🧓 2025 Guide to Canadian Old Age Security Payments: How do I get the maximum payments?
📢 OAS pension amount | Guaranteed Income Supplement, GIS | 65-75 years old and above
Canada's Old Age Security (OAS) is a monthly government pension for seniors aged 65 and over, designed to help them maintain a comfortable standard of living. Here's what you need to know about the OAS and related benefits for 2025.
🔍 2025 OAS Pension Amounts
OAS payment amounts are adjusted quarterly based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to account for changes in the cost of living.
For the period from July to September 2025, the maximum monthly payments are:
- Ages 65 to 74: Up to $734.95 per month
- Ages 75 and over: Up to $808.45 per month
It's important to note that your OAS pension may be partially or fully clawed back (known as the "pension recovery tax") if your net world income in 2024 exceeded a certain threshold. For the period from July 2025 to June 2026, the clawback thresholds are:
- Ages 65 to 74: Annual income over $90,997
- Ages 75 and over: Annual income over $94,930
✅ Eligibility and Deferral
To qualify for the OAS pension, you must meet these basic requirements:
- Age: You must be 65 or older.
- Residency:
- If you live in Canada, you must have resided in the country for at least 10 years after turning 18.
- If you live outside Canada, you must have resided in Canada for at least 20 years after turning 18.
Benefits of Deferral: You can choose to delay your OAS pension after age 65, up to a maximum of age 70. For every month you defer, your pension amount increases by 0.6% (7.2% per year). This means the longer you wait, the more you'll receive each month. For instance, if your OAS at 65 would have been $734.95, deferring until age 70 could increase your monthly payment to approximately $999.53. There's no additional benefit to deferring past age 70.
📌 Extra Help: Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
If you receive the OAS pension and have a low income, you may be eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). This is an additional monthly benefit designed to help low-income seniors.
The GIS amount depends on your marital status and your income from the previous year. For example, based on standards for July to September 2025:
- Single, divorced, or widowed: If your annual income is below $22,272, you could receive up to $1,097.75 per month.
- If both you and your spouse/common-law partner receive OAS: If your combined annual income is below $29,424, you could each receive up to $660.78 per month.
💡 How to Apply for GIS:
To ensure continuous GIS payments, it's crucial to file your taxes on time each year. If a recent retirement has reduced your income, you can contact Service Canada to report your current year's income to ensure your GIS payments are not affected.
📈 🇨🇦 Canada Old Age Security (OAS) Benefit Estimator
📋 Basic Information Input
📊 Estimated Results
Please fill in the information above and click "Calculate My Benefits"
📝 Important Notes
- ✅ Eligible: You meet the basic requirements for this benefit
- ⚠️ Partially Eligible: You may meet some but not all conditions
- ❌ Not Eligible: You currently do not qualify for this benefit
Key Points
This estimate is based on 2024 benefit rates; actual amounts may vary
Full benefit eligibility requires meeting the following conditions:
- Age 65 or older
- Canadian citizen or legal resident
- Resided in Canada for at least 10 years after age 18
Benefit amounts may be reduced due to:
- Annual income exceeding $79,845 (2023 threshold)
- Less than 40 years of residence in Canada
- Not residing in Canada when receiving benefits
🚀 Next Steps
- Application Timing: Apply for OAS benefits 11 months in advance
- Required Documents: Prepare Social Insurance Number (SIN), birth certificate, and proof of residence
- Application Methods:
- Online through Service Canada account
- Mail application forms
- In-person at Service Canada Centre
💡 For more details, visit Government of Canada OAS webpage