Delaying Old Age Security (OAS) can permanently increase your monthly pension, but you give up payments during the years you wait. That trade-off matters more than simply looking at the larger payment available later. Yes. Under the 2026 OAS rules, you can defer your pension after you become eligible. Your monthly pension increases by 0.6% for each month of deferral, up to a maximum increase of 36%. Once you reach age 70, waiting any longer will not produce another deferral increase.
How the OAS Deferral Increase Builds
The 2026 OAS deferral rules increase your pension by 7.2% for each full year you postpone it. You do not have to wait in full-year increments because the calculation works monthly.
That produces the following increases:
| OAS start age | Deferral increase |
|---|---|
| 66 | 7.2% |
| 67 | 14.4% |
| 68 | 21.6% |
| 69 | 28.8% |
| 70 | 36% |
The increase applies to the OAS pension amount you qualify for rather than turning a partial pension into a full pension. For example, someone entitled to partial OAS can receive the deferral increase on that pension. The underlying amount depends on the separate rules for how OAS is calculated.
What Happens to Your OAS If You Wait Until 70?
At 70, your pension starts from a base that includes the full five-year deferral adjustment. The 36% increase continues for the rest of your life rather than disappearing after you have collected OAS for a certain number of years.
For perspective, the maximum OAS pension for someone aged 65 to 74 is $751.97 per month for July to September 2026. Applying the full deferral adjustment to that rate gives $1,022.68. However, that figure is only an illustration using that quarter’s maximum because OAS payment rates are adjusted over time. Your actual starting amount at 70 will use the applicable pension rate and your individual entitlement when payments begin.
The key trade-off is easy to miss. Deferring does not give you five years of unpaid OAS back later. You exchange the payments you could have collected during the deferral period for a permanently larger monthly pension afterward. That makes the decision different from simply choosing between two monthly payment amounts.
Delaying OAS Also Delays Access to GIS
Deferral has another consequence for lower-income seniors. You cannot receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) while you are not receiving OAS, because receiving an OAS pension is a condition of GIS eligibility. If applicable, your spouse or common-law partner also cannot receive the Allowance while your OAS is deferred.
Neither GIS nor the Allowance receives the OAS deferral increase. For someone who would qualify for GIS, giving up those payments can make postponing OAS particularly costly. The current guidance on choosing an OAS start date specifically says there is no benefit to waiting for the purpose of increasing OAS if you are eligible for GIS.
How to Tell Service Canada You Want to Delay OAS
This step matters particularly for people who are being automatically enrolled. Do not assume that simply ignoring an enrolment letter will correctly establish the start date you want.
In 2026, you can delay OAS through My Service Canada Account when you meet the online-service conditions. From the OAS area, go to Profile and select Delay Receiving OAS/GIS Pension. A paper option is available when you cannot use the online process.
If you have not yet decided whether to postpone the pension, check the start date on any OAS correspondence you receive before payments begin. Our separate explanation of whether OAS starts automatically at 65 covers the enrolment process.
Other Questions About Deferring OAS
Can you defer OAS for only a few months?
Yes. The 2026 increase is calculated by month, so you can choose a start date between birthdays rather than postponing for an entire year.
Can you collect retroactive OAS for the months you deliberately deferred?
No. Months treated as voluntary deferral months cannot later be converted into retroactive OAS payments. Retroactive payments can apply in some late-application situations, but they do not let you collect the same months that generated your deferral increase.
Does time in federal prison count toward the OAS deferral increase?
Not always. Under the 2026 rules, you do not receive the monthly deferral increase for a month in which your OAS pension is suspended because you are serving a federal prison sentence of two years or more, apart from the first month of incarceration.
Can you cancel OAS after payments have already started and defer it instead?
A limited cancellation option exists after OAS begins. You can request cancellation within six months after the first payment, and you must repay the OAS pension and any related benefits received. Once the cancellation is completed, you can choose a later start date under the applicable deferral rules.
