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The Old Age Security pension pays up to $762.50 a month at ages 65 to 74 and up to $838.75 from age 75, for October to December 2026. You need to be 65 and to have lived in Canada at least 10 years after turning 18. Waiting up to 60 months to start adds 0.6% for each month, which reaches $1,037.00 a month at age 70.
Who is eligible for the OAS pension?
You must be 65 or older. If you live in Canada, you must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident when your application is approved and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since age 18. If you live outside Canada, you must have been a citizen or legal resident the day before you left and have at least 20 years of residence in Canada after 18. You also file a tax return every year, because the CRA uses it to work out your net income. The Service Canada: Old Age Security, eligibility page has the full list, including how work abroad for a Canadian employer can count.
How much is the OAS pension right now?
The Service Canada: Old Age Security, monthly amounts page shows these maximums for the October to December 2026 quarter. They are maximums, not guarantees.
| Age | Maximum per month | Maximum per year (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | $762.50 | $9,150 |
| 75 and over | $838.75 | $10,065 |
The jump at 75 is an automatic 10% increase of the pension, starting the month after your 75th birthday. It does not change your Guaranteed Income Supplement. Pension amounts are adjusted for the cost of living each January, April, July and October, and they never go down. The amounts for January 2027 have not been published yet (checked 31 October 2026).
What if you lived in Canada fewer than 40 years?
The pension is worked out as the years you lived in Canada after 18, divided by 40. Ten years is the minimum if you live in Canada. Someone who has 25 years gets 25 over 40 of the full amount. At the October to December 2026 maximum for ages 65 to 74, that is $476.56 a month. This is our calculation from the rule on the Service Canada: Old Age Security, benefit amount page, not an official figure, and your own result depends on your exact residence history.
How much more do you get by deferring OAS?
You can start at 65 or delay up to age 70. Each month of delay adds 0.6%, or 7.2% a year, to a maximum of 36% at 70. The Service Canada: Old Age Security, when to start page lists the maximum monthly amounts for the October to December 2026 quarter.
| Start age | Increase | Maximum per month |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | none | $762.50 |
| 66 | 7.2% | $817.40 |
| 67 | 14.4% | $872.30 |
| 68 | 21.6% | $927.20 |
| 69 | 28.8% | $982.10 |
| 70 | 36% | $1,037.00 |
Amira turns 65 with a full pension and chooses to start at 68. Her 36 months of delay add 21.6%, so her maximum becomes $927.20 instead of $762.50. That is $164.70 more each month, or $1,976.40 a year, using the quarter’s figures (our arithmetic). Waiting does not pay if you qualify for the Guaranteed Income Supplement, because delaying OAS means you cannot receive it, and its amounts do not rise with a delay. If you are over 65 when you apply, you may get up to 11 months of retroactive payment, but none for a period you chose to defer. Read more in our guide to the guaranteed income supplement and on choosing a CPP start age.
What is the OAS recovery tax?
Higher earners repay part of the pension. For July 2026 to June 2027, the 2025 net income threshold is $93,454. You repay 15% of the amount above it, until the whole pension is repaid at $152,062 for ages 65 to 74 or $157,923 for 75 and over. For 2026 income, which drives July 2027 to June 2028, the CRA table lists a starting threshold of $95,323.
With net income of $110,000 in 2025, the repayment is 15% of $16,546, or $2,481.90 for the year, about $206.83 a month taken from the pension. The CRA collects it by deduction from your monthly payments. Send in the Old Age Security Return of Income form by April 30, or payments stop starting in July. The Service Canada: Old Age Security, recovery tax page explains it, and our OAS clawback article goes through ages and amounts. Our OAS calculator lets you test your own income.
How and when do you apply for OAS?
Many people never apply. If Service Canada has your information, it sends an enrolment letter around your 64th birthday and enrols you automatically. The Service Canada: Old Age Security, apply page sets out what to do if it does not arrive.
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Letter arrived and is correct | Nothing, you are enrolled |
| One month past your 64th birthday, no letter | Contact Service Canada, or apply online |
| Letter has wrong information | Take action and correct it |
| You want to delay or change your start date | Delay in My Service Canada Account, or contact Service Canada |
| Cannot apply online | Mail form ISP-3550 |
You can apply online once you are at least one month past your 64th birthday and are not already receiving the pension. Have your spouse’s Social Insurance Number and birth date, where you have lived since 18, the date you want to start, and banking details ready.
What could change?
The next adjustment is in January 2027, and the new maximums are not yet published (checked 31 October 2026). Recovery tax thresholds for 2027 income will come later. For the bigger picture of retirement income, see our retirement income and benefits hub and the 2026 versus 2027 tax numbers.
Where does this information come from?
Rules and figures come from the Service Canada Old Age Security pages on eligibility, monthly amounts, benefit amount, when to start, applying and the recovery tax, checked on 31 October 2026. Checked on 31 October 2026. This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we collect information from open sources, and we do not guarantee that anything here is accurate or current. We accept no liability for decisions based on it. Check the official source before you rely on it. See the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the OAS pension in 2026?
For October to December 2026 the maximum is $762.50 a month at ages 65 to 74 and $838.75 a month from age 75. These are maximums. Your amount depends on your years of residence in Canada, and high net income can trigger the recovery tax.
How much does delaying OAS increase the pension?
Each month you delay between 65 and 70 adds 0.6% to the pension, which is 7.2% a year. At 70 the increase is 36%, which makes the October to December 2026 maximum $1,037.00 a month.
How many years in Canada do I need for OAS?
You need at least 10 years of residence in Canada after age 18 if you live in Canada, or at least 20 years if you live outside Canada. A partial pension is the years lived in Canada divided by 40.
At what income do I start repaying OAS?
For July 2026 to June 2027, the recovery tax applies to 2025 net income above $93,454. You repay 15% of the amount over that threshold, and the pension is fully repaid at $152,062 for ages 65 to 74 or $157,923 for 75 and over.
Do I have to apply for OAS at 65?
Not always. If Service Canada has your information, it sends an enrolment letter around your 64th birthday and enrols you automatically. If no letter arrives within a month of that birthday, contact Service Canada. To delay, you tell Service Canada.
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