Receiving your benefit
You will receive your first Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) payment the month after you turn 65 or on the specific date that is on your decision letter. You will receive a payment every month if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
Sign in to My Service Canada (MSCA) or create an account to:
- View your monthly payment amount
- Update your banking and direct deposit information
- Request or change tax deductions from your OAS payments
- Download your tax slips
- Update your contact information and marital status
- Report your income
To update direct deposit and contact information in MSCA
You must first call 1-800-277-9914 to enable this feature in MSCA. You only need to do this once.
Receive your payments
Direct deposit
Direct deposit is the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to receive your payments. Sign up for direct deposit.
View the direct deposit payment dates.
Payment by cheque
Cheques will be mailed the last 3 business days of each month. To avoid any payment delays, sign up for direct deposit.
When your monthly amount may increase
Your monthly payment will increase every January, April, July, and October if the cost of living goes up. This increase is based on the Consumer Price Index. If your cost of living goes down, your payments will not decrease.
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.
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
Keep your information up to date
Tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes to your:
- Contact information
- Income
- Marital status
Keeping this information current helps avoid payment issues, such as missed payments, overpayments, or underpayments.
If your income changes
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, contact us.
In these cases, we can set your benefit payment by estimating your income for the current year instead of using last year's income.
Contact us if your income increases or decreases significantly.
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.
If you leave and return to Canada
You cannot collect the Guaranteed Income Supplement if you are outside of Canada for more than 6 months.
If you're leaving Canada for more than 6 months
Contact us before you leave. This can help prevent overpayments that you may have to repay later.
If you're returning to Canada after being away more than 6 months
Contact us when you return to restart your payments.
Important to provide accurate information
We compare information with the Canada Border Service Agency. You could be fined for giving false or misleading information or purposely omitting information.
How to stop GIS benefits
Cancel your GIS after it starts
You can cancel within 6 months of receiving your first payment. To submit a request, write a letter and send it by mail .
What to include in your letter:
- Full name
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Date of birth
- Mailing address and telephone number
- A clear statement that you wish to cancel your GIS benefit
- The date your GIS payments began (if known)
- Your signature and the date
When someone dies
Notify us as soon as possible when someone dies 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: A monthly payment for the surviving spouse aged 60 to 64 with low income
- Death benefit: A one-time payment on behalf of the deceased contributor
- Survivor's pension: A monthly payment to the surviving spouse or common-law partner
- CPP children's benefit: A monthly benefit for a dependent child of a deceased CPP contributor
Contact us
Need help? Contact us if:
- your contact information, income or marital status changes
- someone receiving benefits dies
- you're leaving Canada for more than 6 months
If someone is helping you communicate with Service Canada
You can authorize someone to communicate with Service Canada on your behalf by signing in to your My Service Canada Account and selecting the "Give consent to communicate on my behalf" link.
This does not give someone consent to:
- apply for benefits on your behalf
- change your payment address
- request or change the withholding of tax