The Regulations Amending the Old Age Security Regulations, SOR/2025-231 introduces updates to the administrative processes governing the Old Age Security (OAS) program under the Old Age Security Act. These amendments clarify and improve the evidence required to establish eligibility for OAS benefits, particularly in determining the relationships and identities of applicants.

The amendments replace section 16 of the existing regulations, establishing clearer requirements for verifying the marital or common-law status of applicants. In the case of spouses, applicants are generally required to provide a marriage certificate, a copy of the certificate, or a copy of the act of marriage. For common-law partners, a statutory declaration outlining the nature of the relationship or other supporting evidence must be submitted. The Minister is granted discretion to request original documentation if there are reasonable doubts about the validity of copies, and if official records are unavailable, the Minister may rely on statutory declarations or other evidence to confirm the relationship.

Similarly, section 18 is replaced to specify how the Minister determines an applicant’s age and identity, a critical factor for eligibility and benefit calculation. The primary evidence remains a birth certificate, a copy, or a copy of the act of birth, supplemented by information from the Canada Employment Insurance Commission. Where doubts exist about the authenticity of provided documents, the Minister may request originals issued by competent authorities. If such documents are unavailable, other forms of evidence may be considered, including information obtained from Statistics Canada.

The new section 18.1 establishes the conditions under which Statistics Canada may be consulted to verify age and identity. Requests must be made in a prescribed form with the signed consent of the individual and include specific information necessary for census record searches. Information obtained from Statistics Canada must remain confidential and can only be used for the purpose of determining eligibility under the OAS Act or, where applicable, the Canada Pension Plan. This provision emphasizes the protection of personal information and limits its use to legitimate administrative purposes.

Overall, these amendments reinforce the integrity of the Old Age Security program by providing precise guidance on acceptable documentation and procedures for verifying relationships, age, and identity. They aim to reduce ambiguity in application assessments, improve administrative efficiency, and ensure that benefits are awarded correctly while accommodating situations where standard documentation may be unavailable.

These changes intend to modernize administrative processes for social security programs, improving eligibility verification so that it is both accurate and flexible while protecting the privacy of Canadians and maintaining program integrity.

Canada (231/2025) December 9, 2025
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