This checklist is for anyone about to turn 65, and for people who are 64 and waiting to hear from Service Canada. Most people are enrolled in Old Age Security automatically, but the Guaranteed Income Supplement, provincial top-ups and tax credits can be missed if you don’t check.
Your checklist
- Watch for your OAS enrolment letter around your 64th birthday. If Service Canada has your information, it mails a letter around the time you turn 64 saying you have been enrolled automatically. If it has been one month since your 64th birthday and no letter has come, call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 to find out whether you need to apply.
- Apply for OAS if you were not enrolled. You can apply once you are at least one month past your 64th birthday, which is up to 11 months before you turn 65. Apply online in My Service Canada Account or mail form ISP-3550. You need to have lived in Canada at least 10 years after age 18, and 40 years for the full pension. If you apply late, back pay is limited to 11 months. See apply for OAS.
- Decide whether to delay OAS. For each month you wait after 65, your OAS goes up 0.6%, up to 36% more if you wait the full 60 months to age 70. But while you delay OAS you cannot get the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and GIS does not grow when you wait. In Alberta, the Alberta Seniors Benefit also waits until OAS starts. Delaying rarely suits people with a low income. To delay, use “Delay Receiving OAS/GIS Pension” under Profile in My Service Canada Account, or say so on form ISP-3550. See when to start OAS.
- Make sure your GIS is set up. The GIS is extra monthly money for OAS pensioners with a low income. Service Canada tries to enrol you automatically with OAS. If it does not, apply online or with form ISP-3550 (OAS and GIS together) or form ISP-3025 (GIS only, if you already get OAS). See apply for GIS.
- File your taxes every year. GIS is worked out from last year’s tax return. If you have not filed, your GIS may stop or be reduced. Most provincial top-ups, like Ontario GAINS and the Saskatchewan Seniors Income Plan, also depend on your return.
- If you get the Allowance, expect it to end at 65. The Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor are only for ages 60 to 64. At 65 you move to the OAS pension and, if your income is low, the GIS. Watch for your enrolment letter and apply if it does not come.
- Start your CPP if you haven’t yet. At 65 there is no early-start reduction. If you wait longer, it goes up 0.7% a month, to 42% more at 70. Apply up to 12 months ahead in My Service Canada Account or with form ISP1000. If you get CPP disability, it changes to a retirement pension at 65. In Quebec, apply to Retraite Québec for the QPP instead. See apply for CPP.
- Check your provincial or territorial top-up. Most are automatic once you get OAS and GIS, but Alberta and New Brunswick need an application. See the table below.
- If you are on disability or social assistance, plan the switch. In Ontario, ODSP requires you to apply for OAS at 65, and OAS and GIS are taken off your ODSP dollar for dollar (ODSP policy). In Alberta, AISH and ADAP end once you can get OAS, so apply for OAS, GIS and the Alberta Seniors Benefit before your birthday (AISH eligibility). In B.C., the assistance policy manual says people on income or disability assistance must apply at 64 for CPP, OAS and GIS to start at 65, and most move to these pensions (BC supports for seniors). Your caseworker can help with the timing.
- Apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan if you have no dental insurance. You qualify if you have no access to private dental coverage, you (and your spouse) filed a Canadian tax return, and your adjusted family net income is under $90,000. Apply in My Service Canada Account or call 1-833-537-4342 (TTY 1-833-677-6262). See who qualifies and how to apply.
- Claim your tax credits at 65. The age amount is for people 65 or older on December 31; for 2025 the federal maximum was $9,028, and it shrinks once net income passes $45,522. The pension income amount gives a credit on up to $2,000 of eligible pension income, like a workplace pension, RRIF or annuity, but not CPP, OAS or GIS. With pension income splitting, you can move up to 50% of eligible pension income to your spouse on form T1032. CPP can’t be split this way, but it can be shared through Service Canada. If you have a disability, apply for the Disability Tax Credit with form T2201.
Provincial and territorial top-ups for seniors
| Where | Program | Maximum | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | GAINS | $92 a month, single | Automatic with OAS and GIS; file taxes by April 30 |
| B.C. | Senior’s Supplement | $99.30 a month, single | Automatic with GIS |
| Alberta | Alberta Seniors Benefit | $3,946 a year, single | Apply; call 1-877-644-9992 |
| Saskatchewan | Seniors Income Plan | $360 a month, single at home | Automatic with OAS and GIS |
| Manitoba | 55 PLUS | $161.80 a quarter, single | Automatic if you get OAS |
| New Brunswick | Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit | $629 a year (2026) | Apply by December 31; call 1-833-796-0944 |
| Yukon | Seniors Income Supplement | $323.26 a month | Automatic with OAS and GIS |
| N.W.T. | Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit | $196 a month | Automatic with OAS and GIS |
| Nunavut | Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit | $300 a month | Automatic with GIS |
For New Brunswick, the 2026 benefit is for people who got GIS in 2025, so it usually starts the year after your GIS does.
Money you may now qualify for
- Old Age Security: the monthly pension that starts at 65 for most people who have lived in Canada 10 years or more.
- Guaranteed Income Supplement: extra money if your income is low; single seniors can get up to $1,123.17 a month (July to September 2026).
- CPP retirement pension: the full, unreduced amount if you start at 65.
- Quebec Pension Plan: if you worked in Quebec.
- Ontario GAINS, BC Senior’s Supplement and the Alberta Seniors Benefit: provincial top-ups for GIS recipients.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit and the Ontario Trillium Benefit: paid when you file your taxes.
- If your spouse has died, see our death of a spouse checklist. If you are younger than your partner, see turning 60 for the Allowance.
Common questions
Do I have to apply for OAS or is it automatic?
Many people are enrolled automatically and get a letter around their 64th birthday. If no letter has come a month after you turn 64, contact Service Canada, because you may need to apply.
Can I get GIS if I delay my OAS?
No. You can only get GIS while you receive the OAS pension, and GIS does not increase when you delay.
How much is OAS in 2026?
For July to September 2026, the maximum is $751.97 a month at 65 to 74 and $827.17 a month at 75 and older. Amounts are adjusted every three months for inflation.
What happens to my ODSP when I turn 65?
You must apply for OAS, and OAS and GIS are deducted from ODSP dollar for dollar.
Will I have to pay back my OAS?
Only if your income is high. For July 2026 to June 2027, the recovery tax starts when your 2025 net income is over $93,454.
Is the Canadian Dental Care Plan free for seniors?
If your adjusted family net income is under $70,000, the plan covers 100% of its set fees for covered care. Between $70,000 and $89,999 you pay part of the cost. You may also pay extra if your dentist charges more than the plan’s fees, so ask before treatment.
To check for anything else you may be missing, try our benefits checkup. And watch for scams: Service Canada and the CRA never ask for fees, gift cards or passwords by text or email.