Old Age Security (OAS) does not have an early-retirement option. Under the 2026 rules, the earliest you can collect OAS is age 65. You can start then or choose a later starting month, up to age 70. You must also meet the applicable OAS eligibility requirements.
When Can Your First OAS Payment Begin?
Your OAS pension can start as early as the month after your 65th birthday. However, reaching the required age by itself does not guarantee that payments can begin then. You must also have met the applicable legal-status and OAS residency requirements. If you satisfy those requirements later, your earliest starting point can instead be the month after you become eligible.
You do not have to stop working before collecting OAS. The 2026 eligibility rules allow someone who otherwise qualifies to receive the pension while continuing to work. That makes OAS different from a workplace retirement date. Turning 65 establishes the minimum age, while employment status does not determine when you are allowed to start.
You Can Delay OAS Until Age 70
You are not required to begin OAS as soon as you qualify. Under the 2026 rules, delaying after 65 increases your pension by 0.6% for each month of deferral, equivalent to 7.2% for 12 months. The increase is calculated monthly, so you can choose a starting date between birthdays rather than waiting in full-year increments.
The Old Age Security Act’s deferral provisions apply the increase to both qualifying full and partial OAS pensions. However, the increase is capped after 60 months. Someone who delays for the full five-year period receives a 36% deferral increase under the 2026 rules. Waiting beyond that point does not produce another age-based increase.
For example, starting at 67 means 24 months of deferral, producing a 14.4% increase under the 2026 formula. That percentage changes the pension you would otherwise qualify to receive. It does not mean everyone who starts at the same age receives the same dollar amount. The underlying OAS amount depends on other factors covered separately in our guide to how OAS is calculated.
Our view is that this monthly calculation is the most useful way to think about OAS starting age. You are choosing a starting month within a permitted window rather than choosing only among six fixed ages. The separate guide to OAS deferral covers whether waiting makes sense financially.
What If You Are Already Past 65?
Being past the normal starting age does not prevent you from collecting OAS. Under the 2026 rules, a person applying after becoming eligible may be able to receive retroactive payments for up to 11 months before the application was received. However, retroactive OAS cannot be paid for months treated as voluntary deferral.
That creates a practical choice for some late applicants. An earlier effective date may provide retroactive payments, while a later effective date may preserve a larger deferral adjustment. The OAS starting-date rules explain how those periods are treated, while the Old Age Security Act sets the statutory limits on when a pension can commence.
Whether you need to submit an application at all is a separate issue because some people are automatically enrolled. We cover that process in Does OAS Start Automatically at 65?.
Other Questions About the OAS Starting Age
Is the OAS age 65 or 67 in Canada?
The OAS eligibility age was scheduled to rise from 65 to 67 under legislation passed in 2012, but that change was cancelled before taking effect. The current 2026 minimum age is 65.
Is there an OAS benefit for people aged 60 to 64?
The regular OAS pension is not available in that age range. However, separate benefits within the OAS program can apply to certain people aged 60 to 64. These include the Allowance for certain low-income spouses or common-law partners and the Allowance for the Survivor for certain low-income widowed people. They are separate benefits, not early OAS pensions.
Does your OAS starting age have to match your CPP starting age?
No. Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan are separate pensions with different starting-age rules, so their start dates do not have to match. The federal government’s retirement-planning guidance specifically treats the timing of the two pensions separately.
Does turning 75 create another opportunity to start OAS?
No separate starting window opens at 75. Instead, an eligible OAS recipient receives an automatic 10% increase to the pension beginning the month after their 75th birthday under the 2026 OAS payment rules. This age-75 adjustment is separate from choosing when to begin OAS.
Once you know the first month you could qualify, check whether you have been automatically enrolled or need to apply. That determines the next step without changing the age rules explained above.
