Old Age Security (OAS) in Canada, Explained for 2026

Old Age Security (OAS) is Canada’s flagship benefit for seniors. Because the amounts and income thresholds are adjusted every year, in fact every quarter, a lot of outdated information circulates online. The figures below are current for the July to September 2026 quarter.

How much is OAS each month?

OAS starts at age 65, and the maximum depends on your age. For July to September 2026, the maximum monthly amounts are as follows.

Ages 65 to 74 receive up to CAD 751.97 per month, and those 75 and over receive up to CAD 827.17 per month. The higher amount for those 75 and over reflects a permanent 10 percent increase to OAS for that age group that took effect in July 2022.

These maximums assume 40 years of residence in Canada after age 18. If you have lived in Canada for less time, you receive a partial pension calculated on a pro-rated basis. OAS is adjusted every January, April, July, and October in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and it never decreases if prices fall.

Who qualifies?

OAS is based on your years of residence in Canada, not on a record of contributions. If you live in Canada, you qualify at age 65 with at least 10 years of residence after age 18. If you live outside Canada, you qualify at age 65 with at least 20 years of residence after age 18. Between 10 and 40 years of residence, you receive a partial pension, and the exact amount is calculated individually.

Can you receive OAS while living abroad? (Canada’s social security agreements)

Yes. And if your Canadian residence falls short of the requirement, Canada’s international social security agreements may help you qualify. Canada has agreements with many countries that allow periods of residence or contribution in the other country to be counted toward the Canadian requirement, a process often called totalization, so that you can meet the minimum needed to receive OAS.

Two points matter. First, the scope of these agreements differs by country: some allow full totalization, while others are more limited and mainly coordinate contributions to avoid double payment. Second, even where periods are combined to establish eligibility, the amount Canada pays is still calculated only on your Canadian years. In other words, an agreement can help you qualify; it does not stack two countries’ pensions to the maximum. If you have lived or worked in another country, it is worth confirming whether an agreement applies to your situation, and how, before you apply.

Will a high income claw back your OAS? (the recovery tax)

OAS is taxable, and if your income is above a set threshold, part of it is recovered through what is formally called the recovery tax and commonly known as the clawback. Payments for July 2026 to June 2027 are based on your 2025 net world income. Where that income exceeds CAD 93,454, 15 percent of the amount above the threshold is recovered.

At higher incomes there is also a ceiling at which OAS is fully recovered. For ages 65 to 74, that occurs at 2025 income of CAD 152,062 and above; for those 75 and over, at CAD 157,923 and above. Because the mix of income at retirement affects whether the clawback applies, planning the timing of withdrawals and spreading income can reduce or avoid it.

Extra support for low-income seniors (GIS)

Low-income seniors who receive OAS may also receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). GIS is tax-free, and the maximum monthly amount for July to September 2026 depends on your circumstances.

If you are single, divorced, or widowed, the maximum is CAD 1,123.17 per month where your income is below CAD 22,800. If your spouse receives the full OAS, the maximum is CAD 676.09 per month where your combined income is below CAD 30,096. If your spouse receives the Allowance, the maximum is CAD 676.09 per month where your combined income is below CAD 42,144. If your spouse receives neither OAS nor the Allowance, the maximum is CAD 1,123.17 per month where your combined income is below CAD 54,624.

The Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor (ages 60 to 64)

There are benefits available before age 65. The Allowance is paid to a person aged 60 to 64 whose spouse receives the GIS and the full OAS, and it requires at least 10 years of residence in Canada after age 18. For July to September 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,428.06 per month where combined income is below CAD 42,144.

The Allowance for the Survivor is paid to a person aged 60 to 64 who is widowed and has not remarried. For July to September 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,702.34 per month where income is below CAD 30,696. Both of these benefits are also tax-free.

OAS and CPP: how are they different?

The two are often confused. OAS is not linked to a contribution record; it is a non-contributory pension based on your years of residence in Canada. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), by contrast, is a contributory pension based on what you paid in during your working years. The two are separate and can be received together.

CPP can begin between ages 60 and 70. Taken at 65 in 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,507.65 per month, but that figure assumes many years of maximum contributions; the actual average is in the CAD 900s per month. Most seniors receive OAS and CPP together, with GIS and the allowances added where they apply.

Tax and filing points people miss

Because OAS is taxable, it must be included in your annual tax return, and when received outside Canada a portion may be withheld as non-resident tax. GIS and the two allowances, by contrast, are tax-free. GIS and the allowances are recalculated every July based on your prior-year net income, so they can rise, fall, or stop, which makes filing on time important. In particular, when you have income or assets in both Canada and another country, which country taxes them and how will directly affect the amount you actually keep.

What makes Jenna Lee Law different

At Jenna Lee Law, you are advised directly by a principal lawyer who is also a qualified CPA. We look beyond eligibility to the tax implications of income and assets that cross borders, and to estate planning, reviewing them together in one place. If you have a foreign work history and need an agreement applied, a high income that puts OAS at risk of the clawback, or assets abroad that raise filing questions, confirming eligibility and tax together helps protect the amount you keep.