This guide covers who qualifies, how much it pays from October to December 2026, how your income is counted, and how to apply and keep it.

The short answer

The Allowance is a tax-free monthly payment for people aged 60 to 64 whose spouse or common-law partner receives the OAS pension and is eligible for the GIS. From October to December 2026 it pays up to $1,448.06 a month, as long as the couple’s combined annual income is less than $42,768.

You need at least 10 years of residence in Canada since age 18, and you must apply. It is not paid automatically. The rules and figures here come from Service Canada.

Who qualifies for the Allowance

Service Canada lists six conditions. You need to meet all of them.

• You are 60 to 64 years old.
• Your spouse or common-law partner receives the OAS pension and is eligible for the GIS. If your partner is not eligible for the GIS, you do not qualify.
• You are a Canadian citizen or a legal resident.
• You have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since turning 18. If you have not, but you lived or worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada, you may still get a partial benefit.
• Neither of you is under a sponsorship agreement. The exceptions are a sponsor who has died, is imprisoned for more than 6 months, has been convicted of an offence against you or has declared personal bankruptcy.
• Your combined annual income is less than $42,768.

Recent change: since October 1, 2025, a person under a sponsorship agreement cannot receive the GIS, the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor for the whole length of the agreement. Parent and grandparent sponsorship agreements were extended from 10 to 20 years in all provinces except Quebec.

How much the Allowance pays in 2026

For October to December 2026, the most you can get is $1,448.06 a month. Your actual amount depends on your income as a couple, so many people get less than the maximum. Amounts rise each January, April, July and October with the cost of living and never go down. For this quarter, Service Canada says OAS benefits went up 1.4%.

The Allowance sits beside the OAS pension and the GIS. The table shows where it fits, with the maximum and income limit for each one.

Source: Service Canada, OAS payment amounts and Allowance amount page. The OAS pension limit is for your own net world income, not a couple’s income.

Worked example: what one couple could get

Here is a hypothetical couple. Raj is 67 and gets the OAS pension and the GIS. Meena is 62. They have lived in Canada for decades and their combined income is low, well under $42,768.

If their income were low enough to get the maximum of each payment from October to December 2026, the household would receive:

A useful check: the maximum Allowance, $1,448.06, is exactly the full OAS pension ($762.50) plus the maximum GIS for the partner ($685.56). So at the maximum, Meena gets the same as Raj’s OAS and GIS together. Both payments depend on the couple’s combined income, so real payments are often smaller.

Hypothetical example, calculated by Gizly from the maximum amounts. Service Canada says its old rate tables have been replaced by the Old Age Security Benefits Estimator, which you can use for your own income.

How your income is counted

Service Canada uses your income and your partner’s income from the previous year, based on your tax returns. If your income dropped this year because you retired or a pension was reduced, you can ask Service Canada to estimate your current-year income instead.

Income that counts

CPP and QPP benefits (see our CPP retirement pension guide), other pensions, RRSP withdrawals, Employment Insurance, interest and investment income, capital gains, taxable Canadian dividends, net rental income, employment and self-employment income, workers’ compensation and some spousal support.

Income that does not count

OAS, GIS, Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor payments, retroactive CPP or QPP payments for earlier years, lottery winnings, inheritances, TFSA money, the CPP death benefit and children’s benefits, certain war service pensions, and grants, rebates, refunds and credits.

Deductions that lower your income

CPP or QPP contributions and EI premiums, union or professional dues, RRSP and RPP contributions, employment moving expenses, certain child and spousal support payments, and attendant care and disability supports.

If you still work

The apply page says that if you are employed or self-employed, you can earn up to $5,000 and still get the full benefit. For earnings between $5,000 and $15,000, Service Canada says the Allowance is reduced by 50 cents for every dollar.

How to apply

Apply 6 to 11 months before you turn 60. If you are already between 60 and 64, apply as soon as possible. Service Canada lists processing times of 14 days for online applications and 120 days for mail.

1. Gather your details. You need your Social Insurance Number, your partner’s SIN, date of birth and any foreign income, the countries you lived in since 18, your banking details for direct deposit, and the date any job or pension income stopped or went down.
2. Apply online if you can. Use My Service Canada Account. You can apply online if you live in Canada, have not already applied and no third party such as a power of attorney manages your account.
3. Or apply by mail. Use form ISP3008, Application for the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor, and mail it to Service Canada.
4. Watch for the decision letter. It shows your monthly amount and first payment date, or the reason you were refused.
5. Ask for a review if you disagree. You have 90 days from the date you receive the letter to ask for a reconsideration.

Your first payment comes either the month after you qualify or on the date in your decision letter.

A dated timeline

Say Meena turns 60 on September 15, 2027. Applying 6 to 11 months before 60 gives her this window, worked out by script.

The Allowance is only for ages 60 to 64. Service Canada says most people are enrolled in the OAS pension automatically and get a letter around their 64th birthday. If one month has passed since your 64th birthday and no letter has come, contact Service Canada to find out whether you need to apply.

Payment dates

The Allowance is paid on the same dates as the OAS pension. The remaining 2026 dates are November 26 and December 22. Earlier 2026 payments went out on January 28, February 25, March 27, April 28, May 27, June 26, July 29, August 27, September 25 and October 28. Service Canada had not posted 2027 dates when we checked.

You can be paid by direct deposit. If you get a cheque, it is mailed during the last 3 business days of the month.

Keeping the Allowance

The Allowance is not taxable, but you and your partner must file your tax returns by April 30 every year. Service Canada reviews the benefit each year using your federal tax return and sends a letter in July saying whether it was renewed, stopped or needs more information.

• Report changes. Tell Service Canada about a separation, divorce, marriage, new common-law union, address change or change in income.
• Living apart for reasons beyond your control. If one of you moves into long-term care, for example, you may get a higher amount. Use form ISP3040.
• Travel. You cannot collect the Allowance if you are outside Canada for more than 6 months. Call before you leave and again when you return.
• Prison. Payments stop during a federal sentence of 2 years or more and restart the month you are released, once you tell Service Canada in writing.

If your partner dies

If your spouse or common-law partner dies while you get the Allowance, you are moved to the Allowance for the Survivor automatically. For October to December 2026 it pays up to $1,726.18 a month if your income is less than $31,152, according to the survivor amount page. Tell Service Canada about the death as soon as possible to avoid an overpayment.

If a payment is late or wrong

If you did not get your renewal in July, call Service Canada as soon as possible. Have your SIN, last year’s income and your partner’s income ready. Service Canada’s OAS line is 1-800-277-9914. If you disagree with a decision about your amount, ask for a reconsideration within 90 days of receiving the letter.

Common mistakes

• Waiting to be enrolled. The Allowance is not automatic. You must apply.
• Skipping a tax return. Service Canada says filing by April 30 avoids a disruption in payments.
• Not reporting a change. Service Canada asks you to contact it about a separation, divorce, new partner or change in income.
• Long trips abroad. More than 6 months outside Canada stops the benefit.

Frequently asked questions

• Sources, checked November 3, 2026: Service Canada: The Allowance, overview (modified 2026-10-16); Allowance: Do you qualify (modified 2026-10-21); Allowance: How much you could receive (modified 2026-10-21); Allowance: Apply (modified 2026-10-09); Allowance: After you apply (modified 2026-10-01); Allowance: Receiving your benefit (modified 2026-05-26); OAS payment amounts, October to December 2026 (modified 2026-09-29); Allowance for the Survivor: amount (modified 2026-10-13); OAS: Apply (modified 2026-09-09); Benefits payment dates (modified 2026-08-07).
• Method: Household totals and quarterly amounts in the worked example were calculated by script from the published maximums and checked a second way by confirming that the maximum Allowance equals the maximum OAS pension plus the maximum partner GIS. Timeline dates were counted by script.

Important: This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Your own amount depends on your income and situation, and Service Canada makes the final decision. Gizly is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. See our affiliate disclosure.