Applying for Benefits

To receive any of these benefits, you must apply.

To continue receiving your benefit, it must be renewed each year (see "How to renew your benefits"). Your monthly payments may increase or decrease according to changes in your annual income, residence, and marital status.

How do I get an application kit?

To apply for the GIS, you should:

  • complete an application form on our Web site, print it, sign it, and return it to us; or
  • request an application form by calling 1‑800‑277‑9914 (TTY: 1‑800‑255‑4786); or
  • if you are applying for the OAS pension, indicate on your application that you also want to apply for the GIS.

To apply for the Allowance or the Allowance for the Survivor, you should:

  • complete an application form on our Web site, print it, sign it, and return it to us; or
  • call one of our service delivery agents at 1‑800‑277‑9914 (TTY: 1‑800‑255‑4786) and we will send you an application kit.

Complete the application and return it to us as soon as possible. You could lose some benefits if you don’t apply right away.

What documents will I need to provide?

If you are married and applying for the first time, you must provide a marriage certificate. If you were married in Canada but don’t have your marriage certificate, there are two ways to get it:

  • You can get a certificate from the church in which you were married.
  • You can contact the Registrar of Vital Statistics in the capital city of the province or territory in which you were married.

If you were married outside Canada and don’t know how to obtain your marriage certificate, contact us.

If you are in a common-law relationship, you must provide a statutory declaration that gives the date when you and your partner began living together.

This applies to both opposite-sex and same-sex common-law relationships. Contact us for a copy of this form and for help to complete the declaration.

In addition to signing a statutory declaration, if you are in a common-law relationship, you must also provide documents that prove that you have been living in a conjugal or marriage-like relationship for at least 12 months. The documents should indicate your marital status or give your shared address. You can use the following documents to prove you lived together:

  • income tax and benefit returns
  • joint bank accounts
  • wills
  • investments
  • bills

If you have any questions about proving your common-law relationship, please contact us.

If you are applying for the Allowance, you will also need to provide your citizenship or immigration documents.

If you are applying for the Allowance for the Survivor, you will also need to provide:

  • your citizenship or immigration documents; and
  • the death certificate of your spouse or common-law partner.

Citizenship or immigration documents

If you were not born in Canada, you must prove your legal status in Canada by showing us your citizenship or immigration documents. If you have not lived continuously in Canada since the age of 18, you must submit proof of all the dates when you arrived in or left Canada. You can do this with a passport. The application contains more detailed information about these requirements.

What kinds of income do I have to report?

When applying for the GIS, the Allowance, or the Allowance for the Survivor, you must report the following income:

  • Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan benefits
  • private pension income and superannuation
  • foreign pension income
  • withdrawals from registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs)
  • amounts you receive from a life income fund (LIF) or registered retirement income fund (RRIF)
  • employment and self-employment income
  • workers’ compensation benefits
  • Employment Insurance benefits
  • interest on savings
  • capital gains or dividends
  • income from rental properties