OAS Guides

Eligibility checks

Can I ask Service Canada to review (reconsider) a decision?

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If you disagree with a Service Canada decision about your Old Age Security (OAS), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), Allowance or Canada Pension Plan (CPP), you can ask for a reconsideration. This is a second look at your file. Who made the decision and when you received the letter decide what you can do.

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What is the decision about?

Look at the top of the letter to see who sent it. Service Canada decides OAS, GIS, the Allowance and CPP. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) decides income tax, the OAS clawback, the GST/HST credit and the Disability Tax Credit.

Is this the first decision, or a reconsideration decision?

A reconsideration decision is the new letter you get after you have already asked Service Canada to review a decision.

Is this the first decision, or a reconsideration decision?

A reconsideration decision is the new letter you get after you have already asked Service Canada to review a decision.

When did you receive the decision letter?

Count from the day the letter reached you, not the date printed on it.

Has it been more than 365 days since you received the letter?

When did you receive the decision letter?

Count from the day the letter reached you, not the date printed on it.

Likely eligible

You can likely ask Service Canada to reconsider this decision.

Why

You can ask for a reconsideration of an OAS, GIS or Allowance decision within 90 days of the day you receive the decision letter. You are still within that time. The request must be in writing. There is no fee.

What to do next

  1. Send your request now. Do not wait to collect every document. Say that more information will follow.
  2. Ask online in My Service Canada Account: in the Old Age Security section, choose Manage my benefits, then If you disagree with a decision. Or fill out form ISP-3134, or write and sign your own letter.
  3. Include your name, address, phone number, Social Insurance Number or client ID, why you disagree, any new documents, your signature and the date.
  4. Mail it to the return address on your decision letter, or bring it to a Service Canada Centre and ask for a stamped copy. Keep a copy of everything.
  5. A phone call is not a request. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786) only if you want the decision explained.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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Likely eligible

You can likely ask Service Canada to reconsider this CPP decision.

Why

You can ask for a reconsideration of a CPP decision within 90 days of the day you receive the decision letter. You are still within that time. The request must be in writing. There is no fee.

What to do next

  1. Send your request now. Do not wait to collect every document. Say that more information will follow.
  2. Ask online in My Service Canada Account: in the Canada Pension Plan section, choose Ask Service Canada to reconsider. Or use form ISP-1238 for most CPP benefits, or form ISP-1145 for CPP disability and the Post-Retirement Benefit. You can also write and sign your own letter.
  3. Include your name, address, phone number, Social Insurance Number or client ID, why you disagree, any new documents, your signature and the date.
  4. Mail it to the return address on your decision letter, or bring it to a Service Canada Centre and ask for a stamped copy. Keep a copy of everything.
  5. A phone call is not a request. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786) only if you want the decision explained.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

You are past 90 days, but you can still ask.

Why

The 90-day deadline has passed, but Service Canada can allow more time. For OAS, GIS and the Allowance, it must be satisfied that you have a reasonable explanation for being late and that you showed a continuing intention to ask for a review. Service Canada decides whether to accept your request.

What to do next

  1. Send your request now, in writing, online, on form ISP-3134 or in a signed letter.
  2. Explain clearly why you are late, for example a hospital stay or a move. Include proof if you have it.
  3. Show that you meant to ask for a review all along, for example letters or notes of calls you made.
  4. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 if you have questions about your file.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

You can still ask, but more than 365 days late needs more.

Why

There is no fixed final cut-off for a late OAS, GIS or Allowance request. Service Canada must be satisfied that you have a reasonable explanation for being late and showed a continuing intention to ask for a review. If more than 365 days have passed, it must also be satisfied that your request has a reasonable chance of success and that allowing it would not cause prejudice (unfair harm) to anyone.

What to do next

  1. Send your request in writing, online, on form ISP-3134 or in a signed letter.
  2. Explain why you are late and show you meant to ask all along. Include proof, such as medical letters.
  3. Explain why the decision is wrong, with documents. Your request must have a reasonable chance of success.
  4. Free help can make a difference. In Ontario, community legal clinics help with OAS and GIS problems. Elsewhere, try legal aid or your Member of Parliament's office.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

You are past 90 days. Ask anyway and explain why.

Why

The 90-day deadline has passed. The law lets Service Canada allow more time, and it decides whether to accept a late request. We have not confirmed the exact tests for late CPP requests, so ask Service Canada what it needs from you.

What to do next

  1. Send your request now, online, on form ISP-1238 (or ISP-1145 for CPP disability and the Post-Retirement Benefit), or in a signed letter.
  2. Explain clearly why you are late and include proof, such as a hospital stay or a move.
  3. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786) and ask what a late request must show.
  4. For free help, try a community legal clinic in Ontario, legal aid elsewhere, or your Member of Parliament's office.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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Likely not eligible

You have had your reconsideration. The next step is the Social Security Tribunal.

Why

Service Canada reviews a decision once. If you still disagree with the reconsideration decision, you can appeal to the Social Security Tribunal, which is independent of Service Canada. You have 90 days from the day you receive the reconsideration decision.

What to do next

  1. Write on the letter the date you received it. Your appeal deadline counts from that day.
  2. Use our Social Security Tribunal check to see your next steps.
  3. If your GIS case is about how your income was calculated, the law sends that part of the appeal to the Tax Court of Canada instead.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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Likely not eligible

Not through Service Canada. You file a notice of objection with CRA.

Why

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), not Service Canada, makes decisions about income tax, the OAS recovery tax (clawback), the GST/HST credit and the Disability Tax Credit. To challenge a CRA decision, you file a notice of objection, not a reconsideration request.

What to do next

  1. For an income tax assessment, the deadline is the later of one year after your tax filing deadline, or 90 days after the date of the notice of assessment.
  2. For a benefit or credit decision, such as the GST/HST credit or the Disability Tax Credit, the deadline is 90 days after the notice.
  3. File in CRA My Account (Register my formal dispute), on form T400A, or by a signed letter giving the facts and reasons.
  4. If you are late, ask for an extension as soon as possible, and no later than one year after the deadline.
  5. Call CRA at 1-800-959-8281 with questions about objections.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

First find out who made the decision.

Why

Decisions about OAS, GIS, the Allowance and CPP are made by Service Canada, and you ask Service Canada for a reconsideration. Decisions about income tax, the clawback and tax credits are made by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and you file a notice of objection. Either way, the clock is usually 90 days, so do not wait.

What to do next

  1. Look at the name and return address at the top of your letter.
  2. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 (TTY 1-800-255-4786). From outside Canada and the United States, call collect at 1-613-957-1954.
  3. For a CRA letter, call CRA at 1-800-959-8281.
  4. Then come back and run this check again.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

Check whether you have already asked for a review.

Why

If this is the first decision, you can ask Service Canada for a reconsideration. If you already asked and this letter is the result, the next step is the Social Security Tribunal. Both have a 90-day deadline from the day you receive the letter.

What to do next

  1. Read the letter. A reconsideration decision says it is the result of your request for a review.
  2. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 and ask which kind of decision you have.
  3. Write on the letter the date you received it.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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We cannot tell from your answers

Send your request now, even if you are not sure of the date.

Why

You have 90 days from the day you receive the decision letter. If you are late, Service Canada can still allow more time, but you must explain why. Acting now is the safest choice.

What to do next

  1. Send your request in writing right away, online in My Service Canada Account, on the form, or in a signed letter.
  2. Say when you think the letter arrived, and why you are not sure.
  3. From now on, write the date on each letter the day it arrives.
  4. Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 if you have questions.

More help

This check is general information, not legal or financial advice. OAS Guides is not part of, or connected to, the Government of Canada or Service Canada. Only the government office that runs the program can decide whether you qualify, and we cannot promise any result. Figures were last checked on 2026-10-04.

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Where these rules come from

  1. Request a reconsideration - Old Age Security pension and benefits (Government of Canada)
  2. CPP benefits - Request a reconsideration (Government of Canada)
  3. Old Age Security Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1246), sections 29 and 29.1 (Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada)
  4. Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement appeals: Process at a glance (Social Security Tribunal of Canada)
  5. P148 Resolving your dispute: Objection and appeal rights under the Income Tax Act (Canada Revenue Agency)

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