Allowance for the Survivor: amounts, eligibility and what changes at 65

What the Allowance for the Survivor is

The Allowance for the Survivor is part of the Old Age Security program, but it is paid before 65. It is meant to bridge the gap for low-income widows and widowers until they can draw OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement themselves.

Unlike most OAS-program benefits, it is not automatic. You must apply, and you can do so no earlier than 11 months before your 60th birthday.

Allowance vs Allowance for the Survivor

The term "OAS allowance" covers two different benefits for people aged 60 to 64. They are easy to confuse because both use the same form and the same payment dates, but they serve different households.

The Allowance pays up to $1,448.06, which equals a full OAS pension plus the partnered GIS rate. The survivor version pays more, up to $1,726.18, because a widowed person has no partner's income to lean on. If your spouse dies while you are receiving the Allowance, contact Service Canada, since you may move to the survivor benefit.

Allowance for the Survivor eligibility

You qualify if all of the following apply:

• You are 60 to 64 years old.
• Your spouse or common-law partner has died.
• You have not remarried and have not entered a new common-law relationship.
• You live in Canada and have lived here at least 10 years since age 18.
• Your annual net income is under $31,152 (October to December 2026 figure).
• You are a Canadian citizen or legal resident and not under a sponsorship agreement, unless an exception applies.

If you have fewer than 10 years in Canada, periods in a country with a social security agreement may help you qualify for a partial benefit. The benefit also stops if you are outside Canada for more than 6 months.

Allowance for the Survivor amount and income limits

The maximum allowance for the survivor amount for October to December 2026 is $1,726.18 a month. It is reduced as your income rises and stops at $31,152 a year. The rates are updated for the cost of living in January, April, July and October; our OAS increase page tracks each change.

The CPP survivor's pension counts as income

Many survivors also receive a CPP survivor's pension, and that pension is counted as income for this benefit. In 2026 the average CPP survivor's pension for someone under 65 is $549.62 a month, or $6,595.44 a year. That alone uses about a fifth of the $31,152 limit, so the Allowance for the Survivor will be lower than the maximum, but it is usually still worth claiming. See CPP survivor benefit for how that pension is calculated.

Earnings from work, pensions, RRIF withdrawals and investment income also count. As with GIS, the benefit uses your income from the previous year and is renewed each July from your tax return, so file by April 30 every year.

How to apply

1. Apply as early as 11 months before your 60th birthday, or as soon as possible after your spouse's death if you are already 60 to 64.
2. Apply online through My Service Canada Account, in the Old Age Security section, if you live in Canada and have no application already pending.
3. Or complete form ISP3008, Application for the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor, and form ISP3026, the Statement of Income, and mail them to Service Canada.
4. Have your Social Insurance Number, your late spouse's SIN and date of birth, the countries you have lived in since 18, and your bank details ready.
5. Once approved, watch for the renewal letter each July, which confirms your new amount.

Payments are made on the same days as OAS and CPP. The remaining 2026 dates are October 28, November 26 and December 22; see OAS payment dates for the full calendar.

What happens at 65?

The Allowance for the Survivor stops when you turn 65. From then on you receive the OAS pension and, if your income is low enough, GIS at the single rate. Service Canada sends an OAS enrolment letter around your 64th birthday; if none arrives within a month of that birthday, apply for OAS and GIS on form ISP-3550.

At maximum rates, the switch at 65 raises total monthly support by $175.22. Your actual GIS will depend on your income, as explained in what is GIS, and current OAS rates are on OAS payment amounts.