Pension Timeline
Canada's public pensions have evolved significantly since their introduction.
| 1927 | The Old Age Pensions Act was enacted, permitting the federal government to give assistance to provinces that provided a pension to British subjects 70 and older. |
| 1952 | The Old Age Security Act came into force, establishing a federally funded pension. It replaced the 1927 legislation that required the federal government to share the cost of provincially run, means-tested old age benefits. |
| 1965 | Amendments to the Old Age Security Act lowered the eligible age for the OAS pension to 65, one year at a time, starting in 1966 at the age of 69. |
| 1966 | The CPP and QPP came into force on January 1, 1966. |
| 1967 | The Guaranteed Income Supplement was established under the Old Age Security program. |
| 1972 | Full annual cost-of-living indexation was introduced for OAS. |
| 1973 | Quarterly indexation was introduced for the Old Age Security program. |
| 1974 | Full annual cost-of-living indexation was introduced for the CPP. |
| 1975 | The Spouse's Allowance was established as part of the Old Age Security program. |
| 1975 | The same Canada Pension Plan benefits became available to male and female contributors, as well as to their surviving spouses or common-law partners and dependent children. |
| 1975 | The retirement and employment earnings test for Canada Pension Plan retirement pensions at the age of 65 was eliminated (a contributor can, upon application, receive his or her retirement pension the month following his or her 65th birthday, but can no longer contribute to the CPP). |
| 1977 | The payment of partial Old Age Security pensions was permitted, based on years of residence in Canada. |
| 1978 | Periods of zero or low earnings while caring for the contributor's child under the age of seven were excluded from the calculation of Canada Pension Plan benefits. |
| 1978 | Canada Pension Plan pension credits could be split between spouses in the event of a marriage breakdown (CPP credit splitting). |
| 1985 | Under OAS, the Spouse's Allowance was extended to all low-income widows and widowers aged 60 to 64. |
| 1987 | Several new CPP provisions came into effect, including: · flexible retirement benefits payable as early as the age of 60; · increased disability benefits; · continuation of survivor benefits if the survivor remarries; · sharing of retirement pensions between spouses or common-law partners; · expansion of credit splitting to cover the separation of married or common-law partners. |
| 1989 | The repayment of OAS benefits or "claw back" was introduced. |
| 1991 | Legislation was passed to assist those people who were denied CPP credit splitting as a result of a spousal agreement entered into prior to June 4, 1986. |
| 1992 | Three major amendments to the CPP came into effect: · A new 25-year schedule for employer-employee contribution rates was established. · Children's benefits were increased. · Provision was made for individuals who were denied disability benefits because of late application. |
| 1995 | · The period of retroactivity for OAS benefits changed from five years to one year. · Individuals were permitted to request that their OAS benefits be cancelled. |
| 1998 | · The CPP moved from pay-as-you-go financing to fuller funding. · Contribution rates were increased. · A new investment policy was introduced. |
| 2000 | All OAS and CPP benefits and obligations were extended to same-sex, common-law couples. |
For more information, visit Canada's public pensions Web site
