The standard age for beginning to receive your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension is the month after your 65th birthday. However, you can take a reduced pension as early as age 60 or begin receiving an increased pension after age 65.
The amount of your pension will depend on how much and for how long you have contributed to the CPP and on your age when you want your pension to start. If you take it before age 65, your pension will be reduced, by up to 36% at age 60. If you take it after age 65, your pension may be larger, by up to 42% at age 70.
There have been recent changes to the early pension reduction and late pension increase to ensure that whether you choose to receive an early or late retirement pension, the amount you receive will reflect your contributions made to the Plan and your average duration of benefits.
Taking your pension before age 65
From 2012 to 2016, the Government of Canada is gradually changing the early pension reduction from 0.5% to 0.6% for each month you receive it before age 65. This means that by 2016, an individual who starts receiving their CPP retirement pension at the age of 60 will receive 36% less than if they had taken it at 65.
If you begin receiving your retirement pension in 2015, it will be reduced by 0.58% for each month that you receive your pension before age 65.
For a person who applies for and receives their retirement pension at age 60, this represents a maximum reduction of 34.8% if taken in 2015, and 36% if taken in 2016.
Taking your pension after age 65
If you take your pension after age 65, your monthly payment amount will increase by 0.7 percent for each month that you delay receiving it up to age 70 (8.4% per year).
This means that, an individual who starts receiving their retirement pension at the age of 70 will receive 42% more than if they had taken it at 65.
There is no financial benefit in delaying taking your pension after age 70.
The amount of your pension will depend on how much and for how long you have contributed to the CPP and on your age when you want your pension to start. If you take it before age 65, your pension will be reduced, by up to 36% at age 60. If you take it after age 65, your pension may be larger, by up to 42% at age 70.
There have been recent changes to the early pension reduction and late pension increase to ensure that whether you choose to receive an early or late retirement pension, the amount you receive will reflect your contributions made to the Plan and your average duration of benefits.
Taking your pension before age 65
From 2012 to 2016, the Government of Canada is gradually changing the early pension reduction from 0.5% to 0.6% for each month you receive it before age 65. This means that by 2016, an individual who starts receiving their CPP retirement pension at the age of 60 will receive 36% less than if they had taken it at 65.
If you begin receiving your retirement pension in 2015, it will be reduced by 0.58% for each month that you receive your pension before age 65.
For a person who applies for and receives their retirement pension at age 60, this represents a maximum reduction of 34.8% if taken in 2015, and 36% if taken in 2016.
Taking your pension after age 65
If you take your pension after age 65, your monthly payment amount will increase by 0.7 percent for each month that you delay receiving it up to age 70 (8.4% per year).
This means that, an individual who starts receiving their retirement pension at the age of 70 will receive 42% more than if they had taken it at 65.
There is no financial benefit in delaying taking your pension after age 70.