAS pension only. It does not change your Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Starting OAS later: the deferral bonus

You can start OAS at any age between 65 and 70. For each month you delay after 65, the pension increases by 0.6% — 7.2% for a full year — up to 36% at age 70. Waiting past 70 adds nothing.

Delaying is not useful for everyone. The GIS is paid only with an OAS pension that has started, and Service Canada itself notes that people who would qualify for the GIS, or who are already over 70, gain nothing by waiting and should apply now. If you apply after 65 without having chosen to defer, back payments are limited to 11 months from the date your application is received.

Whether to delay depends on your health, other income and taxes. This page explains the rule, not what you should do; Service Canada's retirement planning tools let you compare scenarios with your own numbers.

How many years in Canada you need

A full OAS pension is based on 40 years of residence in Canada after age 18. With fewer years, you can get a partial pension: each year counts as 1/40 of the full amount. For example, 20 years in Canada after 18 gives 20/40, or half the maximum.

• Living in Canada: at least 10 years of residence after 18 for any pension.
• Living outside Canada: at least 20 years of residence in Canada after 18 for the pension to be paid abroad.
• Time in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada may count toward these minimums.

The OAS recovery tax (clawback)

If your net world income is above a yearly threshold, you repay part of your OAS: 15% of the income above the threshold. The repayment is taken from your monthly OAS during the July-to-June recovery period that follows the tax year.

Example from the Government of Canada: with 2025 income of $100,000, the amount over $93,454 is $6,546, and 15% of that is $981.90, deducted in instalments from July 2026 to June 2027. At the top of the range the whole pension is recovered — for 2025 income, at $152,062 for people 65 to 74 and $157,923 for those 75 and over.

OAS is taxable income and is reported on a T4A(OAS) slip. You can ask Service Canada to withhold income tax from each payment so you don't owe a lump sum at tax time.

GIS: paid with OAS, renewed through your tax return

The Guaranteed Income Supplement is a non-taxable monthly top-up for OAS pensioners with low income. It is deposited together with your OAS. In most cases it renews automatically every July, as long as you (and your spouse or partner) file a tax return by April 30. If you don't file, the GIS can stop in July even though your OAS continues.

If you are 60 to 64 and your spouse or partner receives the GIS, you may qualify for the Allowance; if your spouse or partner has died, the Allowance for the Survivor. Both stop at 65, when you move to OAS and, if eligible, the GIS.

If your OAS payment is late

1. Check the date in the table — especially in December, when the payment arrives early (Tue, Dec 22, 2026).
2. Allow for posting time. Service Canada says payments may take a few days to arrive and asks you to wait 5 to 10 business days before contacting it. Cheques by mail take longer than direct deposit.
3. Sign in to My Service Canada Account to see whether the payment was issued and to confirm your banking details and address.
4. Check your tax filing if only the GIS is missing in July: an unfiled return is the most common reason.
5. Contact Service Canada if the payment still has not arrived after that waiting period.