# How much is CPP per month in 2026?

Source: https://canadapaymentdates.com/cpp/cpp-payment-amounts
Publisher: Canada Payment Dates (canadapaymentdates.com), independent editorial site
Topic: Canada Pension Plan
Last updated: 2026-10-20

> How much is CPP per month? In 2026 the maximum retirement pension for someone starting at 65 is $1,507.65, but the average new pension at 65 was $877.01 in April 2026. Your own figure depends on how many years you contributed, how much you earned and the age you start. Survivor, disability and children's benefits have separate amounts.

## Key facts

- CPP maximum at 65 (2026): $1,507.65 a month
- Average new retirement pension at 65 (April 2026): $877.01 a month
- Maximum disability benefit (2026): $1,741.20 a month
- Death benefit: Up to $2,500, paid once

## How much is CPP per month at 65?

For a pension starting at 65 in 2026, CPP pays at most **$1,507.65 a month**, or $18,091.80 over a full year. The typical new retiree receives much less: Service Canada's average for new pensions starting at 65 in April 2026 was **$877.01 a month**, about $10,524 a year.

That gap of roughly $630 a month is the main thing to understand about CPP payments in 2026. The maximum is a ceiling that only people with long, high-earning careers reach. Your statement of contributions is the only reliable guide to your own number.

## All CPP benefit amounts for 2026

The table lists every CPP benefit with its 2026 maximum and the average paid to new beneficiaries in April 2026. Amounts are monthly unless marked otherwise.

| Benefit | Average for new beneficiaries | Maximum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retirement pension, starting at 65 | $877.01 | $1,507.65 |
| Post-retirement benefit, at 65 | $25.76 | $54.69 |
| Disability benefit | $1,234.68 | $1,741.20 |
| Post-retirement disability benefit | $610.46 | $610.46 |
| Survivor's pension, under 65 | $549.62 | $803.54 |
| Survivor's pension, 65 and over | $339.36 | $904.59 |
| Children's benefit, under 18 or full-time student | $307.81 | $307.81 |
| Children's benefit, part-time student | $153.91 | $153.91 |
| Combined survivor's and retirement pension, at 65 | $1,103.97 | $1,531.56 |
| Combined survivor's pension and disability benefit | $1,335.78 | $1,756.14 |
| Death benefit (one-time) | n/a | $2,500 |

CPP monthly payment amounts, 2026 (Service Canada)

Two lines are easy to misread. The post-retirement benefit is an extra top-up you earn by working and contributing after your pension starts, not a separate pension. The combined rows show that a survivor who also has their own pension does not simply add the two maximums together.

Service Canada notes that the maximum amounts rise a little each month because of the CPP enhancement, which is gradually increasing pensions for people who contributed after 2019. All of these benefits are paid on the same monthly schedule shown on our [CPP payment dates](https://canadapaymentdates.com/cpp) page.

## Why most people get less than the CPP maximum

CPP is based on your working record, not a flat entitlement. Three things set your pension: how long you contributed, how much you earned relative to the yearly maximum, and the age you begin.

### Earnings below the yearly maximum

Contributions are only made on earnings up to a ceiling. In 2026 that ceiling is the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings of $74,600, with a second, enhanced tier up to $85,000. The first $3,500 of earnings each year is exempt. If you earned less than the ceiling in most years, your pension will be below the maximum.

### Years with little or no income

Time spent in school, out of work or working abroad lowers your average. The base part of CPP drops up to 8 of your lowest-earning years automatically. The enhanced part uses your best 40 years. A child-rearing provision can also protect years when you stayed home with young children.

### Starting before 65

The pension is cut by 0.6% for each month you start before your 65th birthday. Someone who would get $1,000 at 65 would get $640 by starting at 60. Our [CPP at 60](https://canadapaymentdates.com/cpp/cpp-at-60) page walks through the full comparison with waiting until 70.

> **The average is for new pensions only:** The $877.01 figure covers people who started their pension at 65 in April 2026. It is not the average across all retirees, and it does not include people who started early or late.

## How much is CPP at 65 compared with other ages?

Using the 2026 maximum as a reference point, the table shows how the starting age changes the monthly payment. Apply the same percentages to your own estimate at 65.

| Starting age | Percent of age-65 amount | Monthly amount on $1,507.65 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 | 64% | $964.90 |
| 62 | 78.4% | $1,182.00 |
| 65 | 100% | $1,507.65 |
| 67 | 116.8% | $1,760.94 |
| 70 | 142% | $2,140.86 |

Monthly pension by starting age, based on the 2026 maximum at 65 (illustration)

These are simple percentage calculations, not official figures for any person. Your real amount at 60 or 70 also reflects the contributions you make, or stop making, between now and then.

## How to check your own CPP estimate

1. Register for or sign in to My Service Canada Account.
2. Select the option to view your CPP benefit estimates. It shows an estimated monthly pension at different starting ages.
3. Download your Statement of Contributions and check that every year of work is recorded. Missing years lower the estimate.
4. If a year is wrong, gather your T4 slips or notices of assessment for that year and ask Service Canada to review it.
5. For a full retirement picture that includes OAS and workplace pensions, use the Canadian Retirement Income Calculator on canada.ca.

Remember that CPP is taxable income. You receive a T4A(P) slip each year, and you can ask Service Canada to deduct tax from each payment so you do not owe at filing time.

## Will CPP payments change in 2027?

CPP amounts are adjusted once a year in January for inflation. Payments rose 2.0% in January 2026. The January 2027 rate is not yet announced, so the 2027 maximum is not known. See [CPP increase 2027](https://canadapaymentdates.com/cpp/cpp-increase) for how the rate is set and when it is published.

If your payment changes at another time of year, it is usually because of a new benefit, a post-retirement benefit being added, or a change in tax withheld. Our [CPP direct deposit](https://canadapaymentdates.com/cpp/cpp-direct-deposit) guide covers changes to where the money goes.

## Common questions

### What is the maximum CPP payment in 2026?

The maximum CPP retirement pension for someone starting at 65 in 2026 is $1,507.65 a month. The maximum CPP disability benefit is higher, at $1,741.20 a month.

### What is the average CPP payment at 65?

For new pensions starting at 65 in April 2026, the average was $877.01 a month, according to Service Canada.

### How much CPP will I get if I never worked full time?

It depends on your actual contribution record, and it will usually be well below the average. Check your estimate in My Service Canada Account, since only your own record gives a reliable number.

### Is CPP paid monthly or yearly?

Monthly. Each benefit is paid once a month on the Service Canada payment date near the end of the month. The death benefit is the only one-time payment.

### How much is CPP per year at the maximum?

At the 2026 maximum of $1,507.65 a month, a pension starting at 65 pays $18,091.80 over 12 months, before income tax.

## Sources

- [CPP pensions and benefits monthly amounts](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/payment-amounts.html)
- [CPP retirement pension: how much you could receive](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/amount.html)
- [CPP retirement pension: when to start](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-benefit/when-start.html)
- [Maximum benefit amounts and related figures, July to September 2026](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/pensions/pension/statistics/2026-quarterly-july-september.html)