Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
This adds a tax-free payment each month on top of your Old Age Security pension if you are a low-income senior aged 65 or older. It can really raise your income and help you afford rent. If you are single, widowed, or divorced you can get up to $1,109.85 a month. If you have a partner who gets full OAS you can get up to $668.08 a month. The amount depends on your income.
What you get
Money paid to you
Who it's for
You qualify if you get the OAS pension, are 65 or older, live in Canada, and your income is below the yearly limit.
This takes you to the official website
What to have ready
Documents they may ask for
- Government ID for everyone in your household, if available
- A copy of your lease or rent agreement
- Recent rent receipt, ledger, or proof of what you owe
- Recent pay stubs, benefit statement, or income proof
- ODSP, Ontario Works, CPP, OAS, or other benefit statement if you have one
- Recent bank statement, if the program asks for it
What to say when you call
“Hi, I am looking for housing help. Can you tell me if this program fits my situation, what documents I need, and whether there is anyone who can help me apply?”
Use the official page first, then call 211 if you are not sure where to start.
Can I get this?
You have a good chance if this sounds like you:
- You qualify if you get the OAS pension, are 65 or older, live in Canada, and your income is below the yearly limit
- The income limit changes based on whether you are single or have a partner and what benefits your partner gets
What to do next
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What the official page looks like
The fine print
More details about the money
Maximum monthly amounts (current period, indexed quarterly): up to $1,109.85 if you are single, divorced, or widowed with annual income below $22,512; up to $668.08 if your spouse receives the full OAS pension (combined income below $29,760); up to $668.08 if your spouse receives the Allowance (combined income below $41,664); and up to $1,109.85 if your spouse does not receive an OAS pension or the Allowance (combined income below $53,952). Maximum amounts are not guaranteed and depend on your income.
Amounts and eligibility change. Confirm the current figure with the program administrator through the official link before you rely on it.
The full eligibility rules
OAS pension recipients aged 65 or older who live in Canada and have income below the annual threshold, which varies by marital status and by whether a spouse receives OAS, the GIS, or the Allowance.
Good to know
Figures corrected against the official GIS 'how much you could receive' (benefit-amount) page read directly in-browser. The draft's single-pensioner figure ($1,105.43) and threshold ($22,440) were wrong; the official table shows up to $1,109.85 for a single/divorced/widowed pensioner with income below $22,512. The draft also incorrectly attributed the $1,409.72 figure to GIS; that amount belongs to the OAS Allowance, not the GIS table, and was removed here. Amounts are indexed and reviewed quarterly (Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct); confirm current rates before publishing.
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