Canadian Seniors to Get $969 OAS Payment in July – What to Know This Month

Published On: July 14, 2025

For many Canadian seniors, Old Age Security (OAS) is the bedrock of their retirement income. So when rumors about a $969 OAS payment in July 2025 started circulating online, it naturally raised eyebrows. But before you get too excited, let’s break down the facts—and bust a few myths along the way.

Table of Contents

1 Reality
2 Amounts
3 Increase
4 Eligibility
5 Payment
6 Deferral
7 Myths
8 FAQs

Reality

No, there’s no new federal OAS bonus or hidden cash from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). That $969 figure being shared? It’s real, but it only applies to seniors who strategically delayed their OAS payments and maxed out their deferral bonuses. In other words, it’s not a new benefit—it’s a delayed reward.

Most retirees start receiving OAS at 65. That’s when they become eligible. But if you delay your payments, you get a monthly increase of 0.6%—up to 36% if you wait until age 70.

Amounts

Let’s look at the actual math. Here’s how different OAS amounts stack up depending on age and deferral choices:

Scenario	Base OAS (July 2025)	Deferral Bonus	Final Monthly OAS
Age 65–74	$734.94	None	$734.94
Age 75+	$808.44	None	$808.44
Deferred to Age 69	$734.94	+29.4%	$950.61
Deferred to Age 70	$734.94	+36%	$999.52

Only those who delayed until age 69 or 70 can expect $950+ monthly. So yes, the $969 claim is legit—but only for a minority of retirees.

Increase

Every quarter, OAS payments adjust to inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In July 2025, a 1% increase is being applied.

Ages 65–74: From $727.67 to $734.94
Ages 75+: From $800.44 to $808.44

This bump helps keep up with inflation, but by itself, it doesn’t get anyone close to $969 unless they also deferred their OAS.

Eligibility

To get OAS at all, you must:

Be 65 or older
Have lived in Canada for at least 10 years since turning 18
Meet income and residency requirements

To get $969+, you must:

Meet the regular OAS eligibility criteria
Delay your OAS until age 69 or 70
Not have already started receiving benefits

If you’ve already started collecting OAS at 65, there’s no way to retroactively boost it with a deferral.

Payment

The CRA has confirmed the next OAS deposit date: July 29, 2025. Everyone gets their payment on this date, regardless of how much they receive.

Month	OAS Payment Date
July	July 29, 2025

So if you’re eligible, mark your calendar—but don’t expect a surprise deposit unless you’ve deferred and qualified for the higher amount.

Deferral

Wondering how to delay OAS to maximize your payout? Here’s the quick version:

For every month you delay beyond age 65, you get 0.6% more
This can continue up to 60 months (age 70), giving you a 36% boost
You must opt out of automatic enrollment at 65 to delay

Deferring makes the most sense if you expect to live longer than average or have other sources of income during your mid-60s.

Myths

Let’s set the record straight with a few myth-busting facts:

Claim	Reality
All seniors will get $969/month	False – Only deferred recipients
CRA announced a one-time OAS bonus	False – No such bonus exists
OAS will rise for everyone in July 2025	Partially true – Small CPI increase
$969 is the new standard OAS payment	False – Only for max deferral cases
Everyone can earn over $999/month	False – Only by deferring to age 70

So, be cautious about social media posts making big claims. They often leave out the fine print.

If you’ve heard about a $969 OAS payment this summer, yes, it’s real—but only for a specific group of seniors. Most Canadians will see their usual OAS payments, slightly boosted by inflation.

If you’re not yet retired, this is a reminder to think strategically about when to start your benefits. And as always, trust only official CRA or Service Canada sources when it comes to your money.