The ISP-1000 form is the application you use to start your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension. You can complete an equivalent application online through your My Service Canada Account or download and mail the paper version. Online applicants typically get a decision within 28 days; paper applications can take up to 120 days.1Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – Apply Service Canada recommends applying at least six months before you want payments to begin.
Make Sure You Qualify First
Two conditions open the door. You must be at least 60 years old, and you must have made at least one valid contribution to CPP during your working life.2Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – When to Start Contributions are deducted automatically from employment income, or paid through your tax return if you are self-employed.
If part of your working life was in the United States, the Canada-U.S. Social Security Agreement lets you combine credits from both countries to meet eligibility.3Social Security Administration. Agreement Between the United States and Canada
What to Gather Before You Open the Form
Having your information in front of you prevents the kind of incomplete submission that triggers a delay. Pull together:
- Your Social Insurance Number (SIN), and your spouse’s or common-law partner’s SIN. The form asks about your marital status and partner details.1Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – Apply
- Direct deposit details: the name of your financial institution, the branch (transit) number, and your account number. These appear on a personal cheque or can be confirmed with your bank.1Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – Apply
- Child-rearing details, if you stopped working or earned less while caring for a child under age 7. You will need each child’s name, date of birth, and SIN. If you cannot provide a SIN, submit proof of birth instead. The Child Rearing Provision applies only to children born after December 31, 1958, and you must have been the primary caregiver for the period you want excluded. If you forget to include it with your ISP-1000, you can request it later using Form ISP-1640.4Canada.ca. Child-Rearing Provisions5Service Canada. Request for a Child Rearing Provision
Choosing Your Start Date
This is the field on ISP-1000 that matters most, because the age you choose permanently sets the size of every monthly payment you ever receive.
The standard start age is 65. You can begin as early as 60 or wait as late as 70. Starting before 65 reduces your pension by 0.6% for each month before your 65th birthday, up to a 36% reduction if you start at exactly 60. Starting after 65 increases your pension by 0.7% for each month after your 65th birthday, up to a 42% increase at age 70.2Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – When to Start There is no additional benefit to delaying past 70. For reference, the maximum monthly amount in 2026 for someone starting at 65 is $1,507.65.6Canada.ca. Canada Pension Plan (2026) and Old Age Security Quarterly Statistics
These adjustments are permanent. They do not reset once you reach 65.
One retroactivity rule worth knowing before you pick a date: if you apply before or during the month of your 65th birthday, your pension starts on the date you choose and runs forward only. If you apply after turning 65, you can request a retroactive start date up to 11 months before the month Service Canada receives your application, but no earlier than the month after your 65th birthday.7Canada.ca. Canada Pension Plan – Monthly Payment Amounts So a 67-year-old who is only now applying can recover roughly a year of back payments, not more.2Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – When to Start
Working Through the Rest of the Form
Personal and Banking Information
Enter your SIN, full legal name, date of birth, mailing address, and phone number. In the direct deposit section, enter your transit number, institution number, and account number. Verify these carefully. A single transposed digit sends your first payment nowhere and leaves you waiting on a mailed cheque.
Marital Status and Child-Rearing
Complete the marital or common-law status section accurately. Your partner’s details affect whether you can later apply for pension sharing. If you are claiming the Child Rearing Provision, enter each qualifying child’s information in the dedicated section of the application.
Tax Withholding
CPP payments are taxable income, but federal income tax is not automatically withheld.8Canada.ca. Managing Your Taxes If you want tax taken off each month rather than paying a lump sum at tax time, set it up through your My Service Canada Account after approval, or submit Form ISP3520CPP.9Canada.ca. Request for Voluntary Federal Income Tax Deductions – CPP/OAS This is handled separately from ISP-1000.
How to Submit
Online Through My Service Canada Account
The faster route is applying through your My Service Canada Account (MSCA). You do not upload the paper form. The portal runs an equivalent application and submits it electronically. Sign in, select “Apply for Canada Pension Plan retirement pension” in the CPP section, and follow the prompts. Expect a decision by mail within 28 days.1Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – Apply
Paper Application by Mail
Download Form ISP-1000 from the Service Canada forms catalogue, or pick up a copy at a local Service Canada office.10Government of Canada. Application for a Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension – ISP1000 The form itself lists mailing addresses for Service Canada offices. Mail your completed application to the office nearest your current residence. Paper takes substantially longer: up to 120 days for a decision.1Canada.ca. CPP Retirement Pension – Apply
After You Apply
You will receive a decision letter by mail that confirms your approved monthly amount and the date your first payment will land. If you applied online, you can also track status inside MSCA.
CPP payments are deposited on set dates each month. In 2026, those dates are January 28, February 25, March 27, April 28, May 27, June 26, July 29, August 27, September 25, October 28, November 26, and December 22. Direct deposit arrives faster than a mailed cheque. If a payment has not appeared, wait 5 to 10 business days before contacting Service Canada.11Canada.ca. Benefits Payment Dates
If You Disagree With the Decision
If Service Canada denies your application or you believe the approved amount is wrong, you have 90 days from receiving the decision letter to request a reconsideration.12Canada.ca. CPP Benefits – Request a Reconsideration Three routes are available:
- Online, through MSCA. Choose “Request a review of a decision” in the CPP section, then “Ask Service Canada to reconsider.”
- By form. Complete Form ISP-1238 and mail it to the return address on your decision letter.
- In writing. Send a letter with your name, address, phone number, SIN, a detailed explanation of why you disagree, any new supporting information, and your signature.
Include whatever new evidence you can gather: additional earnings records, corrected employer information, or documentation of contributions that may have been missed. If reconsideration does not resolve the matter, the next step is an appeal to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada.
What ISP-1000 Does Not Cover
A few things people assume are part of the retirement application are actually handled separately. Pension sharing with a spouse or common-law partner, which can lower a couple’s combined tax bill, requires its own application, Form ISP-1002, and both partners must already be receiving their CPP pensions before you can apply.13Canada.ca. Pension Sharing Survivor’s pension and the $2,500 CPP death benefit are also separate applications filed after a contributor dies.14Canada.ca. Survivor’s Pension And as noted above, setting up voluntary income tax deductions from your monthly payment happens through MSCA or Form ISP3520CPP, not on ISP-1000 itself.