The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is one of the most important sources of income for retired Canadians.

If you’re wondering when CPP is paid in 2025, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll also go over how to receive the maximum CPP payments you can get below.

CPP Payment Dates for 2025

Here are the upcoming pension payment dates for CPP in 2025:

• January 29, 2025
• February 27, 2025
• March 26, 2025
• April 29, 2025
• May 28, 2025
• June 26, 2025
• July 29, 2025
• August 27, 2025
• September 25, 2025
• October 29, 2025
• November 26, 2025
• December 19, 2025

These dates represent the scheduled times when you can expect to receive your monthly CPP payments, including:

• CPP Retirement Benefits: The most common type of payment, intended for retirees based on their contributions.
• CPP Disability Benefit: Payments for those who qualify due to a disability. Find out if you qualify here.
• CPP Children’s Benefits: Provided to the dependent children of disabled or deceased CPP contributors.
• CPP Survivor Benefits: Issued to the spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children of a deceased contributor.

Make sure to mark these dates in your calendar to manage your finances effectively throughout the year.

What Is The CPP?

The Canada Pension Plan is a social insurance program that provides financial assistance to Canadians during their retirement years. Canadian retirees can expect a steady monthly pension payment, providing they meet the requirements (see below).

CPP is what’s known as a contributory plan, which means that both employees and employers contribute to the fund through payroll deductions. Self-employed individuals are responsible for contributing both the employee and employer portions.

If you’re an employee, you should be able to view your CPP deductions on your paycheque stub.

Who’s Eligible To Receive CPP Pension Payments?

Eligibility to receive CPP pension payments is based on multiple factors, including:

• The retiree’s age
• Contributions to the plan
• Employment history

To be eligible, you must have made at least one valid contribution to the CPP during your working life. The amount you receive is directly tied to how much and for how long you’ve contributed.

Generally speaking, you must be at least 60 years old to apply for CPP.

Given that 65 is the standard retirement age, though, opting to receive a pension payment between 60 and 65 could reduce your monthly payments, preventing you from receiving the maximum CPP payment available.

In addition to the standard retirement benefit, CPP beneficiaries may also receive disability and survivor benefits.

What’s The Difference Between CPP And OAS?

The Canada Pension Plan is one of the most popular and widely received pensions in the country, and payments are issued alongside Old Age Security (OAS) via Service Canada.

However, these two pension plans are distinct from one another.

For one, the CPP is a contributory, earnings-based program. This means that your monthly CPP payment amount depends on how much you’ve contributed to the program over your lifetime.

All Canadians who’ve contributed to the program are eligible to receive at least some CPP contribution. OAS, on the other hand, is a non-contributory pension plan that’s funded by the government.

Unlike CPP, OAS is an income-tested benefit that is not tied to your previous employment history.

The amount you receive for OAS in retirement is largely dependent on your current retirement income, and if you earn more than the income threshold, these payments will be subject to OAS “clawback.” Conversely, lower-income OAS recipients may receive the additional Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).

Additionally, the amount of OAS you’re eligible for depends on the number of years you’ve lived in Canada.

• Read More: The Ultimate Guide To Old Age Security

What Is The Quebec Pension Plan?

The Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) is Quebec’s provincial counterpart to the CPP available in the rest of Canada.

Like the CPP, the QPP is a contributory, earnings-based social insurance program designed to provide financial assistance during retirement, disability, or the loss of a family breadwinner.

Both employees and employers in Quebec contribute to the QPP through payroll deductions, and self-employed individuals contribute both portions.

For the most part, the QPP and CPP are similar. However, there are a few key differences, including:

• QPP is managed entirely by the Quebec government
• Contribution rates and benefit amounts differ slightly from CPP

Average vs. Maximum CPP Received in 2025

As of 2025, the average Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payout has increased slightly, reflecting adjustments for inflation and changes in the economic landscape. The average monthly CPP payment is now approximately $780.00. However, the maximum CPP amount that one can receive at age 65 in 2025 has also been adjusted to approximately $1,380.00 per month.

These figures represent the typical and upper limits of what retirees can expect from their CPP payments, based on their earnings and contributions during their working years:

Maximum CPP Payout: The highest monthly amount payable, which requires consistent contributions at or above the maximum pensionable earnings for a substantial portion of one’s working life.

Average CPP Payout: The typical monthly amount most Canadians receive, which suggests modest but consistent contributions over a typical working career.

How to calculate How Much CPP You Will Receive

How much CPP you receive will be based on two main things:

1. How much was your income from age 18-65
2. If you made the proper CPP contributions for those years

You can get an estimate of your CPP payments by signing into your My Service Canada Account on the Canada.ca website and requesting an estimate of your CPP benefits. You must register for the service and require a CPP personal access code from Service Canada. 

Call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914 if you’re having trouble, and they can help walk you through the process.

It’s a bit of a complicated process, but the easiest way to accurately figure out your CPP payments is if you are reasonably close to retirement. The farther away from retirement you are, the harder it will be to calculate since it’s hard to know what your income will be.

How to get the maximum CPP Payout

To receive the maximum CPP payments, you must have earned an income equal to or higher than the Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings (YMPE) for 39 out of the 47 years between the ages of 18-65.

The YMPE for 2025 is $81,200. Here’s a link to the YMPE list for all prior years so you can try to estimate how much CPP you will receive.

One way to estimate how much CPP payments you will receive is by comparing your income to your YMPE. If, for example, you had earned around 50% of the YMPE over 39 out of the 47 years between ages 18-65, you will receive about 50% of the max CPP payments.

Here are the two most common provisions that could boost your CPP payouts:

• Low-income years dropout – You can drop out 17% of the months of your career where you earned the least. Up to eight years of your lowest earnings can be removed from the CPP calculation.
• Child-rearing dropout – If you were the primary caretaker of a dependent child under the age of seven and your income was affected by it, you may be able to drop some of those years from the CPP calculation.

CPP Contribution Increase

The good news is that your CPP payouts are generally adjusted upward each year to keep pace with the cost of living. However, the contribution rates for CPP also tend to increase. As of 2025, the CPP is designed to replace one-third of your average lifetime earnings, up from 25% in previous years. This enhancement aims to provide greater financial security in retirement.

For 2025, the contribution rates for employees and employers have been set at 6.15%, with the maximum annual contribution amount capped at $3,650 for both employees and employers. This slight increase from previous years ensures that the plan can maintain its solvency and meet its future obligations.

• For employees: The CPP contribution is automatically deducted from your paychecks, so you don’t need to worry about manually setting aside money for CPP unless you have additional income not subject to automatic deductions.
• For self-employed individuals: It’s important to account for both the employee and employer portions of the CPP contributions, which means setting aside a larger amount of your income to ensure compliance with the CPP requirements.

These contributions are an investment in your future, ensuring that you have a stable pension waiting when you retire. It’s crucial to keep abreast of these changes to plan your finances accordingly.

Should you take your CPP at age 60, 65, or 70?

Knowing when to take your CPP payments is an important part of planning out your retirement. What age to start the CPP depends on your situation.

It’s confusing for many Canadians because of the wide age range of between 60-70 of when you can take it.

The main benefit of deferring your CPP benefits is that you’ll be eligible to receive a larger monthly payment. By applying for CPP at 65, you’ll receive a the standard payment. However, by applying early at 60, your payment will be reduced.

Related Reading: Should You Take Your CPP at 60, 65, or 70?

Lesser-Known CPP Benefits

Here are some under-the-radar CPP benefits that many Canadians aren’t aware of:

• CPP Survivor’s Pension – Paid to the spouse or common-law partner of a deceased CPP contributor.
• CPP Disability Pension – CPP contributors who have a “severe and prolonged” disability could qualify.
• CPP Death Benefit – $2,500 is paid out to the estate of a deceased CPP contributor.
• CPP Children’s Benefit – Dependent children under the age of 18 or 25 if in school full-time, of a deceased or disabled CPP contributor can receive this payment.
• Post-Retirement CPP – You can continue to make CPP contributions up to age 70, which will boost your CPP payout.

CPP FAQs

1. When are CPP payments made in 2025?

• CPP payments are made on the following dates in 2025:
  • January 29
  • February 27
  • March 26
  • April 29
  • May 28
  • June 26
  • July 29
  • August 27
  • September 25
  • October 29
  • November 26
  • December 19

2. How much can I expect to receive from CPP in 2025?

• The amount you receive from CPP depends on how much and how long you contributed, with the average monthly payment around $780.00 and the maximum payment at age 65 approximately $1,380.00.

3. What factors affect the amount of CPP I will receive?

• Your CPP payments are based on your earnings and the number of years you contributed to the plan. Factors such as your age at retirement and whether you took any periods of reduced earnings (such as for child-rearing or low-income years) also affect your pension amount.

4. Can I receive CPP if I live outside Canada?

• Yes, you can receive CPP payments no matter where you live. If you move to another country, your payments can be made in the local currency or Canadian dollars, although non-residents may have a withholding tax applied depending on the country’s tax treaty with Canada.

5. What is the difference between CPP and OAS?

• CPP (Canada Pension Plan) is a contributory, earnings-based pension plan requiring contributions from your earnings during your working years. OAS (Old Age Security) is a government-funded pension based on residency and is available to all eligible seniors regardless of work history. OAS may be subject to a recovery tax if your income is above a certain threshold.

6. How do I maximize my CPP payments?

• To maximize your CPP payments, aim to contribute the maximum allowable amount each year and delay taking CPP until age 70 if possible. This can increase your pension by up to 42% compared to starting at 65.

7. Is CPP taxable income?

• Yes, CPP benefits are considered taxable income. You will need to declare your CPP payments on your income tax return each year.

8. What is the latest I can start receiving CPP?

• You can start receiving CPP as late as age 70. Delaying CPP increases your monthly payments for each month you delay beyond your 65th birthday.

9. How is CPP adjusted for inflation?

• CPP payments are adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index to ensure that your pension keeps pace with the cost of living.

10. Can I work while receiving CPP?

• Yes, you can continue to work while receiving CPP. You can also make additional contributions to increase your CPP benefits through the Post-Retirement Benefit (PRB) up until age 70.

CPP payment dates for 2025 are helpful to know. The CPP is a pillar of retirement income for all Canadians. Your Old Age Security (OAS) payments might get clawed back, but your CPP will get paid out no matter your income.

Knowing what age to start your CPP is crucial to planning out your retirement income in your golden years.

Still unsure about how the CPP works? Watch this video to learn more: