1 This Act may be cited as the Old Age Security Act .
Marginal note: Definitions
2 In this Act,
means the allowance authorized to be paid under Part III; ( allocation )
means a person who has applied, or is deemed to have applied, for a benefit, or with respect to whom an application for a benefit has been waived; ( demandeur )
means an application for a benefit; ( Version anglaise seulement )
means a person to whom payment of a benefit has been approved; ( prestataire )
means a pension, supplement or allowance; ( prestation )
means any instrument issued in payment of a benefit; ( chèque )
, in relation to an individual, means a person who is cohabiting with the individual in a conjugal relationship at the relevant time, having so cohabited with the individual for a continuous period of at least one year. For greater certainty, in the case of an individual’s death, the “relevant time” means the time of the individual’s death; ( conjoint de fait )
, with respect to any adjustment quarter, means the average for that adjustment quarter of the Consumer Price Index for Canada, as published by Statistics Canada under the authority of the Statistics Act , for each month in that adjustment quarter; ( indice des prix à la consommation )
, in relation to a payment quarter, means,
of a person for a calendar year means the person’s income for the year, computed in accordance with the Income Tax Act , except that
means the Minister of Employment and Social Development; ( ministre )
, in relation to a month, means
means a period of three months commencing on the first day of April, July, October or January in a payment period; ( trimestre de paiement )
means a monthly pension authorized to be paid under Part I; ( pension )
means a person whose application for a pension has been approved; ( pensionné )
means prescribed by the regulations; ( Version anglaise seulement )
, in relation to a person who has been incarcerated, means release from custody on earned remission, at the expiry of a sentence, or on parole or statutory release that has not been terminated or revoked. ( libération )
[Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 235]
, in relation to a payment quarter, means,
of a person for a month before April 1996 means one and for a month after March 1996 means
means a person who has not resided in Canada after attaining eighteen years of age for an aggregate period of ten or more years other than such a person to whom a pension or allowance was payable
[Repealed, 2000, c. 12, s. 192]
[Repealed, 2000, c. 12, s. 192]
means a monthly guaranteed income supplement authorized to be paid under Part II; ( supplément )
means a person whose spouse or common-law partner has died and who has not thereafter become the spouse or common-law partner of another person. ( survivant )
[Repealed, 2000, c. 12, s. 192]
Marginal note: Amount of full monthly pension
2.2 [Repealed, 2016, c. 7, s. 188]
Marginal note: Payment of full pension
Marginal note: Residence in Canada must be or have been legal
Marginal note: Presumption
4.1 If the Minister intends to waive the requirement for an application in respect of a person under subsection 5(4) and the information available to the Minister under this Act with respect to that person includes the prescribed information, the person is presumed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to have met the requirements of
Marginal note: Limitations
Marginal note: Withdrawal of application
Marginal note: Census statistics
6 Subject to the conditions specified in the regulations, the Minister is entitled, for the purpose of ascertaining the age of any pensioner or any applicant for a pension, to obtain from Statistics Canada, on request, any information respecting the age of a pensioner or applicant that is contained in the returns of any census taken more than thirty years before the date of the request.
Marginal note: Basic amount of full pension
Marginal note: Voluntary deferral — full monthly pension
Marginal note: Commencement of pension
as may be prescribed by regulation.
Marginal note: Suspension of pension where pensioner leaves Canada
Marginal note: Request that pension cease to be payable
Marginal note: Resumption of pension
9.2 Payment of a pension that is suspended by virtue of subsection 5(3) shall resume in respect of the month in which a pensioner is released but only after they notify the Minister in writing before or after their release.
Marginal note: Request to cancel pension
Marginal note: Definitions
10 The definitions in this section apply in this Part.
means the last calendar year ending before the current payment period. ( année de référence )
means the payment period in respect of which an application for a supplement is made by an applicant. ( période de paiement en cours )
means the payment period immediately before the current payment period. ( période de paiement précédente )
Marginal note: Supplement payable
Marginal note: Amounts on April 1, 2005
minus one dollar for each full two dollars of the pensioner’s monthly base income.
minus one dollar for each full two dollars of the pensioner’s monthly base income.
Marginal note: Additional amount — paragraph 12(1)(a)
Marginal note: Calculation of income
13 For the purposes of determining the amount of supplement that may be paid to a pensioner for a month before July 1, 1999, the income for a calendar year of a person or an applicant is the income of that person or applicant for that year computed in accordance with the Income Tax Act , except that
Marginal note: Statement of income to be made
whichever is applicable.
Marginal note: Information required with application for supplement
the calculation of the supplement shall be made, for any month after the month in which the person began to have a spouse or common-law partner, as though the person had a spouse or common-law partner on the last day of the previous payment period.
Marginal note: Consideration of application or waiver
Marginal note: Payment of supplement to be made in arrears
17 Payment of a supplement for any month shall be made in arrears at the end of the month, except that where payment of a supplement in respect of months in any payment period is approved after the end of the month for which the first payment of the supplement may be made, payments of the supplement for the month in which payment of the supplement is approved and for months before that month may be made at the end of that month or at the end of the month immediately after that month.
Marginal note: Adjustment of payments of supplements
18 Where it is determined that the income for a base calendar year (in this section referred to as the “actual income”) of an applicant for a supplement does not accord with the income of the applicant (in this section referred to as the “shown income”) calculated on the basis of a statement or an estimate made under section 14, the following adjustments shall be made:
Marginal note: Request that supplement cease to be payable
18.1 If a pensioner makes a request to the Minister in writing that their supplement cease to be payable, it shall cease to be payable on the last day of the month in which the Minister approves the request and shall not resume until the later of the month after the month in which the Minister receives a new application for the supplement and the month chosen by the pensioner in the application.
Marginal note: Request to cancel supplement
Marginal note: Payment of allowance
Marginal note: Failure to comply with Act
20 Payment of an allowance under section 19 or 21 may be suspended if the beneficiary fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Act or the regulations, but payment may be resumed when the beneficiary complies with those provisions.
Marginal note: Payment of allowance to survivors
Marginal note: Allowance not payable
Marginal note: Definitions
means, in respect of any month in a payment quarter, the amount of the full monthly pension payable for that month under section 7 that has not been increased under subsection 7(5); ( valeur de la pension )
for a month in a current payment period means the amount determined by the formula
of a pensioner and the pensioner’s spouse or common-law partner for a month in a current payment period means the amount determined by the formula
means the pension equivalent rounded to the next higher multiple of three dollars when the pension equivalent is not a multiple of three dollars; ( valeur arrondie de la pension )
means the supplement equivalent rounded to the next higher multiple of one dollar when the supplement equivalent is not a multiple of one dollar; ( valeur arrondie du supplément )
means, in respect of any month in a payment quarter, the amount of the supplement that would be payable for that month under subsection 12(1), (1.1), (1.2), (2), (3) or (4), as the case may be, to a pensioner whose spouse or common-law partner is also a pensioner when both the pensioner and the spouse or common-law partner have no income in the base calendar year and both are in receipt of a full pension; ( valeur du supplément )
means, in respect of any month in a payment quarter, the amount determined under subsection (4.1), (4.2), (4.3) or (4.4), as the case may be. ( valeur du supplément pour le survivant )
[(A - B) × C] - D/4 where is the total of the supplement equivalent in respect of that month and the amount of the full monthly pension for that month; is the pensioner’s monthly pension for that month; is the pensioner’s special qualifying factor for that month; and is the residual joint income of the pensioner and the spouse or common-law partner for that month rounded, where that income is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars.
the amount determined by the formula
is the supplement equivalent in respect of the month, is the spouse’s or common-law partner’s special qualifying factor for the month, and is the greater of zero and the amount determined by the formula
is the spouse’s or common-law partner’s special qualifying factor for the month, is the pension equivalent in respect of the month, and is the monthly joint income of the pensioner and the spouse or common-law partner in the current payment period rounded, where that income is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars; and
the amount determined by the formula
is the supplement equivalent in respect of the month, is the spouse’s or common-law partner’s special qualifying factor for the month, and is the residual joint income of the pensioner and spouse or common-law partner for that month rounded, where that income is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars.
the amount determined by the formula
is the supplement equivalent for the survivor in respect of the month, is the survivor’s special qualifying factor for the month, and is the greater of zero and the amount determined by the formula
is the survivor’s special qualifying factor for the month, is the pension equivalent in respect of the month, and is the monthly income of the survivor in the current payment period rounded, where that income is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars; and
the amount determined by the formula
is the supplement equivalent for the survivor in respect of the month, is the survivor’s special qualifying factor for the month, and is the residual income of the survivor in respect of the month rounded, where that residual income is not a multiple of two dollars, to the next lower multiple of two dollars.
Marginal note: Additional amount — subsection 22(2)
A × B – C/4 where is $35; is the pensioner’s special qualifying factor for the month; and is 1/24 of the aggregate of the income of the pensioner and his or her spouse or common-law partner for the base calendar year in excess of $4,000 rounded, if it is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars.
A × B – C/4 where is $35; is the special qualifying factor for the spouse or common-law partner for the month; and is 1/24 of the aggregate of the income of the pensioner and his or her spouse or common-law partner for the base calendar year in excess of $4,000 rounded, if it is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars.
A × B – C/4 where is $50; is the survivor’s special qualifying factor for the month; and is 1/12 of the survivor’s income for the base calendar year in excess of $2,000 rounded, if it is not a multiple of four dollars, to the next lower multiple of four dollars.
Marginal note: Commencement of allowance
as may be prescribed by regulation.
Marginal note: Consideration of application or waiver
Marginal note: Payment of an allowance to be made in arrears
25 Payment of an allowance for any month shall be made in arrears at the end of the month, except that where payment of an allowance in respect of any payment period is approved after the end of the month for which the first payment of the allowance may be made, payments thereof for the month in which payment of the allowance is approved and for months preceding that month may be made at the end of that month or at the end of the month next following that month.
Marginal note: Application of Part II
Marginal note: Deeming provision
26.1 When the requirement for an application for a benefit is waived by the Minister under this Act, the application is deemed to have been made by the applicant on the day on which the requirement is waived and, for greater certainty, the applicant shall not be paid that benefit for any month that is more than 11 months before the month in which the application is deemed to have been made.
Marginal note: Inviting persons to apply
26.2 The Minister may invite persons to make an application for benefits under this Act and may, for that purpose, collect personal information and make available or use personal information available to him or her under this Act.
Marginal note: Where basis of Consumer Price Index changed
27 Where at any time the Consumer Price Index for Canada, as published by Statistics Canada under the authority of the Statistics Act , is adjusted to reflect a new time basis or a new content basis, a corresponding adjustment shall be made in the Consumer Price Index with respect to any adjustment quarter that is used for the purpose of calculating the amount of any benefit that may be paid under this Act.
Marginal note: Request for reconsideration by Minister
Marginal note: Appeal — benefits
Marginal note: Incapacity when application actually made
the Minister may deem the application to have been made in the month preceding the first month in which the relevant benefit could have commenced to be paid or in the month that the Minister considers the person’s last relevant period of incapacity to have commenced, whichever is the later.
Marginal note: Application for pension by estate, etc.
Marginal note: Retroactive application by survivor
Marginal note: Presumption as to death of applicant or beneficiary
Marginal note: Where person denied benefit due to departmental error, etc.
32 Where the Minister is satisfied that, as a result of erroneous advice or administrative error in the administration of this Act, any person has been denied a benefit, or a portion of a benefit, to which that person would have been entitled under this Act, the Minister shall take such remedial action as the Minister considers appropriate to place the person in the position that the person would be in under this Act had the erroneous advice not been given or the administrative error not been made.
Marginal note: Definitions
33.01 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.02 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.03 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.04 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.05 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.06 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.07 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.08 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.09 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
Marginal note: Information obtained under other Acts
33.1 Despite any other Act or law,
33.11 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.12 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
33.13 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 299]
Marginal note: Regulations
34 The Governor in Council may make regulations for carrying the purposes and provisions of this Act into effect and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, may make regulations
34.1 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 238]
Marginal note: Regulations — payment of interest
34.2 The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting the payment of interest on amounts owing to Her Majesty under this Act, including regulations prescribing
Marginal note: Form of applications, statements and notifications
35 Every application, statement or notification required or permitted by this Act shall be made or given in such form as the Minister may require.
Marginal note: Making claim or providing information in person
35.1 The Minister may require an applicant or other person or a group or class of persons to be at a suitable place at a suitable time in order to make an application for benefits in person or to provide additional information about an application.
Marginal note: Benefit not assignable
Marginal note: Return of benefit where recipient not entitled
is evidence of the personal service and of the request, notice or demand.
the Minister may, unless that person has been convicted of an offence under any provision of this Act or of the Criminal Code in connection with the obtaining of the benefit payment, remit all or any portion of the amount or excess of the benefit payment.
Marginal note: Commissioners for oaths, etc.
Marginal note: Payment of provincial benefit
Marginal note: Reciprocal arrangements re administration, etc.
Marginal note: Coming into force of agreements
Marginal note: Tabling order
Marginal note: Negative resolution of Parliament
43 When each House of Parliament enacts rules whereby any regulation made subject to negative resolution of Parliament within the meaning of section 39 of the Interpretation Act may be made the subject of a resolution of both Houses of Parliament introduced and passed in accordance with the rules of those Houses, section 42 of this Act is thereupon repealed and an order made thereafter under section 41 is an order made subject to negative resolution of Parliament within the meaning of section 39 of the Interpretation Act .
Marginal note: Offences
is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
Marginal note: Penalties
Marginal note: Interpretation
means a judge of a superior court having jurisdiction in the province where the matter arises or a judge of the Federal Court. ( juge )
Marginal note: Payment out of C.R.F.
45 All benefits payable under this Act shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Marginal note: Administration
46 This Act shall be administered by the Minister of Employment and Social Development.
46.1 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 239]
Marginal note: Annual report
47 The Minister shall submit to Parliament annually, as soon as possible after the termination of each fiscal year, if Parliament is then in session or, if not, as soon as possible after the commencement of the next session of Parliament, a report covering the administration of this Act and including an account of receipts and disbursements during the previous fiscal year.