Skip to main content

The Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor (Ages 60 to 64)

Updated

The Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor are for people aged 60 to 64, before they can get OAS. The Allowance helps couples where one spouse receives OAS and the GIS and the other is younger; the Allowance for the Survivor helps widows and widowers. Both are tax-free, income-tested, and paid on the same dates as OAS.

The Allowance

Who qualifies

  • Your spouse or common-law partner receives OAS and is eligible for the GIS.
  • You are 60 to 64.
  • You are a Canadian citizen or legal resident.
  • You have lived in Canada at least 10 years since age 18; with fewer years, time in a country with a social security agreement with Canada may qualify you for a partial benefit.
  • Neither of you is under a sponsorship agreement.
  • Your combined income is below the Allowance threshold.

The combined income limit is $42,768 (2025 income, for October to December 2026).

Source: Service Canada, Allowance eligibility.

How much it pays

For October to December 2026, the Allowance is up to $1,448.06 a month ($17,376.72 a year). That maximum equals the full OAS pension plus the couple rate of GIS. With the Allowance and the maximum OAS and GIS for the older spouse, a couple with no other income receives $2,896.12 a month.

The Allowance falls quickly as the couple’s combined income rises, and the older spouse’s GIS falls too:

Combined incomeSpouse’s Allowance a monthOlder spouse’s GIS a month
$0$1,448.06$685.56
$5,000$1,126.06$675.56
$10,000$774.07$635.57
$20,000$474.57$474.57
$30,000$265.57$265.57
$40,000$57.57$262.92
$42,768 or more$0$0

Source: ESDC, Table of amounts, Table 4, October to December 2026.

Income is counted the same way as for the GIS: CPP, pensions, RRSP and RRIF withdrawals, investment and rental income, and employment income after each person’s exemption (the first $5,000 and 50% of the next $10,000). OAS, the GIS and TFSA withdrawals don’t count. See how much can I earn on GIS.

The Allowance depends on your spouse being eligible for the GIS. If the couple’s combined income reaches $42,768 (the limit on 2025 income, for October to December 2026), both the Allowance and the GIS stop.

The Allowance for the Survivor

Who qualifies

  • You are 60 to 64.
  • Your spouse or common-law partner has died, and you have not remarried or entered a new common-law relationship.
  • You live in Canada and have lived here at least 10 years since age 18.
  • Your annual income is less than $31,152 (2025 income, for October to December 2026).
  • You are not under a sponsorship agreement.

Source: Service Canada, Allowance for the Survivor eligibility.

How much it pays

Up to $1,726.18 a month for October to December 2026 ($20,714.16 a year), falling to zero at $31,152 of income. It is higher than the Allowance. A CPP survivor’s pension counts as income for it.

How to apply

Neither benefit starts on its own. Apply online through My Service Canada Account or with form ISP-3008, Application for the Allowance or Allowance for the Survivor. You can apply up to 11 months before your 60th birthday. If you already receive the Allowance and your spouse dies, you’re moved to the Allowance for the Survivor automatically.

Back payments are limited, so apply as soon as you qualify. Source: Service Canada, Allowance: apply.

Keeping it

Both benefits are reviewed each July from your tax return, like the GIS. File by April 30 every year, or report your income on form ISP-3026. See GIS renewal.

When the Allowance ends

The Allowance and the Allowance for the Survivor end at 65. You then move to OAS and, if your income is low, the GIS. If you have fewer than 40 years in Canada after 18, your OAS will be partial, and the GIS makes up some or all of the difference; see GIS for newcomers.

Sources

The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026. How we check facts.