Old Age Security Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. O-9)

Marginal note:Commencement of allowance

• 23. (1) Payment of an allowance to any person under this Part shall commence in the first month after the application therefor has been approved, but where an application is approved after the last day of the month in which it was received, the approval may be effective as of such earlier date, not prior to the day on which the application was received, as may be prescribed by regulation.

• Marginal note:Commencement where waiver of application

  (1.1) Where the requirement for an application for payment of an allowance has been waived under this Part, the payment of the allowance shall not commence more than eleven months before the month in which the requirement for an application is waived.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), where a person who has applied to receive an allowance attained the age of sixty years before the day on which the application was received, the approval of the application may be effective as of such earlier day, not before the later of

  • (a) a day one year before the day on which the application was received, and

  • (b) the day on which the person attained the age of sixty years,

  as may be prescribed by regulation.

• Marginal note:Incarcerated persons

  (3) Despite subsections (1) and (1.1), if the application for an allowance by a person described in paragraph 19(6)(f) or 21(9)(d) is approved while that person is incarcerated, payment of their allowance shall commence in respect of the month in which they are released but only if they

  • (a) have notified the Minister in writing before or after their release; and

  • (b) continue to be eligible for an allowance.

Marginal note:Consideration of application or waiver

• 24. (1) The Minister shall, without delay after receiving an application for an allowance under subsection 19(4) or 21(4) or after waiving the requirement for an application for an allowance under subsection 19(4.1) or 21(5.1), as the case may be, consider whether the applicant is entitled to be paid an allowance, and may approve payment of an allowance and fix the amount of benefits that may be paid, or may determine that no allowance may be paid.

• Marginal note:Notification to applicants or applicant

  (2) Where particulars of the basis on which the amount of any allowance that may be paid in respect of an application was fixed by the Minister are requested by an applicant or where the Minister determines that no allowance may be paid in respect of the application, the Minister shall forthwith in writing notify the applicants or applicant of the basis on which that amount was fixed or of the decision that no allowance may be paid in respect of the application and the Minister’s reasons therefor, as the case may be.