CPP and OAS Payment Dates 2026: The Full Schedule for Canadian Seniors

The next CPP payment lands on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement arrive the same day. According to the Government of Canada's official benefits payment calendar, all three benefits are paid on the same 12 dates in 2026, almost always in the last week of the month.

That one fact makes budgeting a lot easier. Below you will find the full 2026 schedule in one table, how much CPP and OAS actually pay this year, whether tax comes off your deposit, and exactly what to do if the money does not show up.

When do CPP payments come out this month?

For August 2026, CPP, OAS, and GIS are all deposited on Thursday, August 27. Every other month in 2026 follows the same rhythm: the money lands in the final week, usually on the third-to-last business day. December is the one exception, with payment on Tuesday, December 22.

Once you see that pattern, you rarely need to look the date up again. Payments do not float around the calendar, and in 2026 every single payment date falls on a weekday, so there are no weekend surprises to plan around.

One more thing worth knowing: the federal calendar treats the whole Old Age Security family as a single schedule. The OAS pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance, and the Allowance for the Survivor are all listed together and paid on the same day, per the Government of Canada's benefits payment calendar. If you receive a survivor benefit, our guide to the survivor's pension in Canada explains how those payments work alongside your own.

What are the CPP payment dates for 2026?

Here is the complete 2026 schedule. According to the Government of Canada's official benefits payment calendar, CPP, OAS, and GIS all land on the same day each month in 2026: January 28, February 25, March 27, April 28, May 27, June 26, July 29, August 27, September 25, October 28, November 26, and December 22.

Worth circling on the calendar: December 22 is the last payment of 2026, and it comes noticeably earlier in the month than the other eleven.

The Government of Canada also publishes this calendar as a printable calendar PDF, which is handy to tape inside a cupboard door or beside the phone.

How does the money actually arrive?

Most people never think about this because the deposit simply appears. CPP and OAS can each be paid two ways: by direct deposit into your bank account, or by paper cheque mailed near the end of the month. Direct deposit is recommended by Service Canada, but it is not mandatory.

The split is lopsided. Service Canada has reported that about 97 percent of CPP clients and about 97.9 percent of OAS clients are registered for direct deposit. Everyone else receives a cheque in the mail, which means the arrival date depends on the mail rather than the deposit date itself.

If you are still receiving cheques and would rather have the money in your account on the payment date, you can switch to direct deposit through Service Canada.

How much are CPP payments in 2026?

For 2026, the maximum monthly CPP retirement pension for someone starting at age 65 is $1,507.65, according to the Government of Canada's CPP payment amounts page. Most people receive considerably less than that. Canada.ca reports the average new beneficiary starting at 65 was receiving $877.01 a month as of April 2026.

That gap surprises a lot of people. The maximum is what you would receive with a full contribution history at the top of the range, and most working lives do not look like that. When you are planning your retirement income, the average is the more realistic number to build around.

How are CPP payments calculated?

Your CPP retirement pension depends on your lifetime contributions: how much you paid in and for how long. That is why the government publishes both a maximum and an average, and why two people the same age can receive very different amounts.

The age you start also matters, which is a decision worth thinking through carefully rather than defaulting to 65. Our guide on when to start taking CPP walks through the trade-offs in plain language.

Are CPP payments going up in 2026?

Yes. CPP benefits increased by 2.0 percent effective January 2026, according to the Government of Canada's page on CPP amounts and the Consumer Price Index. That adjustment came from comparing the average Consumer Price Index for November 2024 to October 2025 (163.6) against the average for November 2023 to October 2024 (160.4).

CPP is adjusted once a year, in January, so the amount you saw on your January 2026 deposit is the amount that carries through the rest of the year. If your deposit changed at some other point in the year, the cause is usually something other than indexation, such as a change in tax withholding or a new benefit starting.

How much are OAS and GIS payments in 2026?

For the July to September 2026 quarter, the maximum monthly OAS payment is $751.97 for people aged 65 to 74, and $827.17 for people aged 75 and over, according to Canada.ca's Old Age Security payment amounts page. Your actual amount can be lower depending on your years of residence in Canada and your income.

OAS amounts are set quarter by quarter, so the figures above cover July, August, and September 2026 and are reviewed again for the following quarter. Higher-income seniors should also know about the recovery tax, sometimes called the clawback, which reduces OAS once net income passes a set threshold. We cover the thresholds and the planning options in our OAS clawback guide.

If you also receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, it is not a separate deposit. Service Canada adds GIS to your OAS pension and pays them together as one combined amount on the same date. GIS is income-tested, so it is worth reading our complete guide to the Guaranteed Income Supplement if you have never checked your eligibility.

Are CPP and OAS payments taxable?

Yes. Both CPP and OAS payments count as taxable income under Canadian federal tax law. The important detail, and the one that catches people out, is that income tax is not automatically deducted from CPP or OAS for Canadian residents.

If you want tax withheld from your monthly payments, you have to ask for it. You can request voluntary federal income tax deductions through My Service Canada Account, by phone, or by submitting the Request for Voluntary Federal Income Tax Deductions form (ISP3520). This is all set out by the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada on Canada.ca.

Without that request, nothing is withheld during the year, and you may owe money when you file your return. For many people with CPP, OAS, and other retirement income stacked together, asking for a small monthly deduction is far more comfortable than a surprise bill in April. Non-residents are treated differently: non-resident tax is deducted automatically, and the OAS recovery tax can also apply.

What should you do if your CPP or OAS payment is late?

First, do not panic, and do not call on day one. Canada.ca's guidance is to wait 5 to 10 business days after the expected payment date before contacting the program. Deposits sometimes post a little differently depending on your financial institution, and cheques depend on the mail.

If the payment still has not arrived after that window, contact Service Canada:

• 1-800-277-9914 from within Canada or the United States
• 1-613-957-1954 collect, from outside Canada and the United States
• 1-800-255-4786 for TTY

One useful thing to remember: the Canada Revenue Agency does not administer CPP or OAS. If a payment is missing, Service Canada is who you need, not the CRA.

Before you call, have your Social Insurance Number handy and check your bank account for the last few days.

Frequently asked questions

Do CPP and OAS arrive on the same day? Yes. According to the Government of Canada's benefits payment calendar, CPP, OAS, and GIS are paid on the same 12 dates in 2026. If you receive more than one of these benefits, they arrive together rather than trickling in across the month.

What is the "$2,385 CPP payment" people are posting about? There is no such payment. No $2,385 CPP payment, bonus, or one-time boost appears anywhere in the Government of Canada's official CPP payment tables, which cap the maximum retirement pension at age 65 at $1,507.65 a month for 2026. Treat posts promising a specific dollar windfall with real caution, and confirm any benefit claim on Canada.ca before acting on it.

Is income tax deducted from CPP payments automatically? No, not for Canadian residents. Tax is only withheld if you request it, through My Service Canada Account, by phone, or with the ISP3520 form. Both CPP and OAS remain taxable income whether or not tax is withheld during the year.

Why is my CPP payment lower than $1,507.65? Because that figure is the maximum for someone starting at 65, not the typical amount. Canada.ca reports the average new beneficiary at 65 was receiving $877.01 a month as of April 2026. Your amount reflects your own contribution history.

Does GIS come as a separate deposit from OAS? No. Service Canada adds the Guaranteed Income Supplement to your OAS pension and pays them as one combined deposit on the same date each month.

When is the last CPP payment of 2026? Tuesday, December 22, 2026. It is the earliest payment date of the year, so plan for a longer stretch between the December deposit and the first payment of the new year.

The bottom line

The 2026 schedule is refreshingly simple: one date a month, the same date for CPP, OAS, and GIS, in the last week of the month, with December arriving early on the 22nd. Write the dates somewhere visible, set up direct deposit if you have not already, and give Service Canada 5 to 10 business days before you worry about a payment that has not shown up.

The bigger opportunity is usually not the timing, it is the money that never gets claimed in the first place. Two guides are worth twenty minutes of your time: our complete guide to the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is worth checking if your income is modest, and our OAS clawback guide if your retirement income is on the higher side. And for stretching what does arrive, our roundup of senior discounts across Canada is an easy win between deposits.

This article is general information, not financial or tax advice. Payment dates and benefit amounts are current as of August 2026 and change over time. Confirm the latest figures with the Government of Canada or a tax professional before making a decision.