Can I appeal an OAS decision?

You might disagree with a decision about:

• whether you’re eligible to get Old Age Security (OAS)
• how much you can get

The first step is to ask Service Canada to review the decision.

This review is called a reconsideration. You must do this within 90 days of getting the letter from Service Canada that includes the decision you disagree with. See more in Step 2.

In the decision letter from Service Canada, it may not be clear why they made their decision. If this happens, you may want to order a copy of your OAS file. See more about how to do this in Step 1.

Getting your file can help you figure out:

• why Service Canada made its decision, and
• what you need to include when you ask for a reconsideration.

Making an appeal to the Social Security Tribunal

If you don’t agree with the decision you get after the reconsideration, you may be able to appeal to the Social Security Tribunal (SST). The SST is separate from Service Canada and has the power to make a different decision. See Steps 3 and 4.

Getting legal help

Asking for a reconsideration or appealing a decision can be difficult. Try to get legal help. If you can’t afford a lawyer, a community legal clinic might be able to help.