Yes, Canadian seniors may see increased payments in September 2025 due to scheduled cost-of-living adjustments, including a 1% bump in Old Age Security (OAS) benefits for the July-September quarter and potential enhancements to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). These adjustments are automatic and designed to help manage rising costs.
For the January to March 2025 period, there won't be an increase, as the CPI showed a small dip over the last three months. But don't worry—over the past year, benefits have still grown by 2.0%, helping seniors keep pace with rising living costs.
Who Will Receive the $1,100 Centrelink Bonus. The bonus will be automatically issued to eligible Australians receiving approved Centrelink payments. Those expected to qualify include: Age Pension recipients.
The Canadian government is providing a one-time $300 federal payment in 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to assist low- and modest-income Canadians facing rising costs of living.
The government has confirmed that no further Cost of Living Payments are planned for 2025. This means there will not be a new payment (such as the rumoured £450 payment) this year. Future financial support will depend on government decisions and the wider economy, including inflation and energy prices.
The $1,200 payment is a one-time direct deposit issued by the Canada Revenue Agency for seniors classified as low income based on their most recent tax return. The payment is not a loan, does not need to be repaid and does not replace existing monthly benefits.
The dollar amount increase to checks will vary depending on a person's benefit amount, but the average Social Security Retirement benefit, $2,008.31 in July 2025, will grow by about $56.
The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, has announced the details for the Christmas Bonus, which will be paid to approximately 1.5 million people this week including pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.
To be eligible for Age Pension you must be Age Pension age and meet some other rules. Age Pension age is 67 years or older. We use income and assets tests to work out how much Age Pension you get. There are several things to consider when you're preparing to claim Age Pension.
Pension increases for 2025 varied, with U.S. Social Security seeing a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) in January, while some state/local pensions (like NY State) had smaller increases (e.g., 1.2%) and different schedules, and federal COLA estimates for 2026 were announced later in 2025 (around 2.8%). Key changes included higher IRS limits for retirement plans and increased Social Security taxable maximums for 2025, with varying boosts based on inflation data for the prior year.
For context, the standard OAS pension in early 2026 stands at approximately $642.25 per month for full qualifiers, with quarterly revisions to align with the Consumer Price Index. Seniors aged 75 and above already enjoy a permanent 10% increase implemented in prior years, which forms part of this enhanced framework.
The $2,200 payment is a one-time, tax-free financial benefit provided by the federal government through the CRA. Unlike monthly pension programs, this payment is not ongoing but instead offers immediate relief to help seniors weather current financial pressures.
The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin on December 31, 2025. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits.)
Not only will the government be issuing a one-time cash payment of $500 to be paid in August 2021, this year's Federal Budget also includes the highest quarterly adjustment to existing OAS payments since July 2014.
When is the Christmas Bonus paid? The Christmas Bonus will be paid the first week of December 2025 to people getting a qualifying social welfare payment (see below). The Bonus is normally paid with your social welfare payment. This means you will get the Christmas Bonus on the same day as your social welfare payment.
How much money can I have in the bank before it affects my pension? It depends on your total assessable assets. For example, homeowner couples can have up to $481,500 in combined assets, including bank balances, before their pension is reduced.
All officials and employees of the National Government who have rendered at least four months of service from January 1 to October 31 of each year and who are employed in the government service as of October 31 of the same year shall each receive a Christmas bonus equivalent to one month basic salary and additional ...
Old Age Security Payment Updates
For December 2025, OAS payments reflect a 1.2% quarterly indexation increase tied to the Consumer Price Index. Maximum monthly amounts now stand at $740.82 for ages 65-74 and $814.90 for those 75 and older, up from previous quarters.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Today, Canada's Minister of Seniors, Deb Schulte, announced the highest quarterly adjustment to existing OAS payments since July 2014. She also confirmed that the Government of Canada will deliver the $500 one-time payment to older seniors, announced in Budget 2021, during the week of August 16, 2021.
The 2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was 2.5%, effective January 2025, increasing average benefits but feeling insufficient for some due to inflation. This increase raised maximum SSI payments and affected other limits, like the Social Security taxable maximum, but some retirees found the boost inadequate for rising costs like Medicare premiums.