Old Age Security Program

A pension is a periodical payment to a person that is intended to allow them to keep living without working. In Canada, the majority of the working population have automatically added (directly from their pay check each month) to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and so will receive a basic monthly payment from that scheme for their lifetime after retirement. To supplement this scheme, the Canadian government also provides eligible low-income seniors (60 years and older) with additional financial support under the Old Age Security Program.

This is a non-contributary scheme i.e. individuals do not have to contribute any money to receive the benefits. The amount each individual receives depends on their personal circumstances, including residency status and other sources of available income. The financial support can be received through the three main elements of the OAS:
- the OAS pension;
- the Guaranteed Income Supplement; and
- the Allowance (which includes the Allowance for the survivor).