Receiving your benefit

On this page

• Your payments
• Annual review of your Guaranteed Income Supplement
• Contact us if your situation changes
• Leaving or returning to Canada
• When someone dies

Your payments

Your Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will be added to your Old Age Security (OAS) pension as one payment.

You will receive your first payment either:

• The month after you turn 65
• The date on your decision letter

Direct deposit: You can choose to receive your pension payments by mail or by direct deposit in your bank account in Canada, the United States or other participating countries. You can sign up for direct deposit at any time.

Cheque: If you didn't choose direct deposit, a cheque will be mailed to you during the last 3 business days of each month.

Payment dates

If you are eligible to receive the GIS, you will receive a payment every month.

View payment dates for direct deposit.

Annual review of your Guaranteed Income Supplement

• Each year, your benefit is reviewed using your federal tax return.
• In July, you'll get a letter stating if:
  • Your benefit is renewed (with the new amount)
  • Your benefit is stopped
  • Your benefit will start/resume
  • More income info is needed

What to do if you did not receive your payment in July

Call us as soon as possible. Be prepared to provide:

• Your Social Insurance Number
• Your income information from last year
• Your spouse or common-law partner's income from last year

File taxes by the deadline to avoid payment delays

You do not pay taxes on your Guaranteed Income Supplement payments, but you must file your taxes by April 30 every year to avoid any disruption of payments.

Try SimpleFile by Phone to submit your tax return

Did you receive a SimpleFile by Phone invitation from the CRA? You can complete and submit your tax return from the comfort of your home using this free and secure automated phone service.

Contact us if your situation changes

You must contact us if:

• You change your address or phone number
• You get married
• You enter into a common-law union
• You divorce or separate
• Your spouse/common-law partner dies
• Your income changes

• If your income changes

  Call us if you or your spouse or common-law partner has a lower annual income due to retirement or if other pension benefits are reduced or stopped.

  In these cases, we can set your benefit payment by estimating your income for the current year instead of using last year's income.

• If you and your partner have to live apart

  If you and your spouse or common-law partner live apart for reasons beyond your control, such as long-term care for one or both of you, you may be able to receive a higher benefit payment amount.

  Download the Statement - Spouses or Common-law Partners Living Apart for Reasons beyond their Control (ISP-3040) form.

  Mail the completed form to the nearest Service Canada office.

• If you are in a federal prison for 2 years or more

  The Guaranteed Income Supplement stops during a federal sentence of 2 years or more. You must contact us in writing to notify us of your release. Your payments will start again the same month you are released.

• If your spouse or common-law partner is in jail

  The Guaranteed Income Supplement stops during a federal sentence of 2 years or more. They must contact us in writing to notify us of their release. The payments will start again the same month they are released.

You must contact us if your spouse or common-law partner is in a federal prison.

Leaving or returning to Canada

Your Old Age Security (and Guaranteed Income Supplement) may stop if you're away for more than 6 months and don't qualify for receiving your payments while outside Canada.

• Before you leave Canada for more than 6 months
  • Call us to let us know (This helps prevent overpayments that you may have to repay later)
• When you return to Canada after more than 6 months away
  • Call us to restart your payments

When someone dies

If you're reading this following the loss of a loved one, please accept our condolences.

When someone dies, please inform us as soon as possible to avoid overpayment. Find out how to cancel Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits on behalf of a deceased person.

The estate and survivors may be eligible for other benefits, such as:

• Allowance for the survivor
• Death benefit
• CPP survivor's pension
• CPP children's benefit (surviving child)