OAS Payment Dates 2026: Monthly Schedule and Missing Payments

Old Age Security (OAS) is paid monthly, with 12 scheduled payment dates in 2026. The next OAS payment is August 27, 2026.

The scheduled date is the date the payment is issued, not a guaranteed posting time at your bank. If your OAS payment has not arrived, the Government of Canada advises waiting 5 to 10 business days before contacting the program.

What Are OAS Payment Dates For 2026?

The Government of Canada has scheduled 12 OAS payments for 2026, beginning on January 28 and ending on December 22.

The table below shows the official 2026 payment dates for the Old Age Security pension:

The published dates above are the direct-deposit payment dates. If you receive OAS by cheque, Service Canada mails the cheque during the last three business days of the month, so the scheduled date is not a guaranteed delivery date.

The same payment calendar applies to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor. If you receive both the OAS and GIS, Service Canada combines both as one payment rather than paying it on a separate monthly schedule. Do not assume GIS is missing simply because you cannot find a second deposit.

What to Do If Your OAS Payment Is Missing or Different

If your OAS payment does not look right, start with what actually happened. A payment that has not arrived, a payment for a different amount, and a missing GIS amount can have different causes and different next steps.

If No OAS Payment Has Appeared

First, confirm that the scheduled OAS payment date has passed. The Government of Canada states that benefit payments are issued on the dates shown on its payment calendar but may take a few days to arrive. The general guidance is to wait 5 to 10 business days before contacting the program about a payment that has not arrived.

During that waiting period, check the following:

• Review your full bank account activity rather than relying only on the displayed balance.
• If you recently changed bank accounts, confirm that your current banking information appears under Payment details in your OAS Profile in MSCA. Service Canada notes that banking changes can take up to 30 days to take effect.
• If you receive your payment by cheque, allow for postal delivery time. Service Canada says OAS cheques are mailed during the last three business days of each month.
• Confirm that Service Canada has your current contact and payment information.

If the payment is still missing after the general waiting period, contact the Old Age Security program.

If Your Payment Arrived, but the Amount Is Different

Do not treat a different payment amount as a missing payment. If money has already arrived but the amount is different, waiting another 5 to 10 business days will not explain the difference. Check your payment details and your most recent Service Canada or CRA correspondence instead.

The reason why your OAS payment can change will be explained in the next section.

If Your July GIS Payment Is Missing

July deserves different treatment. GIS entitlement is reviewed each year using information from your federal income tax return. In July, Service Canada sends a letter telling you whether your GIS has been renewed, changed, stopped, started or requires additional income information.

If you do not receive your GIS payment in July, do not follow the usual waiting process. Service Canada advises contacting the program as soon as possible and being ready to provide your Social Insurance Number and relevant income information.

Why Did Your OAS Payment Amount Change?

If your OAS payment arrived on the expected date but the amount was different, the change may come from your OAS pension rate, GIS or another income-tested benefit, a tax deduction or recovery amount, or a change in your circumstances.

The following table summarizes when you might see a change in your OAS deposit:

Your OAS Pension Rate was Updated

Old Age Security payment amounts are reviewed four times a year, in January, April, July and October, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). If the applicable CPI measure increases, OAS benefit rates can increase. If the cost of living falls, OAS payment rates do not decrease because of the quarterly CPI adjustment.

The maximum OAS pension for ages 65 to 74 was $742.31 from January to March 2026 and $743.05 from April to June. It increased to $751.97 for July to September, which represented a 1.2% increase from the previous quarter. Your OAS pension also increases automatically by 10% starting the month after you turn 75.

This means that a small change in your payment at the beginning of a new quarter does not necessarily indicate a problem. Compare the amount with the current Government of Canada OAS payment rate before treating the payment as incorrect.

Your GIS or Allowance Amount was Reassessed

GIS, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor are income-tested benefits. Their amounts are generally recalculated each July using income information from the previous tax year. As a result, your total monthly payment can change even when the OAS pension rate itself has increased.

Changes in your income, or in the income of your spouse or common-law partner where applicable, can affect the amount of an income-tested benefit you receive. A change in marital status can also affect GIS or Allowance entitlement.

If you or your spouse or common-law partner have retired or experienced a reduction in pension income, contact Service Canada. In some circumstances, a lower estimated current-year income may be used instead of the previous year’s income when calculating an income-tested benefit.

Tax was Deducted From your Payment

OAS is taxable income, but federal income tax is not automatically deducted from every OAS payment. You can ask Service Canada to deduct federal income tax from your monthly payment.

This is different from the OAS recovery tax, which can apply when your income exceeds the applicable annual threshold. If it applies to you, some or all of the recovery amount may be deducted from your OAS payments.

Because of this difference, if your deposit is lower than expected, check your Service Canada payment details and related tax correspondence before assuming your basic OAS entitlement changed.

Your Circumstances Changed

Some personal changes can affect the benefits included in your payment.

For example, changes in marital status or household income can affect GIS or Allowance amounts. Your own income can affect OAS through the recovery tax.

Time spent outside Canada can also affect whether you remain eligible to receive OAS or GIS, depending on how long you are away and whether you meet the rules for receiving benefits outside Canada.

If none of these explanations match what you are seeing, review your latest Service Canada correspondence and your payment details in My Service Canada Account. If the reason is still unclear, contact Service Canada about the specific payment amount rather than waiting for a later payment to correct it.

How to Check Your OAS Payments in My Service Canada Account

My Service Canada Account (MSCA) lets OAS recipients review payment information and manage certain banking and contact details.

Check Your OAS Payment History

After signing in to MSCA:

1. Open your OAS dashboard.
2. Go to the Payments section.
3. Select All payments.

You can view and print information for OAS payments made after March 17, 2025. For earlier payment records, Service Canada directs users to contact the Old Age Security program.

This can help you determine whether a payment was issued before you report it as missing.

Update Your Direct Deposit Information

To manage your OAS banking information, open Profile on the OAS dashboard and select Manage my payment destination.

Banking changes can take up to 30 days to take effect. If you want your next OAS payment sent to the new account, Service Canada recommends submitting the change at least 30 days before the payment date and confirming the change has been recorded on your Profile page before the date arrives.

If a payment has already been issued to a closed account, contact the programme rather than waiting for the following month.

Update Your Address

From your OAS dashboard, select Profile, then Manage address information.

After a confirmed change, your updated address will appear under Address information on the Profile page.

A residential address change is automatically applied to both OAS and CPP benefits. If you need to change a foreign address, contact Service Canada and speak with an agent by telephone, as you cannot currently change it online in MSCA. 

Important: If You Cannot Update Your Information Online

Some OAS profile changes require access to be activated before they can be completed in MSCA. Service Canada currently instructs users to call 1-800-277-9914 or visit a Service Canada location to activate notifications and alerts before updating OAS information through the account.

If you cannot use MSCA, Service Canada also provides telephone, in-person and callback options for changing personal information or resolving an OAS payment problem.

Source: Old Age Security in MSCA

Are CPP and OAS Paid On The Same Date?

Yes. Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security are listed on the same twelve payment dates for 2026, from January 28 through to December 22.

However, sharing a date is not the same as sharing a payment. The calendar does not state that they are combined into a single bank transaction, so do not treat one deposit as proof that both have been paid.

This is different from the GIS that is added to OAS payments, which causes most confusion. Thus, a pensioner receiving the pension, the supplement, and a CPP retirement pension should not be looking for three separate credits on the same day.

FAQs about OAS Payment Dates

When will I receive my first OAS payment?

Your first Old Age Security payment is generally made in the month after you turn 65, unless you have chosen a later start date. Once your OAS pension begins, eligible payments are made monthly according to the Government of Canada payment schedule.

Can OAS be deposited into a joint bank account?

Yes. Government of Canada direct deposits can be made to a joint bank account. When you enrol, include each account holder as required on the direct-deposit information.

Can you receive retroactive OAS payments if you apply late? 

Possibly. If you are over 65 when you apply, Service Canada may provide retroactive OAS payments for up to 11 months before the date it receives your application. However, you cannot receive retroactive payments for months during which you intentionally deferred your OAS pension.

What happens to your OAS payment if you are outside Canada?

Moving or travelling outside Canada does not automatically stop every OAS payment. Whether payments can continue depends on the benefit you receive, how long you are outside Canada and whether you meet the rules for receiving that benefit abroad.

If you are planning an extended absence or a permanent move outside Canada, review the rules before you leave and make sure your address and banking information are current.

What happens if the OAS recipient dies?

Service Canada should be informed as soon as possible after the death of an OAS recipient. This helps stop payments that are no longer payable and reduces the risk of an overpayment that may later need to be repaid.

The annual payment calendar does not determine entitlement after death, so the estate or person handling the deceased recipient’s affairs should follow Service Canada’s instructions for reporting the death.

You can find more details in the Government of Canada guides on receiving OAS pension.