CPP payment dates for 2026, and what to expect in 2027

CPP payment dates for 2026

The Canada Pension Plan pays once a month, and the CPP payment dates for 2026 all sit in the last week of the month except December. The December date moves up to the 22nd so the deposit lands before the holiday closures.

The dates are the days Service Canada issues the money. Canada.ca notes that a payment can take a few days to arrive and that mailed cheques take longer than direct deposit. Service Canada mails CPP cheques during the last three business days of the month.

How the CPP payment schedule is set

There is no fixed day of the month for CPP. Looking at the 2026 schedule, the payment lands on the third-last business day of every month except December, once weekends and federal holidays are removed. December is paid earlier, before the holiday closures.

That pattern explains why the weekday changes from month to month. In March 2026, the last three business days were Friday the 27th, Monday the 30th and Tuesday the 31st, so the payment went out on the Friday. In August, the 27th was a Thursday because the 28th and 31st completed the final three working days.

Does CPP pay on weekends or holidays?

No. Because the date is counted in business days, it never falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal statutory holiday. A deposit that shows up early in your banking app is the same payment posted as pending by your bank, not an extra one.

2027 CPP payment dates: not yet announced

As of October 20, 2026, the Service Canada benefits calendar lists 2026 dates only. The next year's calendar usually appears late in the year, so expect the official 2027 Canada Pension Plan payment dates around November or December 2026.

Until then, any site printing a full 2027 CPP schedule is guessing. Using the third-last-business-day pattern, a projection puts the January 2027 payment on Wednesday, January 27, 2027. Treat that as an estimate only. We will replace it with the official date once it is posted, and the month-by-month list of upcoming dates lives on our upcoming CRA and Service Canada payment dates page.

CPP benefits paid on the same date

Every monthly CPP benefit follows the same schedule. If you receive more than one, they all arrive on the same payment date.

• Retirement pension, plus any post-retirement benefit you earned by working and contributing after your pension started.
• Disability benefit and the post-retirement disability benefit. See CPP disability payment dates for the disability-specific details.
• Survivor's pension, paid to a surviving spouse or common-law partner. The CPP survivor benefit amount page explains how it combines with your own pension.
• Children's benefit, for children of a deceased or disabled contributor. Students aged 18 to 25 receive it directly.
• Old Age Security, GIS and the Allowance are separate programs, but they are paid on the same day as CPP. Our guide on whether you can get CPP and OAS at the same time covers how the two add up.

The CPP death benefit is the one exception. It is a one-time lump sum of up to $2,500, so it is paid when the claim is approved rather than on a monthly date.

How much CPP pays in 2026

The amount in each deposit depends on your contributions and the age you started. The figures below are the 2026 maximums and the average for new beneficiaries as of April 2026, published by Service Canada.

Most people receive well under the maximum, because the top figure requires high earnings over most of a working life. The full breakdown, including why your figure may be lower, is on how much CPP is per month. The January change to these amounts is covered in CPP increase 2027.

CPP direct deposit dates and timing

Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive CPP, because there is no mail delay. The CPP direct deposit dates are the same as the dates in the table above. Your bank decides exactly when during the day the money becomes available.

You can sign up for direct deposit or change your bank account through My Service Canada Account. Make the change well before the next payment date. If an update lands too close to the date, that month's payment may still go to the old account or arrive as a cheque.

1. Sign in to My Service Canada Account.
2. Open the direct deposit section for Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.
3. Enter the transit number, institution number and account number from a void cheque or your bank's direct deposit form.
4. Keep your old account open until you see a payment arrive in the new one.

What to do if a CPP payment is late or missing

Start by checking the date. A surprising number of missing payment worries come from expecting CPP on a fixed day, such as the 25th or the last day of the month, when the real date is earlier or later.

1. Confirm the official date for that month in the table above.
2. Check My Service Canada Account for the payment amount, the payment method and the bank account on file.
3. Canada.ca asks you to wait 5 to 10 business days after the payment date before contacting the program, since cheques take longer than direct deposit.
4. Look for letters from Service Canada. A change in marital status, a new address or an unanswered request for information can pause payments.
5. If the money still has not arrived, contact Service Canada through the Canada Pension Plan contact page on canada.ca.

Our step-by-step guide for when a CPP payment is not deposited covers bank holds, closed accounts and replacement cheques in more detail.

Quebec residents and the QPP

If you worked only in Quebec, your retirement pension comes from the Quebec Pension Plan, which Retraite Quebec runs on its own schedule; the 2026 dates are on our QPP payment dates page. The CPP dates on this page do not apply to QPP payments. The 2026 QPP maximum at 65 matches CPP at $1,507.65 a month. OAS is still federal, so Quebec residents receive OAS on the Service Canada date.