As the year draws to a close, many Canadian seniors are counting the days until their next government pension deposit. The federal government has confirmed that Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits for December 2025 will be paid earlier than usual, on Monday, December 22, 2025.

For anyone who relies on these deposits to cover rent, groceries, or the winter heating bill, that date is not just a detail. An early payment can ease holiday budgeting and make it clearer how the new year will start.

What CPP and OAS Are, In Plain Language

The Canada Pension Plan retirement pension is a monthly taxable benefit that replaces part of a worker’s income after they stop working. It is funded by contributions taken from paychecks, matched by employers, and topped up by self‑employed contributors, and it usually starts around age 65 unless someone chooses to start earlier or wait longer.

The Old Age Security pension is a different federal pension, based mainly on how long a person has lived in Canada after age 18 rather than how much they earned. Most people qualify at 65 if they have at least 10 years of residency, and low‑income seniors may also receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement on top of their basic pension, with Service Canada administering OAS alongside CPP as part of the country’s retirement system.

December 22, 2025: The Confirmed Payment Date

Normally, CPP and OAS deposits arrive near the end of the month, often on the third‑to‑last business day. For December 2025, the official CPP page lists December 22 as the next retirement pension payment date, and the OAS site shows the same date, confirming that the last deposits of the year will land a full week earlier than usual.

December is packed with statutory holidays and reduced banking hours, so moving payments forward helps avoid delays when a regular pay date would collide with Christmas closures. In practical terms, the December 22 deposit will be the final CPP and OAS payment calculated at 2025 rates, with new indexed amounts starting in the new year.

How Much Will CPP and OAS Pay Late In 2025?

For someone starting a new CPP retirement pension at age 65 in January 2025, the maximum benefit is 1,433 dollars per month, although the average payment is closer to 900 dollars. The exact amount for each person depends on how much and how long they contributed.

Old Age Security pays less but reaches a wider group of seniors. As of January 2025, the maximum monthly OAS pension is about 740 dollars for people aged 65 to 74 and roughly 814 dollars for those 75 and older, and these amounts are reviewed four times a year to reflect inflation.

Most Canadians do not receive the maximum amounts. Actual payments depend on lifetime earnings and contribution history for CPP, and on years of residence and income level for OAS, so checking a personal estimate through a My Service Canada Account is the best way to see what will actually arrive.

Getting Ready For The December Deposit

So what should recipients do now that the December 22 date is confirmed? First, experts strongly suggest checking that your banking details are up to date, especially if you have switched banks or opened a new account this year, since wrong information can delay or bounce a payment.

The CPP and OAS sites both encourage direct deposit as the quickest and most secure way to receive benefits. If you still get paper checks, it can help to build in extra time, because holiday mail volumes, winter weather, and reduced hours at local branches can all slow things down even when Service Canada sends payments on schedule.

Many seniors map out which bills will come out right after the deposit hits, from rent to automatic withdrawals. A confirmed December 22 deposit means less guessing about whether the money will be in place in time.

Looking Ahead To 2026 Increases

CPP amounts are adjusted once a year in January using Consumer Price Index data, and OAS pensions are reviewed every three months. Recent federal figures show a 2.6 percent increase in CPP benefits for 2025 and another 2 percent planned for 2026, while OAS payments will rise by 0.7 percent in the last quarter of 2025 and 0.3 percent at the start of 2026.

That means the December 22 payment is the last one using 2025 rates. The next deposits in early 2026 should be a little higher, offering some help for seniors facing rising everyday costs.

The main official information has been published in the Government of Canada’s Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security pages.