Quick answer: Two different OAS figures are easy to mix up in 2026. The July–September 2026 monthly maximum is $751.97 for ages 65 to 74 and $827.17 for age 75 or older. The $95,323 recovery-tax threshold is for 2026 income, which affects OAS paid from July 2027 to June 2028. OAS paid from July 2026 to June 2027 uses the 2025 income threshold of $93,454.
What this means: A new calendar year does not switch every OAS figure at once. Payment maximums are reviewed every quarter. The income year used for recovery tax changes with the July-to-June recovery period. Always read the date beside a figure before using it.
What to do next: For the current payment maximum, check Service Canada's OAS payment page. If you are comparing income thresholds, use the official recovery-tax table. Our OAS amounts and clawback guide puts the two together.
The short 2026 timeline
- OAS paid January–June 2026: 2024 income; recovery starts above $90,997.
- OAS paid July–December 2026: 2025 income; recovery starts above $93,454.
- OAS paid July 2027–June 2028: 2026 income; recovery starts above $95,323.
The third row is included because it is often described as the “2026 threshold.” It does not govern a payment made in 2026. The official table is organized by income year and the following July-to-June recovery period.
The current monthly OAS maximum
For July to September 2026, the published maximum is $751.97 a month at ages 65 to 74 and $827.17 a month at age 75 or older. These are maximum monthly pensions, not amounts everyone receives. Service Canada considers your residence in Canada after age 18, age and income.
Earlier-quarter figures can still appear in search results and older pages. The current official payment table is the right place to check when you read this after September 2026.
What happens in October 2026?
Service Canada has announced that OAS benefits will increase by 1.4% for October to December 2026. As of the September 27 fact check, its payment page still displayed the July–September dollar table. We therefore have not converted the percentage into new dollar amounts here.
When the October–December table appears, both this page and any calculator using the quarterly maximum need another check. Until then, use the July–September figures only for that stated period.
Which 2026 income threshold matters?
The $95,323 threshold is attached to the 2026 income year. The recovery based on that income applies to OAS payments from July 2027 to June 2028. For OAS paid from July 2026 to June 2027, the starting threshold is $93,454, because the applicable income year is 2025.
The 15% recovery-tax rate applies to income above the relevant threshold. The amount of OAS actually received can also limit the repayment. The start of recovery and full recovery are different points; do not treat $95,323 as a full-clawback ceiling.
What about full recovery?
For the 2025 income year, the official table lists full-recovery thresholds of $152,062 at ages 65 to 74 and $157,923 at age 75 or older. Those thresholds correspond to payments from July 2026 to June 2027.
The official table lists $155,109 as the 65-to-74 full-recovery threshold for 2026 income, which affects OAS paid from July 2027 to June 2028. It marks that ceiling as an estimate until October 2026. An older version of this article gave different estimated 2026 ceilings. Those should not be reused as final official figures.
A simple timing example
Suppose a person's 2025 net world income was $100,000. For OAS paid from July 2026 to June 2027, the relevant threshold is $93,454. The difference is $6,546, and 15% of that is $981.90. Service Canada uses this example on its recovery-tax page.
Do not then multiply the July–September 2026 OAS maximum by 12 and call the result that person's actual annual pension. Their OAS may be partial, and the maximum rate can change during the July-to-June recovery period.
How a personal OAS amount is checked
Use the official OAS Benefits Estimator from Service Canada's payment page. It is designed to account for details that a general article cannot. If you already receive OAS, compare its result with your notice and payment history.
The published maximums and threshold examples on this site are general explanations, not official benefits decisions. Use Service Canada's estimator and your notices when you need an amount for your own situation.
If you receive a partial OAS pension
Service Canada warns people who lived in Canada for at least 10 but fewer than 40 years after age 18 not to use the standard maximum table to determine their payment. A partial pension and circumstances involving residence outside Canada need a closer check with Service Canada.
This is why a maximum-payment table and an income threshold, even when both are current, may still not tell you the amount you will receive.
Common mistakes
- Using the April–June rate after June. OAS maximums are reviewed quarterly.
- Applying the 2026-income threshold to a 2026 payment. It starts with the July 2027 recovery period.
- Calling an estimated full-recovery ceiling final. Check the official table for its footnote and update date.
- Treating the published maximum as a personal quote. Residence and recovery tax can change your amount.
- Confusing a monthly maximum with annual entitlement. Twelve identical monthly payments are only an illustration when rates can change.
Frequently asked questions
- Did OAS change in July 2026?
- Yes. The July–September maximum monthly amounts shown by Service Canada are $751.97 for ages 65 to 74 and $827.17 for age 75 or older.
- Is $95,323 the clawback threshold on my September 2026 OAS?
- No. September 2026 is within the July 2026–June 2027 recovery period, which uses 2025 income and the $93,454 starting threshold.
- What will the October 2026 payment amount be?
- Service Canada has announced a 1.4% adjustment, but its new dollar table had not been posted at this page's September 27 check. Use the official payment page for the published amount.
- Is OAS the same as GIS?
- No. OAS is a taxable pension. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a separate, non-taxable payment for qualifying low-income OAS recipients. See the GIS eligibility guide for its separate income limits.
Related guides and amounts basis
The OAS amounts and clawback guide gives the current quarterly payment amounts and explains recovery. The GIS eligibility guide covers a separate income-tested benefit for some OAS recipients. This article's payment maximums apply to July–September 2026; its recovery thresholds are labelled by income year. Review it when the October–December dollar amounts are published.