The Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) is a monthly, tax-free top-up from the Ontario government for low-income seniors who get the federal Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). It pays up to $92 a month per person for the benefit year that runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. If you already get OAS and GIS, you don’t need to apply.
How much GAINS you’ll get
GAINS is based on your private income from the year before. For July 2026 to June 2027, that means your 2025 income. Private income includes things like a workplace pension, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and bank interest. It doesn’t include the OAS and GIS payments themselves.
If you had no private income in 2025, you get the full $92 a month. As your private income goes up, GAINS goes down. For a single senior, it drops by 50 cents a month for every $24 of yearly private income, and it stops once that income reaches $4,416.
The table below uses Ontario’s rate tables for July to September 2026, ages 65 to 74. The GAINS amounts for a single senior aged 75 or older are the same.
| Your private income in 2025 | Single senior: GAINS a month | Couple, both on OAS and GIS: GAINS a month for each person (combined income) |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $92.00 | $92.00 |
| $1,200 | $67.00 | $79.50 |
| $2,400 | $42.00 | $67.00 |
| $3,600 | $17.00 | $54.50 |
| $4,800 | $0 | $42.00 |
| $7,200 | $0 | $17.00 |
| $8,832 or more | $0 | $0 |
Different limits apply if your spouse is under 65 or doesn’t get OAS. Ontario publishes separate tables for a couple with one pensioner and for a pensioner whose spouse is 60 to 64. You can find them all on Ontario’s GAINS page.
Three examples (July to September 2026)
- Maria, 70, single. Her only private income in 2025 was $2,400 from CPP ($200 a month). Ontario’s table shows $42.00 a month from GAINS, on top of $1,015.17 from GIS and $751.97 from OAS. That is $1,809.14 a month in total.
- Ahmed and Lina, both 68. Both get OAS and GIS, and their combined private income in 2025 was $4,800. Each of them gets $42.00 a month from GAINS, so $84.00 together.
- Doug, 72, single. He got $4,800 from CPP in 2025. That is over the $4,416 limit, so he gets no GAINS, but he still gets $865.17 a month from GIS.
Your GAINS can change during the benefit year if your private income or your marital status changes.
Who qualifies for GAINS
According to Ontario, you qualify if you:
- are 65 or older
- have lived in Canada for 10 years or more
- have lived in Ontario for the past 12 months, or for a total of 20 years since you turned 18
- get the federal OAS pension and the GIS
- have yearly private income under $4,416 if you are single, or under $8,832 for a couple where both get OAS and GIS
How to get GAINS
- Get on OAS and GIS first. If you don’t get the GIS yet, apply through Service Canada. There is more on this on our GIS page.
- After that, you don’t apply for GAINS. Ontario uses information from Employment and Social Development Canada and your tax return to work out your payment.
- File your income tax return every year by April 30, even if you have no income to report. Ontario says this is how you keep receiving GAINS.
- To get GAINS by direct deposit, contact Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914.
If you disagree with a decision about your GAINS, call the Ontario Ministry of Finance at 1-866-668-8297 (TTY 1-800-263-7776). If that doesn’t settle it, you can send a formal Notice of Objection within 90 days of the date the written decision was mailed to you.
What changed in 2026
- From July 2026, the maximum GAINS payment went up from $90 to $92 a month per person.
- The income limit for a single senior went up from $4,320 to $4,416 a year, and for a couple from $8,640 to $8,832.
- The 2026 benefit year (July 2026 to June 2027) is based on your 2025 income. The next benefit year starts July 1, 2027.
Payment late, missing or different?
Ontario says GAINS is paid “on or about the 25th day of each month”, from July to the following June. It doesn’t always arrive on the same day as your OAS and GIS. The calendar at the top of this page shows the dates we expect.
If a payment hasn’t arrived, check with your bank first, then call the numbers in the panel above. Service Canada (1-800-277-9914) handles direct deposit and banking changes.
Common reasons a payment stops, drops or changes:
- Your tax return is late. The GIS needs your return by April 30 each year, and GAINS depends on the GIS.
- Your private income went up. A new workplace pension, a CPP increase or more interest can lower or end GAINS.
- Your marital status changed. Marriage, a new common-law partner, separation or the death of a spouse changes which table applies. Tell Service Canada.
- You moved or changed banks. Update your details with Service Canada so payments aren’t delayed.
- You moved out of Ontario. GAINS is only for Ontario residents.
Watch for scams. The government never asks you to pay a fee to get GAINS, and never asks for gift cards, passwords or banking details by text or email. If a message says you are owed money and asks you to click a link, don’t. Call the numbers above instead.
Other help you might be missing
- Guaranteed Income Supplement: you need it to get GAINS, and it is the biggest top-up for low-income seniors.
- Old Age Security: the base federal pension from age 65, and the other must-have for GAINS.
- Ontario Trillium Benefit: if you pay rent or property tax, the energy and property tax credit part pays up to $1,488 a year to seniors 65 or older, based on your 2025 tax return.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit: the new name for the GST/HST credit since July 2026. You get it by filing your taxes.
- The Allowance: for a spouse or partner aged 60 to 64 when you get OAS and GIS.
- CPP retirement pension: if you ever worked in Canada, make sure you have applied.
Common questions
Do I have to apply for Ontario GAINS?
No, not if you already get OAS and GIS. Ontario works it out from your tax return and federal records. Just file your taxes by April 30 every year.
Is GAINS taxable?
No. Ontario describes GAINS as a non-taxable monthly payment.
Does CPP reduce my GAINS?
Yes. CPP counts as private income, along with workplace pensions and bank interest. A single senior with $4,416 or more of private income in 2025 gets no GAINS from July 2026.
How much GAINS does a couple get?
If you both get OAS and GIS, each of you can get up to $92 a month, so up to $184 together, for July 2026 to June 2027. The amount goes down as your combined private income goes up.