This CPP calculator turns the Canada Pension Plan estimate at 65 from My Service Canada Account into a monthly amount for any start age from 60 to 70, then adds Old Age Security (OAS), the OAS recovery tax and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) in the same run. It does not rebuild a contribution history, and it is education, not financial advice: the exact amounts for any one person are in My Service Canada Account.
How do you use this CPP, OAS and GIS calculator?
- Find the CPP estimate at 65. Sign in to My Service Canada Account and open the CPP Statement of Contributions; the estimated monthly retirement pension at 65 goes in the first field. Anyone who worked only in Quebec receives the Québec Pension Plan (QPP) from Retraite Québec instead.
- Choose a CPP start age from 60 to 70.
- Choose an OAS start age from 65 to 70, and enter the years lived in Canada after 18. Forty or more gives a full pension.
- Enter other taxable income for a typical retirement year: workplace pensions, RRIF withdrawals, interest and the taxable part of dividends and capital gains. Leave out TFSA withdrawals, which do not count.
- Pick the household situation so the GIS check uses the right limit. Couples add the partner’s income.
- Open “More options” for employment income after 65, a planning age, a real rate of return for discounting, and the living-abroad rule.
- Read the results: monthly CPP and OAS, the recovery tax, the GIS band, break-even tables for CPP and OAS, a start-age grid, a recovery-tax table and a year-by-year schedule that downloads as CSV.
How much CPP will you get at 60, 65 or 70?
The start-age rule is the same for everyone. Each month before 65 reduces the pension by 0.6%, to a maximum reduction of 36% at 60. Each month after 65 raises it by 0.7%, to a maximum increase of 42% at 70. There is no increase for waiting past 70. The table applies those rules to an example estimate at 65 of $900 a month, close to the average new pension at 65 of $858.34 in July 2026.
| CPP start age | Change from 65 | Monthly pension | Total received by 85 | Break-even with a start at 65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 36% less | $576.00 | $172,800 | Age 73.9 |
| 62 | 21.6% less | $705.60 | $194,746 | Age 75.9 |
| 65 | No change | $900.00 | $216,000 | — |
| 67 | 16.8% more | $1,051.20 | $227,059 | Age 78.9 |
| 70 | 42% more | $1,278.00 | $230,040 | Age 81.9 |
How to read this table: every row uses the same estimate at 65; only the start age changes. The break-even column is the age at which the later start has received as much in total as the earlier one. The break-even ages are the same for any pension size, because the adjustments are percentages. By 85, the start at 70 has paid $57,240 more in total than the start at 60, but the start at 60 stays ahead until about age 78.2.
The calculator shows all eleven start ages, totals by 75, 85 and 95, and break-even ages in the first results table. The trade-offs behind the choice, including health and survivor benefits, are covered in the guide to taking CPP early or late.
How is the OAS pension calculated?
The OAS pension starts from the quarterly maximum, adjusted three ways: residence, deferral and the age-75 increase. The maximums change every January, April, July and October with the cost of living, so the calculator reads the latest published quarter.
- Residence. A full pension needs 40 years in Canada after 18. Fewer years give a partial pension of years ÷ 40, with at least 10 years needed when living in Canada and 20 years when living outside Canada.
- Deferral. Each month the start is delayed after 65 adds 0.6%, up to 36% at 70. There is no benefit to waiting past 70.
- Age 75. The pension rises by 10% from the month after the 75th birthday, whatever the start age.
How to read this table: Full pension at the age 65 to 74 rate. The percentage increases are fixed by law; the dollar amounts rise with each quarterly indexation. The calculator reproduces this ESDC table exactly for a full pension.
| Age OAS starts | Months deferred | Increase | Maximum per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 0 | 0% | $762.50 |
| 66 | 12 | 7.2% | $817.40 |
| 67 | 24 | 14.4% | $872.30 |
| 68 | 36 | 21.6% | $927.20 |
| 69 | 48 | 28.8% | $982.10 |
| 70 | 60 | 36% | $1,037.00 |
Source: Old Age Security payment amounts — Canada.ca (maximum payments and income thresholds, October to December 2026); Old Age Security payment amounts — Canada.ca (latest quarterly adjustment); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (October to December 2026), Table 5; Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (October to December 2026), Table 5 (Allowances); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (July to September 2026), Table 5; Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (July to September 2026), Table 5 (GIS single); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (deferral table, October to December 2026); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — income recovery thresholds (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (Canada.ca); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — October to December 2026, Table 5 footnote 6 (income excluded from GIS and Allowance cut-offs). In effect from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
Deferring to 70 gives up five years of payments for a pension that is $274.50 a month larger. With the 10% increase at 75 applied to both paths, the deferred pension catches up in total at about age 83.1. The OAS deferral guide explains how to ask Service Canada for a later start, and current amounts for every benefit are on the OAS payment amounts page.
Who qualifies for the GIS, and how much can it pay?
The Guaranteed Income Supplement is a monthly, non-taxable top-up for OAS pensioners with low income. The GIS income test counts CPP, pensions, RRIF withdrawals and other income, but not the OAS pension itself, and it ignores the first $5,000 of employment or self-employment income and 50% of such income between $5,000 and $15,000. Couples are tested on combined income.
How to read this table: Maximum monthly amounts for a full, non-deferred pension. The GIS stops completely at the income limit. Below the top-up cut-off, some or all of the extra top-up for the lowest incomes is still paid. ESDC says not to use these maximums for partial pensions.
| Benefit and situation | Maximum per month | Income must be under | Income that counts | Top-up cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAS pension, age 65 to 74 | $762.50 | $152,062 | Individual net world income in 2025 | — |
| OAS pension, age 75 and over | $838.75 | $157,923 | Individual net world income in 2025 | — |
| GIS, single, widowed or divorced | $1,138.90 | $23,112 | Own annual net income | $10,496 |
| GIS, spouse or partner receives the full OAS pension | $685.56 | $30,528 | Combined income of the couple | $8,800 |
| GIS, spouse or partner receives the Allowance | $685.56 | $42,768 | Combined income of the couple | $8,800 |
| GIS, spouse or partner receives no OAS pension or Allowance | $1,138.90 | $55,392 | Combined income of the couple | $20,992 |
| Allowance, age 60 to 64 (spouse or partner receives GIS) | $1,448.06 | $42,768 | Combined income of the couple | $8,800 |
| Allowance for the Survivor, age 60 to 64 | $1,726.18 | $31,152 | Own annual net income | $10,496 |
Source: Old Age Security payment amounts — Canada.ca (maximum payments and income thresholds, October to December 2026); Old Age Security payment amounts — Canada.ca (latest quarterly adjustment); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (October to December 2026), Table 5; Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (October to December 2026), Table 5 (Allowances); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (July to September 2026), Table 5; Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — CPP (2026) and OAS (July to September 2026), Table 5 (GIS single); Old Age Security — When to start your retirement pension (deferral table, October to December 2026); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — income recovery thresholds (Canada.ca); Old Age Security — How much you could receive (Canada.ca); Maximum Benefit Amounts and Related Figures — October to December 2026, Table 5 footnote 6 (income excluded from GIS and Allowance cut-offs). In effect from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026; checked September 29, 2026.
The calculator places each result in one of four GIS bands: the maximum (no income other than OAS), partial with some or all of the top-up, partial without the top-up, or no GIS. It deliberately stops short of a dollar figure. The published tables give maximums and cut-offs, not the reduction formula, and a partial OAS pension changes the calculation, so a GIS dollar amount belongs to Service Canada’s OAS Benefits Estimator. Provincial top-ups for low-income seniors are listed in the guide to GIS income limits by province.
Worked example: CPP at 60, 65 or 70 for a low-income single senior
Take a single senior with a CPP estimate at 65 of $500 a month, 40 years in Canada, no other income, and OAS starting at 65. Because CPP counts for the GIS and OAS does not, the CPP start age moves the income counted for the GIS.
| CPP start age | CPP per month | Income counted for the GIS | GIS band (single, limit $23,112) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | $320.00 | $3,840 | Partial GIS, with some or all of the top-up |
| 65 | $500.00 | $6,000 | Partial GIS, with some or all of the top-up |
| 70 | $710.00 | $8,520 | Partial GIS, with some or all of the top-up |
How to read this table: all three start ages keep this senior under the $10,496 top-up cut-off, so the GIS keeps paying at least part of the top-up in every case. A later CPP start means a larger CPP cheque but a smaller GIS, so the net gain from waiting is smaller than the CPP table alone suggests. Deferring OAS would be the costly move here: the GIS is not paid until OAS starts, and ESDC says there is no benefit to waiting for anyone eligible for the GIS. The calculator raises a warning when a GIS band and an OAS deferral appear together.
Worked example: a retiree near the OAS clawback
A single retiree has a CPP estimate at 65 of $1,400 a month, 40 years in Canada, and $85,000 a year of workplace pension and RRIF income. Both pensions start at 65.
- CPP and OAS: $1,400.00 plus $762.50 is $2,162.50 a month before tax.
- Net income: $110,950 for the year, which is $17,496 above the $93,454 threshold for 2025 income.
- Recovery tax: $2,624 a year, about $218.70 deducted from each monthly OAS payment, leaving $6,526 of OAS for the year.
- Deferring OAS to 70: the pension rises to $1,037.00 a month, but the larger OAS also raises net income to $114,244, so the recovery tax grows to $3,119. The OAS kept each year still rises, to $9,326.
How to read this table: The threshold is the net income at which the 15% recovery tax starts. The last two columns are the incomes at which the whole maximum pension is recovered for each age group. The recovery tax on one income year is deducted from July of the next year to June of the year after.
| Income year | Deducted from | Threshold | Whole pension recovered, 65 to 74 | Whole pension recovered, 75+ | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | July 2025 to June 2026 | $90,997 | $148,451 | $154,196 | Final |
| 2025 | July 2026 to June 2027 | $93,454 | $152,062 | $157,923 | Final |
| 2026 | July 2027 to June 2028 | $95,323 | $155,320 | $161,320 | Final |
Source: Old Age Security pension recovery tax — income recovery thresholds table (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — footnote 1, estimates to September and final from October (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — non-residents (Canada.ca); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — Return of Income deadline (Canada.ca); Repayment of Old Age Security pension — income line and return lines (Canada.ca); Repayment of Old Age Security pension — worked example (Canada.ca); Repayment of Old Age Security pension — deductions spread over 12 payments (Canada.ca); Repayment of Old Age Security pension — financial hardship (Canada.ca); Line 23500 – Social benefits repayment (CRA); Line 23500 – Social benefits repayment, withheld recovery tax (CRA); Repayment of Old Age Security pension — contact to check or increase the deduction (Canada.ca); Contact the Canada Revenue Agency — individual income tax enquiries line (CRA); Old Age Security pension recovery tax — CRA contact for tax questions (Canada.ca); T1213OAS Request to Reduce Old Age Security Recovery Tax at Source (CRA); Pension income splitting — 50% limit (CRA); Pension income splitting — RRIF and annuity income at 65 or older (CRA); Pension income splitting — OAS and CPP not eligible (CRA); Pension income splitting — effect on OAS repayment (CRA); Line 21000 – Deduction for elected split-pension amount, Form T1032 (CRA); What is a TFSA — TFSA impact on government benefits and credits (CRA). In effect from July 1, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Ways to lower the recovery tax include pension income splitting with a spouse, drawing from a TFSA instead of a RRIF in high-income years, and timing RRIF withdrawals with the RRIF calculator. The OAS clawback guide covers the thresholds and the repayment process in detail.
Worked example: a newcomer with a partial OAS pension
A senior who arrived in Canada as an adult has 22 years of residence after 18 by 65, a CPP estimate at 65 of $300 a month, and $6,000 a year of other income.
- Partial OAS: $419.38 a month at 65, rising to $461.31 from 75.
- GIS: income counted for the GIS is $9,600, well under the single limit, so the GIS applies. With a partial pension, ESDC says not to use the maximum tables, so the calculator treats those limits as a guide and the official estimator gives the amount.
- Deferring OAS to 67: the pension would be $479.77 a month, but no GIS would be paid for those two years. If the senior keeps living in Canada, each extra year before the start adds another fortieth of the full pension, which is the one case where waiting can raise both the OAS and the years counted.
Anyone planning a move or a return abroad should check the OAS eligibility rules first, because the minimum residence rises to 20 years when living outside Canada.
How does the calculator work out the numbers?
- CPP: estimate at 65 × (1 − 0.6% × months before 65) or × (1 + 0.7% × months after 65).
- OAS: quarterly maximum × (years after 18 ÷ 40) × (1 + 0.6% × months deferred), then × 1.10 from 75.
- Net income: CPP + OAS + other taxable income + employment income, all for one year.
- Recovery tax: 15% × (net income − threshold), never more than the OAS received that year.
- GIS band: CPP + other income + employment income after the exclusions (+ the partner’s income for couples), compared with the top-up cut-off and the income limit for the household type.
- Totals and break-even: payments are added month by month from the start age; the break-even age is the first month in which a later start’s running total catches up with an earlier start’s. With a real rate of return above zero, each payment is discounted to age 60 first.
The tests behind the calculator reproduce ESDC’s own worked figures: the October to December 2026 OAS deferral table, and the repayment example in which net income of $100,000 leads to a recovery tax of $981.90. Break-even ages are checked against the closed-form formula.
Which CPP and OAS start ages pay the most in total?
It depends on how long payments last. Using the first example ($900 CPP at 65, full OAS), the start-age grid in the calculator gives these combined totals by age 90:
| Start ages | CPP + OAS received by 90 |
|---|---|
| CPP at 60, OAS at 65 | $449,835 |
| CPP at 65, OAS at 65 | $512,475 |
| CPP at 70, OAS at 70 | $574,266 |
How to read this table: at a planning age of 90, the latest starts pay the most in total, while an early death favours the earliest starts. Changing “Plan to age” in the calculator moves the best cell; the grid marks the combination chosen and names the highest total.
Common mistakes when estimating CPP and OAS
- Assuming the maximum CPP. The maximum at 65 was $1,507.65 a month for pensions starting in January 2026, but the average new pension at 65 was $858.34. The estimate in My Service Canada Account is the number to use.
- Comparing start ages on monthly amounts alone. A larger cheque starts later; the break-even age is the fair comparison.
- Deferring OAS while eligible for the GIS. The GIS is not paid until OAS starts, and it does not grow with deferral.
- Forgetting that CPP counts for the GIS while OAS and TFSA withdrawals do not.
- Applying late for the GIS. The GIS is paid only while OAS is paid and income stays under the limit, and backdating is limited, so applying as soon as eligible matters.
- Leaving the CPP application to the last minute. Service Canada needs time to process it; the steps are in the guide on how to apply for CPP.
- Ignoring the recovery tax when RRIF withdrawals or a large capital gain push one year’s income above the threshold.
When is it worth talking to a professional?
The planner compares start ages and flags the recovery tax and GIS, but it does not model income tax brackets, survivor benefits, pension sharing or a full withdrawal plan. A fee-only financial planner can weigh CPP and OAS timing against RRSP and RRIF withdrawals and a TFSA, and Service Canada (for CPP, OAS and GIS) or the Canada Revenue Agency (for the recovery tax) can confirm an individual record. Payment timing for each month is on the CPP and OAS payment dates page.