Can you opt out of CPP contributions after 65 if you're still working?

Yes. Once you turn 65, you can elect to stop making CPP contributions even while working. You must complete CRA Form CPT30 and give it to your employer. Your employer then stops deducting CPP. You lose the PRB for that year but keep more take-home pay.

What does CPP PRB actually pay?

The PRB is modest. One year of maximum contributions at 65 in 2026 earns approximately $40–$45/month in PRB, paid for life. However, if you only contributed on part-year earnings, the PRB will be proportionally smaller. Totalling contributions over 5–10 years can add $150–$400/month to your pension.

Do you have to apply for the PRB?

No. If you are under 70 and continue working, CPP contributions are mandatory (if under 65) or optional (if 65–70). The PRB is calculated automatically and added to your monthly CPP the January following each year in which you contributed.

Can you still earn PRB if you take CPP at 60?

Yes. If you take CPP early and continue working, your contributions between your start date and age 65 are mandatory and earn PRB. After 65, contributions become optional and you can elect out using Form CPT30.

CPP Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB): How Working After Starting CPP Earns You More (2026)

Q: What is the CPP Post-Retirement Benefit?

The CPP Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) is a small additional monthly pension paid to people who work and contribute to CPP after already receiving their CPP retirement pension. Each year of contributions earns a new, separate indexed lifetime benefit on top of your existing CPP.

What Is the CPP Post-Retirement Benefit?

The CPP Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) is an additional, indexed pension you earn when you work and contribute to CPP after you have already started receiving your CPP retirement pension.

Under standard rules, you can only receive CPP or contribute to CPP — not both. The PRB is the mechanism that changed this after 2012. Now you can do both, and each year of continued work builds a new layer of income on top of your existing pension.

Each year’s PRB is:

Calculated separately from your original CPP
Indexed to inflation (CPI) each January alongside your other CPP
Paid for life
Added to your monthly CPP statement the January after the contribution year

How PRB Contributions Work by Age

Age	CPP Contributions Required?	Earns PRB?	Can Opt Out?
Under 65, still working	Yes, mandatory	Yes	No
65–70, still working	Optional	Yes (if contributing)	Yes (Form CPT30)
70 and older	No contributions allowed	Not applicable	N/A

Key point: Once you turn 70, no further CPP contributions can be made regardless of employment status. The PRB accumulation period ends at 70.

How Much Does PRB Pay?

The PRB amount for any given year is calculated using the same formula as your main CPP, but applied only to that year’s earnings and contributions.

2026 illustration — one year of maximum contributions at age 65:

2026 Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE): $71,300
Employee + employer contribution rate: 9.9% (split 4.95% each)
Maximum combined contribution: ~$3,534
Resulting PRB: approximately $40–$45/month (paid for life, indexed)

If you earn less than the YMPE, the PRB is proportionally lower.

Cumulative PRB Example

Years Contributing After CPP Start	Approximate Monthly PRB Added
1 year	~$40–$45
3 years	~$120–$135
5 years	~$200–$225
10 years	~$400–$450

These are estimates at maximum earnings. Actual amounts vary with your year’s earnings and the YMPE each year.

Should You Opt Out After 65?

Once you reach 65, you have a choice. Here is the trade-off:

Opting In (Continuing to Contribute)

Costs you 4.95% of earnings up to the YMPE (employee share)
Your employer also pays 4.95%
You receive ~$40–$45/month for life per year of contributions
Simple payback period: ~9–10 years (e.g., contribute at 65, break even at ~75)

Opting Out (Form CPT30)

Your take-home pay increases
You lose that year’s PRB
Makes sense if you have a short life expectancy or need every dollar of current income
Once elected, it applies to all subsequent employment until you revoke it

Who Should Usually Opt In

Healthy, expect to live past 80
CPP PRB is indexed — it protects against inflation for life
You don’t desperately need the extra monthly take-home
Your employer “pays half” — the combined return on the contribution is high

Who Might Consider Opting Out

Serious health concerns or shortened life expectancy
Self-employed (you pay both halves — 9.9% total — making the return lower)
Already at age 68–70 with limited remaining contribution window

How to Opt Out: Form CPT30

Download Form CPT30 (Election to Stop Contributing to the Canada Pension Plan, or Revocation of a Prior Election) from canada.ca
Complete Part A (your information and election date)
Give the signed form to your employer
Your employer stops CPP deductions from the first pay period after receiving the form
Your employer sends a copy to the CRA

To resume contributions later, complete the revocation section of CPT30 and give it to your employer. You can only start/stop once per calendar year.

If you are self-employed, file CPT30 with your personal T1 return or through My Business Account. Your contributions are on Schedule 8 of the T1.

PRB for Those Who Took CPP Early (Age 60–65)

If you start CPP at 60 and keep working:

Contributions from 60 to 65 are mandatory — no opt-out
Each year of contributions earns PRB on top of your reduced early CPP
At 65, you gain the option to stop via CPT30

This means taking CPP at 60 and working until 65 earns 5 years of PRB — partially offsetting the 36% early reduction on your original CPP.

Where to Track Your PRB

Log in to My Service Canada Account at canada.ca
Under CPP details, you’ll see your original CPP amount and each year’s PRB listed separately with its start date and amount
PRBs each have their own indexed adjustment applied annually