The CPP post-retirement benefit (PRB) is extra Canada Pension Plan income you build by working after you’ve started your CPP retirement pension. If you’re 60 to 70, get a CPP pension and still work and pay into CPP, each year of contributions adds a new PRB to your pension the following January. In 2026 the most a new PRB can add is $54.69 a month for someone aged 65.
You don’t apply for it. Service Canada adds it to your CPP payment automatically.
How much it adds
Each PRB is based on one year of earnings and contributions, so it’s worth at most 1/40th (2.5%) of the maximum CPP retirement pension. Two things set the amount:
- how much you earned and contributed to CPP in the previous year, and
- your age on January 1 of the year the PRB starts.
| 2026 figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Most a new PRB can add, age 65, for maximum 2025 contributions | $54.69 a month |
| Maximum CPP retirement pension at 65 (new in 2026) | $1,507.65 a month |
| Yearly maximum pensionable earnings (YMPE) | $74,600 |
If you earned less than the maximum, your PRB is a smaller share. PRBs stack: work and contribute for five years after starting your pension and you get five PRBs, each added to your monthly CPP payment. You can keep building PRBs even if you already get the maximum CPP retirement pension.
How PRBs add up over time
Because each new PRB is added on top of the ones before it, they grow. For illustration only: if you earned three PRBs, each at the 2026 maximum of $54.69, together they would add $164.07 a month, or $1,968.84 a year, to your CPP. Real amounts depend on your earnings each year and your age when each PRB starts, and new maximums are set every year.
Who gets it
You earn a PRB for a year if all of these applied that year:
- You were between 60 and 70.
- You were getting a CPP (or QPP) retirement pension.
- You worked and made CPP contributions.
Contributions: required before 65, optional from 65 to 70
If you’re under 65, working and getting a CPP retirement pension, CPP contributions are mandatory, so you’ll earn a PRB each year you work.
From 65 to 70 you can choose to stop contributing. If you stop, you won’t earn PRBs for those years. To stop:
- Employees: fill out form CPT30, give a copy to your employer and send the original to the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Self-employed: complete the matching section of Schedule 8 with your tax return.
At 70, CPP contributions end for everyone.
If you work in Quebec, you pay into the Québec Pension Plan instead, which has its own retirement pension supplement.
Things the PRB doesn’t do
- Contributions made after your pension starts don’t create or increase other CPP benefits, such as disability or survivor benefits.
- A PRB can’t be split with a former spouse or shared with a current spouse.
How to get it
There’s nothing to apply for. If you’re eligible, the PRB is paid automatically unless Service Canada needs more information from you. Make sure your employer is deducting CPP correctly and that you file your tax return, since that’s how your contributions are recorded.
When it’s paid
A new PRB starts on January 1 of the year after you made the contributions. Because the CRA needs your tax information first, the first payment usually arrives in early April, with a lump sum that goes back to January.
After that, the PRB is added to your CPP retirement pension and paid as one monthly payment on the usual CPP payment dates. If you get a Québec Pension Plan retirement pension, your CPP PRB is paid separately.
Example: you started CPP at 63 and kept working through 2025. A PRB based on your 2025 contributions starts in January 2026. The first deposit with it, around April 2026, includes the missed January to March amounts.
Deciding whether to keep contributing after 65
Only you can weigh this, but these are the facts to compare:
- What you pay: CPP contributions come off every paycheque while you keep contributing. Your employer contributes too, and self-employed people pay both parts.
- What you get: each year of contributions adds one PRB, worth up to 2.5% of the maximum CPP pension, to your monthly CPP from the next January on.
- Your other benefits: a higher CPP income can reduce income-tested benefits such as the GIS.
- Your plans: the more years you expect to keep working, the more PRBs you can stack.
The PRB amount page on Canada.ca explains how the amount is worked out.
Things to watch for
- Opting out at 65. Stopping contributions saves you the CPP deductions from your pay, but you give up the PRB for those years. Weigh both before filing a CPT30.
- Effect on OAS and GIS. The PRB raises your income, which can affect your Guaranteed Income Supplement, OAS and some provincial programs.
- The April catch-up. Don’t worry if your January to March payments look unchanged. The back pay usually comes with the April deposit.
Watch for scams. The government never asks for a payment or gift cards to release a benefit. If a call, text or email asks for money or your banking details to “unlock” a payment, don’t click or reply. Contact the program yourself using the numbers on this page, and see our scam guide.
Common questions
What is the CPP post-retirement benefit?
It’s extra CPP income you earn by working and contributing to CPP while you get your CPP retirement pension, between ages 60 and 70.
How much is the CPP post-retirement benefit in 2026?
A new PRB can add up to $54.69 a month for someone aged 65 who made the maximum contributions in 2025. It’s smaller if you earned less.
Do I have to apply for the post-retirement benefit?
No. It’s added to your CPP pension automatically each year you qualify.
When is the CPP post-retirement benefit paid?
It starts January 1 of the year after your contributions. The first payment usually comes in early April with back pay to January, then it’s part of your monthly CPP payment.
Can I stop paying CPP after 65 if I’m still working?
Yes, from 65 to 70, using form CPT30 (or Schedule 8 if you’re self-employed). You won’t earn a PRB for years you don’t contribute.
Does the post-retirement benefit affect my GIS?
It can. The PRB increases your income, which may affect the Guaranteed Income Supplement, OAS and some provincial programs.
