# OAS Processing Time (39 weeks and counting)



## Bruce_K

From time to time I have seen questions about how long Service Canada takes to process an OAS application. This is my wife's experience.

She was born in Canada and has lived here all her life. She deferred OAS until she retired at nearly the age of 68. She applied by mail and when we called 4 months later, they acknowledged receiving the application on June 22, 2016. They said it was taking 32 weeks to process. 

Having heard nothing, we called again in week 33. The agent sent a message to the processing centre telling us they had 10 days to respond and asked us to call back. 

We called back 15 days later. There had been no response. The agent said she heard that Edmonton was backlogged. Also, because my wife didn't take retirement at 65, her calculations are more complicated. She is escalated it and said they would now have 2 days to respond. She said if they still didn't respond, she would escalate it to a supervisor. She said there have been times when she has had to escalate requests for information 7 times. I asked about involving our MP. She said we could do that, but didn't know if it would help. If there are a lot of MP complaints, she said my wife's request would just get added to the bottom of the pile.

We called back 6 days later on March 1, 2017. They escalated it again and said to call back in 2 days. Since then we have called back many times, but after listening to their messages and selecting the correct menu items, we repeatedly end up receiving a message saying they are experiencing a high call volume, or words to that effect, and we cannot be placed on hold. 

We are now at 39 weeks since the date they acknowledge receiving the application. Exactly 9 months as of March 22, 2017.


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## dotnet_nerd

39 weeks to receive money from the govt. Hmm.

I bet if you *owed* them, they'd have somebody available to take your money today.


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## naysmitj

You should ensure you know what your deferred payments should be as of the date of the application. Errors can happen, and the fact that they are using the complexity of your situation as an excuse for the delay, would concern me. Your first payment should be the sum of the payments due as of the date of your application.
The good news is, that once it is in place, the monthly payments roll into your account regularity with no further interaction required.


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## pwm

Bruce_K said:


> We are now at 39 weeks since the date they acknowledge receiving the application. Exactly 9 months as of March 22, 2017.


That's absolutely appalling. 0.6% more for each month over 65 is a complicated calculation? I'm sure my grandson in grade 5 could handle that. I'm concerned because I'm delaying my OAS to 70. I would appreciate it Bruce_K if you would keep us updated on your experience. Thanks for sharing.


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## AltaRed

A lot of things are taking time. It's not the processing time. It is the backlog of files that they have not even got to yet. 

Even CRA (Estate Dept). They are just now supposedly 'processing' a simple vanilla Capital Loss Carryback from a T3 Testamentary Trust return to a Final T1 Return that I made in late March 2016. And I provided them with the specific calculation which will take them all of 10 minutes to process. BUT it depends where the file is in the 14 metres high stack of files.


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## MrsPartridge

I would have called my MP long ago. Not sure about them dropping your wife's application to the bottom. What is that? some veiled threat?

This is way too long. Have you spoken to other retirees? I wonder what their wait time was.


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## Zipper

Another reason to take OAS @ 65 and be done with it.

If you don't need it put it into an RRSP or TFSA or simply hold it as a contingency fund.


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## ian

Terrible.

We, fortunately, had the exact opposite experience with the CPP folks.


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## naysmitj

I have also delayed OAS until 70, but one thing that the Service Canada website advises is that you can apply for your OAS pension up to 11 months before you want your OAS pension to start.
So if you have decided when you are going to start collecting, then applying ahead of time may help.


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## Bruce_K

Bruce_K said:


> From time to time I have seen questions about how long Service Canada takes to process an OAS application. This is my wife's experience.
> 
> She was born in Canada and has lived here all her life. She deferred OAS until she retired at nearly the age of 68. She applied by mail and when we called 4 months later, they acknowledged receiving the application on June 22, 2016. They said it was taking 32 weeks to process.
> 
> Having heard nothing, we called again in week 33. The agent sent a message to the processing centre telling us they had 10 days to respond and asked us to call back.
> 
> We called back 15 days later. There had been no response. The agent said she heard that Edmonton was backlogged. Also, because my wife didn't take retirement at 65, her calculations are more complicated. She is escalated it and said they would now have 2 days to respond. She said if they still didn't respond, she would escalate it to a supervisor. She said there have been times when she has had to escalate requests for information 7 times. I asked about involving our MP. She said we could do that, but didn't know if it would help. If there are a lot of MP complaints, she said my wife's request would just get added to the bottom of the pile.
> 
> We called back 6 days later on March 1, 2017. They escalated it again and said to call back in 2 days. Since then we have called back many times, but after listening to their messages and selecting the correct menu items, we repeatedly end up receiving a message saying they are experiencing a high call volume, or words to that effect, and we cannot be placed on hold.
> 
> We are now at 39 weeks since the date they acknowledge receiving the application. Exactly 9 months as of March 22, 2017.


I am pleased to report back that in week 40, we went to our MP's constituency office Friday March 24, 2017 late in the afternoon. His Executive Assistant called and spoke to someone at Service Canada directly while we waited. She connected immediately. The person at Service Canada didn't see any notes on file, but said they would call the EA back on Monday. This morning, Monday March 27, 2017 we checked my wife's Service Canada account and it still didn't show anything. However, we received a call this afternoon from the MP's EA advising that the OAS application had been approved. We went online again around 4PM. Now, the OAS payment was showing, but it was the wrong amount; approximately $140/month too low. We emailed the EA who emailed back 16 minutes later (after the constituency office had already closed for the day) and advised that she had contacted Service Canada and included what the amounts would actually be; they are correct. She was advised that the online info is updated weekly. Since this was only approved today it can either;
*
a)***** Be corrected by April 3rd
b)***** Mid-April – if manually inputted.
c)***** Updated the next payment cycle in May

I have to say this is the first time I have ever contacted an MP's office for help on an issue and I'm glad we did. Of course, I find myself wondering if this approval suddenly happened out of sheer coincidence right after the MP's EA called them; I suspect not. I am impressed with the assistance we received. Our MP, by the way is in the opposition. 

Lesson learned: when you feel stymied by government bureaucracy and you have made a reasonable effort to resolve the issue on your own, go to your MP's office although I don't know if every constituency EA is as dynamic and efficient as this one. She mentioned she had been in this job for 17 years working for 3 different MP's. Apparently, she even had to intervene on behalf of a former MP who had the same problem we did, so Service Canada apparently annoys everyone, not just us peasants.

By the way, "Ian" we also had good luck with CPP. My wife applied online June 19, 2016 and received her first cheque by online deposit 17 days later on July 6, 2016.


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## pwm

Thanks for the update. Based on your experience I definitely will be making my application 11 months before it should start.


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## dougbos

OAS runs from July to July of the next year. As it is income based your last year's salary comes into play, especially if you work past 65, not the amount of the pension. You may start getting it and suddenly find it is clawed back because your income was too much. Then you have to not only go after the OAS people but the CRA. You may only have CPP coming in but they don't care. It is ridiculous in the age of computers that you have to wait so long to get these issues resolved. If you mail a paper into them then you have to follow up to make sure that they got it and logged it into their system.


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## ian

My OAS commences in July. 

Mailed in my completed T1213(OAS) form to CRA today.

It will supposedly change the basis on OAS from my assessed 2016 net income to my estimated 2017 net income in order to avoid any claw back. I hope that CRA processes this in a timely manner.


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## pwm

I decided to bump this thread with my recent experience. I had been delaying OAS and decided to apply for commencement in Jan, 2018. I sent in my application near the end of April to give them lots of time. I received my confirmation letter today, Aug 08. The letter says they received my application on May 03, so it took about 3 months for them to process the application. The numbers are all correct as I had expected. I delayed OAS for 42 months which comes to an increase of 25.20%. The base now is $583.74 so my payment will be $730.84. Everything worked as expected for me, so either the problems at Service Canada have been resolved or it may depend on where in Canada you reside.


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## mrc

My experience has been almost identical. It's been 10 months now since I applied for OAS and still nothing. 2 weeks ago I called again and was told my file had been "looked at" by someone and that I should receive notification in a few days - still waiting. Every time I call there is another excuse. They must have a really small staff processing applications. Just got off the phone with them again and now a 'supervisor' is supposed to call me back next week. I can hardly wait for the new excuse for taking so long. I even tried sending a complaint to my MP a few months ago but did not even get an acknowledgement. I am always very polite with the person on the phone, as they can't really do anything but look at my file, but it's very hard to control my frustration with this system. Is this really Canada?

I would advise anybody applying for OAS to do so as far in advance as possible.


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## like_to_retire

mrc said:


> I would advise anybody applying for OAS to do so as far in advance as possible.


And that's indeed what they advise you to do.

ltr


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## Moonlitnight

*More of the same*

Applied in February (birthday in March). Checked in June and was told it was being processed and could take two weeks. Checked in July and was told it had been "sitting in a pile, likely for months" as there was something wrong with the application. I have lived here since 1973 and became a citizen in 1978. After a few more calls I was told that I have to provide further proof that I am here legally. Sent off my actual passport, and this was returned promptly in September. Checked again in October, told it was "being processed." Checked in October and the fellow said he was "accelerating" my request. Called in November and same thing, only told to call back in two days to make sure that it had been. Called on and off for four days but kept getting a recording telling me they were so busy that they could not place me in the queue. Called again a short while ago and was told that it had been "escalated" and to check back in four days. I think I am going batty...I really do. :tongue:


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## OhGreatGuru

Moonlitnight said:


> Applied in February (birthday in March). ..


Do you mean you applied one month before your 65th birthday? Because the advice from the government is pretty clear about applying one month after you turn 64, if have not received notice you are on their automatic enrolment list. Or, if you have delayed your OAS to a later age, you can apply up to 11 months before you want it to start. IOW, the system is pretty upfront about asking for 11 months' lead time.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/apply.html


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