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 Because the amounts and income thresholds are adjusted every year, in fact every quarter, a lot of outdated information circulates online.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 October to December 2026 quarter.

How Much Is OAS Each Month?

OAS starts at age 65, and the maximum depends on your age. For October to December 2026, after a 1.4% increase in October, the maximum monthly amounts are as follows.

Ages 65 to 74 receive up to CAD 762.50 per month, and those 75 and over receive up to CAD 838.75 per month. The higher amount for those 75 and over reflects a permanent 10% increase 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 does not decrease 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. With 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. 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, 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 periods to be combined, while others are limited and mainly coordinate contributions to avoid paying into two systems at once. Second, even where periods are combined to establish eligibility, the amount Canada pays is calculated only on your Canadian years. 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, confirm whether and how an agreement applies 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% of the amount above the threshold is recovered.

At higher incomes 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 October to December 2026 depends on your circumstances.

If you are single, divorced or widowed, the maximum is CAD 1,138.90 per month where your income is below CAD 23,112. If your spouse receives the full OAS, the maximum is CAD 685.56 per month where your combined income is below CAD 30,528. If your spouse receives the Allowance, the maximum is CAD 685.56 per month where your combined income is below CAD 42,768. If your spouse receives neither OAS nor the Allowance, the maximum is CAD 1,138.90 per month where your combined income is below CAD 55,392.

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

Some benefits are 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 October to December 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,448.06 per month where combined income is below CAD 42,768.

The Allowance for the Survivor is paid to a person aged 60 to 64 who is widowed and has not remarried. For October to December 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,726.18 per month where income is below CAD 31,152. Both of these benefits are tax-free.

OAS and CPP: How Are They Different?

OAS 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. For a pension starting at 65 in January 2026, the maximum is CAD 1,507.65 per month, but that figure assumes many years of contributions at the maximum; the average for people who started at 65 in July 2026 was CAD 858.34 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. If you live outside Canada, non-resident tax of 25% is withheld unless a tax treaty sets a lower rate. 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. When you have income or assets in both Canada and another country, which country taxes them, and how, directly affects the amount you keep.

What Makes Jenna Lee Law Different

At Jenna Lee Law, you are advised directly by a principal lawyer who is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). We look beyond eligibility to the tax effect of income and assets that cross borders, and to estate planning. 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.