The Guaranteed Income Supplement is federal and the same everywhere in Canada. Several provinces pay their own benefits on top of it. Some are tied directly to receiving the GIS and paid automatically; others have their own income tests and applications. Figures below are from each province’s own page, checked in September 2026.
At a glance
| Province | Program | Maximum (single) | Apply? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | GAINS | $92 a month | No |
| British Columbia | Senior’s Supplement | $99.30 a month | No |
| Saskatchewan | Seniors Income Plan | $360 a month | No |
| Alberta | Alberta Seniors Benefit | $3,946 a year ($329 a month) | Yes |
| Manitoba | 55 PLUS | $161.80 a quarter | No, if you receive OAS |
| New Brunswick | Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit | $629 a year | Yes, each year |
Ontario: GAINS
The Guaranteed Annual Income System pays up to $92 a month for the 2026 benefit year to seniors with no private income (income other than OAS and the GIS). It ends at $4,416 of annual private income for a single senior, or $8,832 for a couple (different limits apply if your spouse is under 65 or doesn’t receive OAS).
You qualify if you are 65 or older, receive OAS and the GIS, have been a Canadian resident for 10 years or more, and have lived in Ontario for the past 12 months or for 20 years in total since age 18. You don’t apply: Ontario uses information from ESDC and your tax return, so file by April 30 each year. GAINS isn’t taxable.
Source: Ontario, GAINS payments for seniors.
British Columbia: Senior’s Supplement
The Senior’s Supplement tops up OAS and the GIS for low-income seniors in B.C.: up to $99.30 a month for a single senior and $220.50 for a couple, as of July 1, 2026. A spouse receiving the federal Allowance can get up to $99.83. You must be a permanent resident of B.C. Payment is automatic.
Source: B.C., Senior’s Supplement; Senior’s Supplement rate table.
Saskatchewan: Seniors Income Plan
The Seniors Income Plan pays up to $360 a month to a single senior, or $325 each for a couple who both receive OAS and the GIS (rates effective July 1, 2023). You must be 65 or older, a permanent resident of Saskatchewan, receive a full or partial OAS pension and the GIS, and have income below the program’s limit. No application is needed: it is set from your tax return and your OAS/GIS file.
Source: Saskatchewan, Seniors Income Plan.
Alberta: Alberta Seniors Benefit
The Alberta Seniors Benefit isn’t tied to the GIS. It is for Albertans 65 or older who receive OAS, are citizens or permanent residents, and have lived in Alberta at least 3 months before applying. From July 1, 2026:
| Single | Couple | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum a year (homeowners, renters, lodge residents) | $3,946 | $5,918 |
| Income guideline (including a full OAS pension) | $32,690 | $53,800 combined |
Higher maximums apply in continuing care. If you or your spouse have chosen to defer OAS, you aren’t eligible. You must apply. Alberta also runs separate Dental and Optical Assistance for Seniors and Special Needs Assistance for Seniors programs.
Source: Alberta, Alberta Seniors Benefit.
Manitoba: 55 PLUS
55 PLUS is for low-income Manitobans aged 55 or older. The maximum is $161.80 a quarter for a single person (about $54 a month) and $173.90 a quarter for each person in a couple, mailed in late April, July, October and January. You also need a valid Manitoba Health registration number and a net income, from your previous tax return, within the program’s limits; people on Employment and Income Assistance aren’t eligible unless they receive only its health benefits. If you receive OAS you don’t need to apply; people who don’t receive OAS must apply.
Source: Manitoba, 55 PLUS.
New Brunswick: Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit
A yearly payment of $629 for 2026 to people who were New Brunswick residents on December 31 of the previous year and received the GIS (age 65+), the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor (ages 60 to 64) in the previous year. When both spouses receive the GIS and live together, only one payment is made per household; spouses who live apart (for example, one in a nursing home) can each receive it. You apply every year, by December 31.
Source: New Brunswick, 2026 Low-Income Seniors’ Benefit.
Other provinces
For other provinces and the territories, check your provincial or territorial seniors’ services for programs that help low-income seniors.
Provincial top-ups don’t reduce the GIS: income-tested assistance from a provincial program is left out of the income used for the GIS (Old Age Security Act, s. 2, “income”).
Keeping provincial benefits
- File your taxes every year. The automatic programs use your tax return and your GIS, so a missed return can stop both. See GIS renewal.
- Apply where required: Alberta once, New Brunswick every year, Manitoba if you don’t receive OAS.
- Moving provinces: benefits from your old province stop; check the new province’s rules and residence requirements.
Related pages
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 22, 2026 and September 29, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: Due dates and payment dates - Personal income tax
- Government of Alberta: Alberta Seniors Benefit | Alberta.ca
- Government of British Columbia: Senior’s Supplement
- Government of Canada: Old Age Security payment amounts
- Government of Canada: Old Age Security - Do you qualify
- Government of Canada: GIS: Allowance - Do you qualify
- Government of Manitoba: Families, Province of Manitoba
- Government of New Brunswick: Applications for 2026 low-income seniors’ benefit now available - gnb.ca
- Government of Ontario: Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System payments for seniors
- Government of Saskatchewan: Seniors Income Plan (SIP) | Seniors Services