CPP Payment Dates 2026: Every Deposit Day, the Amounts, and What to Do If It Is Late
September 20, 2026 · 8 min read
It is the 28th, the pension is not in the account, and your father has already checked the bank app four times. Before anyone calls Service Canada, here is the actual 2026 calendar, the rule behind it, and what to do when a deposit really is missing.
The short answer: CPP is paid once a month on the third-to-last business day. The remaining 2026 dates are September 25, October 28, November 26 and December 22. The maximum retirement pension at 65 is $1,507.65 a month in 2026; the average new pension is $877.01. OAS and GIS land the same day as CPP. Service Canada has not published 2027 dates yet; we will add them here the day it does.
CPP payment dates 2026
These are the twelve dates on Service Canada’s official benefits calendar. Direct deposit arrives on the day shown. A mailed cheque can take several days longer.
| Month | CPP payment date |
|---|---|
| January | Wednesday, January 28, 2026 |
| February | Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
| March | Friday, March 27, 2026 |
| April | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 |
| May | Wednesday, May 27, 2026 |
| June | Friday, June 26, 2026 |
| July | Wednesday, July 29, 2026 |
| August | Thursday, August 27, 2026 |
| September | Friday, September 25, 2026 |
| October | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 |
| November | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| December | Tuesday, December 22, 2026 |
Every CPP benefit is paid on the same date: the retirement pension, the disability benefit, the survivor’s pension, the children’s benefit and the post-retirement benefit. If your mother receives a survivor’s pension and her own retirement pension, they arrive as one combined deposit.
The rule behind the dates
Service Canada pays on the third-to-last business day of the month. That is why the date drifts between the 25th and the 29th: weekends and statutory holidays push it around. The one deliberate exception is December, which is moved up to the 22nd so the money clears before the holidays. If you are helping a parent budget, tell them “the last week of the month, and a week earlier in December” and they will never be caught out.
CPP and OAS are the same day
Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement are paid on exactly the same dates as CPP. A senior who receives all three sees them on the same day, usually as two deposits: one from CPP and one from OAS with the GIS folded in. The two programs are run separately, so a problem with one does not delay the other.
The amounts, the quarterly indexation and the clawback that quietly shrinks a deposit are covered on our OAS payment dates 2026 page.
What about 2027 CPP payment dates?
They do not exist yet. As of September 2026, Service Canada’s calendar lists 2025 and 2026 only. The 2027 schedule usually appears late in the year.
Several websites already show a confident-looking 2027 table. Those are guesses built from the third-to-last-business-day rule, and they will be wrong wherever a holiday shifts a date. If your parent needs a specific day to plan a bill payment around, do not rely on them. Use the rule, expect the last week of the month, and check back here. We update this page the day the official dates are posted.
How much CPP pays in 2026
| Benefit | Maximum monthly, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Retirement pension, starting at 65 | $1,507.65 |
| Average new retirement pension at 65 (April 2026) | $877.01 |
| Post-retirement benefit | $54.69 |
| Disability benefit | $1,741.20 |
| Post-retirement disability benefit | $610.46 |
| Survivor’s pension, under 65 | $803.54 |
| Survivor’s pension, 65 and over | $904.59 |
| Combined survivor’s and retirement pension | $1,531.56 |
| Children’s benefit | $307.81 |
| Death benefit (one-time) | $2,500.00 |
Notice the gap between the maximum and the average. The maximum needs roughly 39 years of contributions at or above the earnings ceiling. Most people retire with an incomplete record, years of part-time work, or years spent raising children, and land near the average. If you want to know your parent’s actual number, the Statement of Contributions in My Service Canada Account shows it to the dollar.
The 2026 increase was 2.0 percent
CPP is indexed to the cost of living once a year, in January. The January 2026 increase was 2.0 percent, calculated from the change in the average Consumer Price Index between the November-to-October windows of the two previous years. It applied automatically with the January 28, 2026 deposit; nobody had to do anything. One rule worth knowing: if the cost of living falls, CPP does not fall. It stays flat until the index rises again.
The 2027 increase will be announced in the fall and will show up in the first 2027 payment.
Starting early or late changes the number for life
- Before 65: the pension shrinks by 0.6 percent for every month you start early, which is 7.2 percent a year and a 36 percent cut if you start at 60.
- After 65: it grows by 0.7 percent for every month you wait, 8.4 percent a year, up to a 42 percent increase at 70.
- After 70: nothing. The maximum is reached at 70, so there is no reason to delay past that birthday.
Our opinion, for what it is worth: a parent in good health with other income to live on is usually better off waiting. A parent who needs the money now, or whose health is poor, should take it. What almost never makes sense is starting at 60 by default because “it is there.”
You have to apply. It is not automatic
This is the mistake that costs families the most money. CPP does not start on its own. Turning 65 does not trigger it, and neither does starting OAS. The only automatic case is a CPP disability benefit, which converts to a retirement pension at 65 without a new application.
- When to apply: up to 12 months before the month you want the first payment. Applying six months ahead is the comfortable window.
- How: online through My Service Canada Account, which returns a decision by mail within 28 days. The paper form (ISP-1000) takes up to 120 days.
- Back pay: if your parent is past 65 and never applied, CPP can be paid retroactively for up to 12 months, but not before the 65th birthday for that retroactive portion. Every month beyond that is lost. Apply this week, not next quarter.
The payment has not arrived. Now what?
- Wait 5 to 10 business days before calling. That is Service Canada’s own guidance. Direct deposits usually post the same day, but some banks post the next morning, and cheques depend on Canada Post.
- Check the bank account, not the mailbox. The most common cause of a “missing” pension is a direct deposit still going to a closed or changed account. Banking details are updated in My Service Canada Account or by phone.
- Then call Service Canada: 1-800-277-9914, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time. TTY 1-800-255-4786. From outside Canada and the United States, 1-613-957-1954 collect. Have the Social Insurance Number ready. Average wait in September 2026 was about 23 minutes.
- If GIS stopped but CPP arrived, the cause is almost always an unfiled tax return. GIS is recalculated every July from the previous year’s return, and no return means the supplement stops. File it, even at zero income, and the payments resume.
Setting up direct deposit is the single best thing you can do for a parent who is still getting cheques. It can be done in My Service Canada Account, through most banks, or by phone at the number above.
CPP is taxable, and tax is not deducted unless you ask
Every CPP dollar is taxable income, and Service Canada deducts nothing by default. A parent with CPP, OAS and a workplace pension can end up with a surprise bill in April. To avoid it, request a voluntary monthly tax deduction through My Service Canada Account or with form ISP-3520. Choose a flat dollar amount or a percentage. It takes effect within a payment or two and can be changed any time.
If your parent worked in Quebec: QPP dates are different
Quebec runs its own plan through Retraite Québec. QPP pays on the last working day of the month, so it arrives a few days after CPP. The 2026 QPP dates are January 30, February 27, March 31, April 30, May 29, June 30, July 31, August 31, September 29, October 30, November 30 and December 30. Someone who contributed to both plans receives one pension, from whichever province they live in now, calculated on both records. OAS and GIS still arrive on the federal dates above regardless of province.
Still working while collecting CPP
Between 60 and 65, contributions continue and each year of them adds a small post-retirement benefit (up to $54.69 a month in 2026) for life. Between 65 and 70 you can opt out of contributing by filing form CPT30 with your employer. The 2026 contribution numbers, in case a parent or a self-employed sibling asks:
- Year’s maximum pensionable earnings: $74,600. Basic exemption: $3,500.
- Contribution rate: 5.95 percent each for employee and employer, to a maximum of $4,230.45. Self-employed pay both halves, $8,460.90.
- Second ceiling (CPP2): 4 percent on earnings between $74,600 and $85,000, a maximum of $416 more.
Provincial top-ups run on their own calendars
Low-income seniors in most provinces receive a provincial supplement on top of GIS, and each province pays on its own schedule. The Alberta Seniors Benefit pays a few days before CPP; its remaining 2026 dates are September 23, October 26, November 24 and December 17. Ontario’s GAINS, BC’s Senior’s Supplement and Saskatchewan’s Seniors Income Plan each have their own rhythm. Our provincial guides cover amounts, eligibility and how to apply: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. For every federal benefit on one calendar, including the Trillium Benefit and the veterans’ pension, see our seniors’ benefit payment dates page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next CPP payment?
The next 2026 CPP payment dates are September 25, October 28, November 26 and December 22. Payments arrive on the third-to-last business day of the month, with December moved earlier for the holidays.
Are CPP and OAS paid on the same day?
Yes. In 2026 every CPP date is also the OAS and GIS date. A senior receiving all three usually sees two deposits the same day, one for CPP and one for OAS with GIS included.
How much is the maximum CPP payment in 2026?
$1,507.65 a month for a retirement pension started at 65. The average new pension in April 2026 was $877.01. Starting at 60 cuts the amount by 36 percent; waiting until 70 raises it by 42 percent.
Why did the December CPP payment come early?
Service Canada moves the December payment forward every year so it clears before the holidays. In 2026 it is December 22 instead of the usual pattern, which would have put it on the 29th.
What if my CPP payment is late?
Wait 5 to 10 business days, confirm the bank account on file is still open, then call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 with the Social Insurance Number ready. If GIS is what stopped, check whether last year’s tax return was filed.
Is CPP paid outside Canada?
Yes. CPP is paid by direct deposit to bank accounts in Canada, the United States and a list of other countries, on the same dates. It is not residency-tested the way OAS is, so a parent who retires abroad keeps receiving it.
Find senior services near your parent
Once the money question is settled, the next one is usually who can help at home. Browse home care, home modification and other aging-in-place services:
- Senior services in Toronto
- Senior services in Vancouver
- Senior services in Calgary
- Senior services in Ottawa
- Senior services in Edmonton
Sources
Payment dates: Service Canada benefits payment calendar, canada.ca, read September 20, 2026. Amounts, indexation, early and late adjustments, application timelines and tax rules: Canada Pension Plan pages on canada.ca. 2026 contribution ceilings and rates: Canada Revenue Agency. QPP dates: Retraite Québec 2026 schedule. Alberta Seniors Benefit dates: alberta.ca 2026 payment schedule. We re-check this page against the official calendar every quarter and on the day 2027 dates are published.
