Old Age Security payments just got a raise and July's cheque is on its way

Quebec seniors are getting a slightly bigger Old Age Security deposit from here on out, with new amounts kicking in this month just in time for July’s payment.

Service Canada revisits OAS amounts four times a year, in January, April, July and October, to keep them in line with the cost of living as tracked by 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. This month’s deposit is the first to reflect them.

Here’s the rundown.

What Old Age Security is

Old Age Security is the federal government’s base pension for seniors, paid every month no matter how much or how little you worked over your lifetime. That’s what sets it apart from the Canada Pension Plan, which is built on what you paid in while employed.

For most people, there’s nothing to sign up for. Service Canada enrolls you automatically and mails a letter around age 64 to confirm you qualify and ask when you’d like to start collecting. The program also folds in extra help for lower-income seniors, like the Guaranteed Income Supplement and related allowances, all rolled into one monthly deposit.

Who qualifies

Eligibility hinges on age, residency and status, not your work record. To collect this month, you need to:

Be 65 or older
Be a Canadian citizen or legal resident
Have lived in Canada 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 abroad doesn’t automatically rule you out. If you were a citizen or legal resident when you left and spent at least 20 years in Canada as an adult, the payments can follow you overseas.

The extra support programs

The Guaranteed Income Supplement adds monthly money for OAS recipients with modest incomes, and your OAS itself doesn’t count against you when that amount is worked out. The current income cutoffs:

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 there for people aged 60 to 64 whose spouse or partner gets the GIS, while the Allowance for the Survivor covers widowed people in that same age bracket. Both have their own income limits and need a separate application.

More about GIS and other allowances

How to sign up

Odds are you won’t have to lift a finger. Service Canada’s automatic system signs you up around age 64 and sends a letter laying out your eligibility and start-date options.

Payments can start the month after you turn 65, but there’s a reason some people wait. Holding off bumps your monthly amount up 0.6% for each month you delay, up to age 70, which works out to 7.2% more for every year you hold off. If you weren’t enrolled automatically, you can apply through My Service Canada Account, by mail, or in person at a Service Canada office.

More about applying for OAS

July 2026 payment amounts

With the 1.2% quarterly increase (a 2.3% rise over the past year), here are the new maximums, in effect through September:

OAS pension (ages 65 to 74): $751.97 per month
OAS pension (ages 75 and up): $827.17 per month
GIS (single, or partner without OAS): $1,123.17
GIS (partner receives OAS or the Allowance): $676.09
Allowance: $1,428.06
Allowance for the Survivor: $1,702.34

These are the ceilings, and your own amount could come in lower depending on your circumstances. Collecting the full OAS pension takes 40 years of residency in Canada after age 18, with partial amounts for anyone between 10 and 39 years.

More about OAS payment amounts

OAS and your taxes

Old Age Security counts as taxable income, so it goes on your yearly return. Service Canada doesn’t hold back any tax on its own unless you ask it to, which means you get the full amount each month but could owe when you file. You can set up withholding through My Service Canada Account or a paper form. T4A(OAS) slips go out each year to residents, while NR4 forms are sent to those living outside Canada.

More about OAS and your taxes