CPP, OAS, GIS, and provincial seniors supplements: how to apply and when payments start.
There is no separate application for the BC Seniors Supplement: payment starts automatically one month after your first OAS and GIS payment, so the real work is getting the GIS in place and filing your tax return every year.
There is no GAINS application: Ontario seniors who receive Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement are assessed automatically, as long as they file a tax return every year.
There is no separate application for the Saskatchewan Seniors Income Plan: seniors accepted for the Guaranteed Income Supplement automatically qualify, so the real work is getting the GIS in place and filing your tax return every year.
Apply for the CPP survivor's pension through My Service Canada Account or paper form ISP1300 — who it is paid to, the contribution test, the 12-month back-payment limit, and the children's benefit and death benefit on the same claim.
Apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement through automatic enrolment, My Service Canada Account, or form ISP-3025 — who qualifies, the October–December 2026 maximums and income limits, and how the yearly renewal works.
Retiring in Canada: the checklist for the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, RRSP and TFSA room, and the will and power of attorney, with the current maximums.
How to apply for Old Age Security in Canada: automatic enrolment, the online and paper routes, who qualifies, and the October–December 2026 maximums.