Old Age Security rises 1.4 percent for the October to December quarter, the biggest of the four quarterly adjustments made in 2026. The October OAS increase lifts the maximum monthly pension from $751.97 to $762.50 for people aged 65 to 74, and from $827.17 to $838.75 for those 75 and over. The first deposit at the new rate lands on Wednesday, October 28.
Employment and Social Development Canada has published the 1.4 percent figure but has not yet posted the new rate card, which is why most coverage is currently rounding to “past $762” and “above $838”. The amounts below are the exact arithmetic. What matters more than the headline percentage is which benefit your increase arrives in. The OAS pension is taxable income. The Guaranteed Income Supplement is not, and it rises by more.
What the October OAS Increase Pays
Every benefit in the Old Age Security family moves by the same 1.4 percent. Applied to the current quarter’s maximums:
| Benefit (maximum monthly) | Jul to Sep 2026 | Oct to Dec 2026 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| OAS pension, age 65 to 74 | $751.97 | $762.50 | $10.53 |
| OAS pension, age 75 and over | $827.17 | $838.75 | $11.58 |
| GIS, single, widowed or divorced | $1,123.17 | $1,138.89 | $15.72 |
| GIS, spouse of a full OAS pensioner | $676.09 | $685.56 | $9.47 |
| Allowance | $1,428.06 | $1,448.05 | $19.99 |
| Allowance for the Survivor | $1,702.34 | $1,726.17 | $23.83 |
These are maximums, payable with 40 years of Canadian residence after age 18. A partial pension is prorated, so someone with 20 years receives half. Service Canada calculates from an unrounded base, so the published rate card may land a cent either side of these figures.
Three payments fall in the quarter: October 28, November 26 and December 22. A pensioner aged 65 to 74 at the maximum collects $31.59 more across those three deposits than at the current rate.
Where the 1.4 Percent Comes From
The quarterly adjustment compares two three month averages of the Consumer Price Index. For October it is May, June and July against the last period that produced an increase, February through April.
May came in at 169.6, June at 169.0 and July at 169.9, averaging 169.5. February, March and April averaged 167.1. The difference is 2.4 points, and 2.4 divided by 167.1 is 1.4 percent.
This is why the number was knowable in mid August, the moment Statistics Canada released the July CPI. October’s raise was set by spring and early summer prices. It has nothing to do with what anything costs in October.
Seniors Are Keeping Pace With Inflation, Just Late
Stack the four 2026 quarters together and OAS is up 0.3 percent in January, 0.1 percent in April, 1.2 percent in July and 1.4 percent in October. Compounded, that is 3.0 percent over the year, taking the 65 to 74 maximum from $740.09 last October to $762.50 this October, a gain of $22.41 a month.
Headline inflation in July ran at 3.0 percent year over year. Over twelve months, the pension has tracked consumer prices almost exactly.
The lag is the real cost. A senior paid the January rate was being compensated for prices measured the previous autumn. Indexation catches up, it just never catches up on time, and the gap widens whenever inflation accelerates. The Canada Pension Plan works differently again, adjusting once a year in January and then holding flat for twelve months regardless of what prices do.
What You Actually Keep
The OAS pension counts as taxable income. GIS, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor do not.
Take an Ontario pensioner aged 68 receiving the maximum OAS plus a CPP retirement pension, with total income sitting inside the lowest bracket. The combined marginal rate there is 19.05 percent, the federal 14 percent plus Ontario’s 5.05 percent. The $10.53 monthly increase is worth $8.52 after tax, and the quarter’s $31.59 becomes $25.57.
Plenty of pensioners at this income level owe nothing at all, because the basic personal amount, the age amount and the pension income amount between them absorb the tax. Whether that applies to you depends on your total income, and our tax calculator will give you the figure for your province.
A single GIS recipient is in a different position entirely. Their increase is larger, $15.72 a month, and none of it is taxable. The lowest income seniors get both the bigger raise and all of it.
The Clawback Line Does Not Move in October
OAS is reduced by 15 cents for every dollar of net world income above the recovery tax threshold. For the recovery period running July 2026 to June 2027, that threshold is $93,454, based on your 2025 return.
The threshold is fixed for the full recovery period. It does not adjust in October alongside the pension. A pensioner already in partial clawback territory therefore sees 15 percent of the increase withheld before it reaches the bank. The $10.53 becomes $8.95, and what lands is still taxable on top.
For the current quarter, OAS disappears entirely once net world income reaches $152,062 at ages 65 to 74, or $157,923 at 75 and over. Those cut-off points shift slightly upward in October, since a larger pension takes more income to claw back in full.
What to Watch
ESDC normally publishes the October rate card and the quarterly benefit tables in the days around October 1. If the figures differ from the table above by more than a cent, we will correct this article.
The January to March 2027 adjustment will be set by the August, September and October CPI readings. August lands on Monday, September 14. Two of the three inputs for the next raise will be public before the October money arrives.
Nothing needs to be done to receive the increase. It applies automatically to every OAS deposit from October 28. The July increase worked the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the October 2026 OAS increase?
1.4 percent. The maximum monthly pension goes from $751.97 to $762.50 for ages 65 to 74, and from $827.17 to $838.75 for ages 75 and over. That is an extra $10.53 and $11.58 a month respectively.
When is the first OAS payment at the new rate?
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The remaining payments in the quarter are November 26 and December 22. CPP is deposited on the same dates.
Does GIS go up in October too?
Yes. GIS, the Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor all rise by the same 1.4 percent. The maximum GIS for a single person goes from $1,123.17 to $1,138.89 a month. Unlike the OAS pension, GIS is not taxable.
Why is OAS adjusted four times a year when CPP is adjusted once?
The Old Age Security Act requires quarterly review against the Consumer Price Index in January, April, July and October. CPP is indexed annually each January. Benefits can never be reduced under either rule, even if prices fall.
Will the OAS clawback threshold go up in October?
No. The recovery tax threshold is set for a July to June period and stays at $93,454 through June 2027. Only the payment amount changes in October.
Do I need to apply for the increase?
No. It is applied automatically to every payment from October 28 onward. There is no form and no need to contact Service Canada.
Sources: Employment and Social Development Canada, Old Age Security payment amounts, updated August 17, 2026; Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index, July 2026, released August 17, 2026; Government of Canada benefits payment calendar. October dollar amounts calculated by applying the confirmed 1.4 percent adjustment to the published July to September maximums. Last updated: September 2026.