This guide covers who qualifies, how partial pensions and the clawback work, whether to delay, the payment dates and what to do when a payment is late.

The short answer

For October to December 2026, the Old Age Security (OAS) pension pays up to $762.50 a month if you are 65 to 74 and up to $838.75 a month if you are 75 or older. You need to be 65, a citizen or legal resident, and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18. The full amount needs 40 years. OAS is taxable, and if your 2025 net income was over $93,454 you repay part of it through the recovery tax.

OAS is paid by Service Canada, not the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is separate from the Canada Pension Plan, which has its own rules and its own application.

Who qualifies for Old Age Security

Service Canada lists these conditions on its eligibility page.

• You are 65 or older.
• You have legal status. If you live in Canada, you must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved. If you live abroad, you must have been a citizen or legal resident the day before you left.
• You meet the residence rule. At least 10 years in Canada after age 18 if you live here, or at least 20 years if you live outside Canada.
• You file a tax return every year. Your return is used to work out your net income.

Time spent working abroad for a Canadian employer may count as residence in Canada, if you return within 6 months after the job ends or turn 65 while still working abroad. If you lived in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada, that time may help you qualify.

How much OAS pays right now

Source: Service Canada, OAS payment amounts and OAS recovery tax, both modified September 29, 2026.

Service Canada reviews OAS amounts in January, April, July and October, based on the Consumer Price Index. Payments go up with the cost of living but do not go down when it falls. The October 2026 review added 1.4%, and amounts are up 3.0% over the past year.

The higher amount at 75 comes from a permanent 10% increase for seniors 75 and older that started in July 2022. It starts automatically the month after your 75th birthday. You do not need to apply.

Partial pensions: why years in Canada matter

If you lived in Canada for less than 40 years after age 18, you get a partial pension. It equals your years in Canada divided by 40. Someone with 20 years gets 20/40, or half of the full pension.

Gizly calculation: $762.50 times years divided by 40, rounded to the cent. Service Canada sets your actual amount in your decision letter.

Timing matters here. Once your OAS starts, more years in Canada do not raise it. If you are short of 40 years and still living in Canada, delaying your start date can let you add years of residence before your amount is set.

Should you delay OAS to 70?

You can start OAS at 65 or delay it to any month up to age 70. Each month you wait adds 0.6% to your pension, which is 7.2% a year and 36% at 70. There is no extra increase for waiting past 70.

Source: Service Canada, When to start your OAS pension, modified October 2, 2026. Gizly reproduced every row in Python.

Delaying is not always the better deal. Service Canada points out these cases:

• You qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). You cannot get the GIS while you delay OAS, and the GIS does not grow when you wait. Your spouse or partner also cannot apply for the Allowance during that time.
• You need the money now, or your health makes a later start less likely to pay off.
• You live abroad with less than 20 years in Canada and in a country with no social security agreement with Canada. Delaying does not raise payments in that case.

Delaying can make sense if you are still working with income above the clawback threshold, have other income to live on, or need more years in Canada to reach a larger partial pension.

The OAS clawback (recovery tax)

If your net income is above a set threshold, you repay part of your OAS. The CRA calls this the OAS recovery tax. For the July 2026 to June 2027 recovery period, it is based on your 2025 income. You repay 15% of every dollar of net income above $93,454.

Gizly calculation using the 15% rate and the $93,454 threshold. The same formula gives the official $981.90 example on the recovery tax page. For your exact figure, the CRA points to the chart in guide T4155.

The repayment is usually taken from your monthly OAS payments. After you file, the CRA uses your reported income to estimate what you owe for the next period, splits it into monthly amounts and sends you a letter listing the deductions. If those deductions cause financial hardship, you can ask the CRA to review your situation.

For 2026 income, which affects July 2027 to June 2028, the threshold rises to $95,323. The full pension is then recovered at $155,320 for ages 65 to 74 and $161,320 for ages 75 and older.

Worked example: a partial pension and the clawback

Take a hypothetical retiree, aged 67, who started OAS at 65 after living in Canada for 25 years after age 18. Their 2025 net income was $105,000.

1. Work out the partial pension. 25 divided by 40 is 62.5%. 62.5% of $762.50 is $476.56 a month at October to December 2026 rates.
2. Find the income over the threshold. $105,000 minus $93,454 is $11,546.
3. Apply the 15% rate. 15% of $11,546 is $1,731.90 for July 2026 to June 2027.
4. Spread it over the year. $1,731.90 divided by 12 is about $144.33 a month, which leaves about $332.24 a month before income tax.

Hypothetical example, calculated in Python. The same code reproduces the official $981.90 recovery tax example and the official start-age table. Real deductions use the CRA estimate in your letter.

How to apply

Many people never fill out a form. If Service Canada has your information, it mails an enrolment letter around your 64th birthday and enrols you automatically. If a month has passed since your 64th birthday and no letter has come, contact Service Canada to find out whether you need to apply.

• Online. Sign in to My Service Canada Account, open the Old Age Security section and choose to apply. You can apply once you are at least one month past your 64th birthday.
• By mail. Use form ISP-3550, the application for OAS and the GIS. If you live or have lived outside Canada, you must use the paper form.
• To delay. In My Service Canada Account, use the option to delay your OAS under your profile, or say so on the paper form.

Service Canada says online applications take about 14 days and mailed ones about 120 days. Your decision letter shows your monthly amount and first payment date. If you disagree with a decision, you have 90 days from the date you receive the letter to ask for a reconsideration. You can also cancel or delay your pension within 6 months of your first payment by mailing a signed letter.

OAS payment dates for 2026

OAS and the Canada Pension Plan are paid on the same day. The last three payments of 2026 are on October 28, 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 and September 25. The 2027 dates were not posted when we checked on October 24, 2026.

If a payment is late, missing or wrong

1. Wait 5 to 10 business days. The payment calendar asks you to wait that long before contacting the program. Cheques can take longer than direct deposit.
2. Check My Service Canada Account. You can see your payment information and update your address and direct deposit there.
3. Look for the usual causes. A tax return not filed, an old address, or a change in income or marital status you have not reported.
4. Call Service Canada. The OAS line is 1-800-277-9914 from Canada and the US, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time. From other countries, call 1-613-957-1954. You can also ask for a callback online.

Switching to direct deposit is the simplest fix for slow payments. Service Canada calls it the fastest and most secure method, and cheques are mailed in the last 3 business days of each month. If you need an account for deposits, our comparison of high-interest chequing accounts lists the options.

Changes to report and other benefits

• Contact details, income and marital status. Report changes as soon as possible to avoid being overpaid or underpaid.
• Leaving Canada. With 20 years of residence after 18, you can keep OAS abroad. With less, payments may stop after 6 months outside Canada. Contact Service Canada before you leave and when you return.
• Death of a recipient. Tell Service Canada as soon as possible to avoid an overpayment. Survivors may qualify for the Allowance for the survivor or Canada Pension Plan survivor benefits.

Low-income seniors can get the Guaranteed Income Supplement on top of OAS, up to $1,138.90 a month for a single person with income under $23,112 for October to December 2026. The GIS is not taxable. Your tax return also sets the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which seniors with low or modest income can also get. See all Canadian benefits for the full list.

Common mistakes that cost seniors money

• Not filing a tax return. It is how Service Canada renews the GIS and checks your income.
• Delaying OAS while eligible for the GIS. You give up GIS payments and get nothing extra for them.
• Starting too early when short of 40 years. Years in Canada after your start date do not count.
• Ignoring the clawback in a high-income year. A one-time spike in income can reduce your OAS for the following July to June.

Frequently asked questions

• Sources for amounts, checked October 24, 2026: Service Canada: OAS payment amounts (modified 2026-09-29); Service Canada: OAS recovery tax (modified 2026-09-29); ESDC: Maximum benefit amounts, October to December 2026 (modified 2026-09-29); Service Canada: OAS, do you qualify (modified 2026-10-01); Service Canada: OAS, how much you could receive (modified 2026-10-13); Service Canada: When to start your OAS pension (modified 2026-10-02).
• Sources for applying and payments, checked October 24, 2026: Service Canada: Apply for OAS (modified 2026-09-09); Service Canada: After you apply (modified 2026-10-01); Service Canada: Receiving your OAS pension (modified 2026-10-08); Benefit payment dates (modified 2026-08-07); Contact Old Age Security (modified 2026-07-23); Service Canada: Old Age Security (modified 2026-10-09).
• Method: Partial pension, start-age and clawback figures were calculated in Python from Service Canada's published amounts, the 0.6% monthly increase and the 15% recovery rate, rounded to the cent. The same code reproduces the official start-age table and the official $981.90 recovery tax example.

Important: This guide is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Your Service Canada decision letter and CRA notices show your actual amounts. Gizly is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. See our affiliate disclosure.