Canadian seniors collecting Old Age Security are getting a slightly bigger deposit this week, with the first payment of the new quarter landing just in time to reflect the latest cost-of-living adjustment.
In case you didn’t know, Service Canada revisits OAS amounts four times a year, in January, April, July, and October, to keep pace with the Consumer Price Index. The rates that had been running since April are now done, replaced by a fresh set for the July-through-September stretch, and this week’s deposit is the first one to reflect them. No matter what happens with the cost of living, these amounts can never be adjusted downward from one quarter to the next.
What Old Age Security actually is
Old Age Security is the federal government’s base pension for seniors, paid out every month regardless of how much, or how little, you worked over your lifetime. That’s what separates it from the Canada Pension Plan, which is tied directly to what you paid in while employed.
For most people, there’s nothing to apply for. Service Canada enrolls you automatically and sends a letter around age 64 confirming your eligibility and asking when you’d like payments to start. The program also folds in extra support for lower-income seniors, like the Guaranteed Income Supplement and related allowances, all delivered through the same monthly deposit.
Who qualifies
Eligibility comes down to age, residency, and status, not your work history. To collect this month, you need to:
- Be 65 or older
- Be a Canadian citizen or legal resident
- Have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since turning 18
- Have a 2025 net income under $152,062 (ages 65 to 74) or under $157,923 (ages 75 and up)
Living outside Canada doesn’t automatically disqualify you. If you were a citizen or legal resident before you left and spent at least 20 years in Canada as an adult, the payments can still follow you abroad.
Extra support for lower-income seniors
The Guaranteed Income Supplement adds extra money each month for OAS recipients with modest incomes, and your OAS payment itself doesn’t count against you when that amount gets calculated. The current income cutoffs are:
- Single, widowed, or divorced: under $22,800
- Both partners on full OAS: combined income under $30,096
- One partner receiving the Allowance: combined income under $42,144
- One partner not receiving OAS or the Allowance: combined income under $54,624
The Allowance is available to people aged 60 to 64 whose spouse or partner receives the GIS, while the Allowance for the Survivor covers widowed individuals in that same age range. Both come with their own income limits and require a separate application.
How to sign up, if you’re not already
Most people won’t need to do a thing, since Service Canada’s automatic system typically enrolls you around age 64 and sends a letter laying out your options.
Payments can begin the month after you turn 65, but plenty of people choose to wait. Delaying bumps your monthly amount up by 0.6% for every month you hold off, up to age 70, which adds up to 7.2% more per year of delay. If you weren’t signed up automatically, you can still apply through My Service Canada Account, by mail, or in person at a Service Canada office.
The maximum amounts for this quarter
For the July through September 2026 period, the new pension ceilings are:
- Ages 65 to 74: up to $751.97 per month, if your net annual income is under $152,062
- Ages 75 and up: up to $827.17 per month, if your net annual income is under $157,923
- GIS (single, or partner without OAS): up to $1,123.17
- GIS (partner receives OAS or the Allowance): up to $676.09
- Allowance: up to $1,428.06
- Allowance for the Survivor: up to $1,702.34
These are ceilings, not guarantees. Your actual amount depends on your age, income, and how many years you’ve lived in Canada, with a full OAS pension requiring 40 years of Canadian residency after age 18, and partial amounts available for anyone between 10 and 39 years.
OAS and your taxes
Old Age Security counts as taxable income, so it needs to go on your annual return. Service Canada doesn’t withhold tax automatically unless you request it, meaning you’ll get the full amount deposited each month but could owe money at tax time. Withholding can be set up through My Service Canada Account or with a paper form. Residents receive a T4A(OAS) slip each year, while those living outside Canada get an NR4 form instead.
When does this week’s payment land?
This month’s OAS deposit is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance, and the Allowance for the Survivor all follow the same schedule.
For full details on amounts and eligibility, check the official Government of Canada page.
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