This checklist is for anyone turning 60 in Canada, and for people whose spouse or partner is already a senior. Sixty is the first age you can start your CPP retirement pension, and some low-income people can get federal and provincial payments years before Old Age Security begins at 65.
Your checklist
- Decide when to start your CPP retirement pension. You can start it any time from 60 to 70. For each month you start before 65, your pension is 0.6% lower, so starting at 60 means 36% less, for life. For each month you wait after 65, it goes up 0.7%, to 42% more at 70. Starting early can suit people in poor health or with no other income. See when to start CPP.
- Apply for CPP if you want it to start now. You can apply up to 12 months before the month you want it to start. Apply online in My Service Canada Account, where a decision usually takes about 28 days, or mail form ISP1000, which can take up to 120 days. If you stayed home with a child under 7, fill in the child-rearing section, because it can raise your pension. Details: apply for CPP.
- In Quebec, apply for the QPP through Retraite Québec instead. If you worked in Quebec, your pension comes from the Quebec Pension Plan. You can start it from 60 up to 72. Retraite Québec says starting before 65 lowers your pension by 0.5% to 0.6% for each month, for life. Apply online in My Account at Retraite Québec.
- Apply for the Allowance if your spouse or partner gets OAS and GIS. The Allowance is a tax-free monthly payment for people aged 60 to 64 whose spouse or common-law partner gets the OAS pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Your combined income must be under $42,144, and you must have lived in Canada at least 10 years since 18. The maximum is $1,428.06 a month (July to September 2026). Service Canada suggests applying 6 to 11 months before you turn 60, online in My Service Canada Account or with form ISP3008. See the Allowance.
- If your spouse or partner has died, apply for the Allowance for the Survivor. It is for people aged 60 to 64 with a low income who have not remarried or started a new common-law relationship. The maximum is $1,702.34 a month, and your income must be under $30,696. You can apply up to 11 months before you turn 60, using the same form ISP3008 or My Service Canada Account. See Allowance for the Survivor and our death of a spouse checklist.
- Check the provincial and territorial programs that start at 60 (or earlier). Some are automatic once you get the Allowance. Others need their own application. See the table below.
- If you get social assistance, check before you take CPP early. In Ontario, neither Ontario Works nor ODSP requires you to apply for CPP before 65. If you choose to take it early anyway, ODSP deducts it from your monthly support. In other provinces, ask your worker what your program expects.
- File your taxes every year, even with little or no income. The Allowance and GIS are based on your income from your tax return. If you have not filed, GIS payments may stop or be reduced. If you can’t file, form ISP3026 lets you report your income to Service Canada directly.
- If you keep working, know how CPP treats you. You don’t have to stop working to get CPP, and working won’t reduce it. If you work while getting CPP and are under 70, you keep paying in (it becomes optional from 65), and each year adds a small post-retirement benefit for life.
- Look at sharing CPP with your spouse. If you live together and at least one of you gets a CPP retirement pension, you can share your pensions with form ISP1002 or online. Your combined total stays the same, but it can lower your taxes. See sharing CPP.
- Start planning for 65. Old Age Security starts at 65, and you can delay it to 70 for a bigger pension, but you can’t get GIS while you delay. At 65 you can also split eligible pension income, like RRIF withdrawals, with your spouse on your tax return. Our turning 65 checklist walks you through it.
Programs that start at 60 or earlier
| Where | Program | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| B.C. | Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) | Help with rent if you are 60 or older, have lived in B.C. for 12 months and pay more than 30% of your income on rent. Apply to BC Housing: 1-800-257-7756. |
| B.C. | Senior’s Supplement | Can be paid at 60 to 64 if you get the federal Allowance. No separate application. |
| New Brunswick | Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit | $629 a year (2026) if you got the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor in 2025 at 60 to 64 and lived in N.B. on December 31, 2025. Apply by December 31, 2026. Call 1-833-796-0944. |
| Manitoba | 55 PLUS | Quarterly supplement from age 55 for low incomes. Under 65, singles can earn up to $9,746.40 a year. Apply with the 55 PLUS form unless you already get federal OAS benefits. |
| Northwest Territories | Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit | $196 a month, automatic if you get the Spouse’s Allowance. |
| Nunavut | Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit | $300 a month from age 60 if you get GIS or the Spouse’s Allowance. |
| Yukon | Seniors Income Supplement | Spouses aged 60 to 64 who get the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor can qualify. No separate application. |
Money you may now qualify for
- CPP retirement pension: you can start it now if you made at least one valid contribution.
- Quebec Pension Plan: if you worked in Quebec, your pension comes from Retraite Québec.
- Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor: for low-income people aged 60 to 64 whose partner gets GIS or has died.
- BC Senior’s Supplement: a small top-up if you live in B.C. and get the Allowance.
- CPP disability: if a severe and prolonged disability stops you from working regularly, you may qualify while you are under 65.
- Canada Disability Benefit: for people aged 18 to 64 approved for the Disability Tax Credit.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: quarterly payments for low and modest incomes, based on your tax return.
- Ontario Trillium Benefit: a monthly Ontario payment for low and moderate incomes that you get by filing your taxes and the ON-BEN form.
Common questions
How much less is CPP if I take it at 60?
It is 36% less than your age-65 amount, and the cut lasts for life. For example, if your pension at 65 would be $877.01 a month (the 2026 average for new recipients), starting at 60 would pay about $561.
Can I get Old Age Security at 60?
No. The OAS pension starts at 65. Between 60 and 64, the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor may be available if your income is low.
Do I have to stop working to collect CPP at 60?
No. You can work and get CPP at the same time, and your pension is not reduced because you work.
Will taking CPP early lower my GIS later?
It can. CPP counts as income when GIS is calculated, so a larger CPP can mean a smaller GIS. Weigh this before you decide, especially if you expect a low income at 65.
Can I change my mind after CPP starts?
Yes, within 12 months of your pension starting. You have to pay back everything you received.
Do I have to take CPP early if I am on Ontario Works or ODSP?
No. Neither program requires you to apply for CPP before 65. If you do take it early, ODSP counts it as income and lowers your support.
Not sure what else you can get? Try our benefits checkup. And be careful of scams: Service Canada and the CRA never ask for fees, gift cards or passwords by text or email.