How this calculator works
Enter the pensionable earnings you expect from work after you start receiving your CPP retirement pension, and choose whether you are an employee or self-employed. Each year of contributions after the pension starts creates a separate post-retirement benefit, paid for life and indexed. Service Canada says the maximum new PRB at age 65 is $54.69 a month in 2026, and the average for new beneficiaries is $26.25. The PRB scales with earnings relative to the 2026 Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings of $74,600: at half the maximum earnings limit, the PRB is half the maximum. The 2026 base CPP contribution is 5.95% of pensionable earnings above $3,500 up to $74,600, and CPP2 is 4% of earnings above $74,600 up to $85,000. An employee pays one share and the employer pays a matching share. A self-employed person pays both. The PRB is calculated from the year of contributions and starts in January of the following year. This page assumes the PRB starts at age 65. Starting earlier or later changes the amount under the CPP rules, and that age adjustment is out of scope. Also out of scope: the additional PRB generated by CPP2 contributions above the YMPE, the Quebec Pension Plan supplement, survivor and disability benefits, the general drop-out provisions, and tax. The CPP PRB is separate from OAS and from US Social Security; it applies only to CPP contributions made after the pension starts.
Formula
Earnings ratio = min(pensionable earnings, $74,600) / $74,600. PRB monthly = $54.69 x earnings ratio. PRB annual = PRB monthly x 12. Base CPP = 5.95% x max(0, min(earnings, $74,600) - $3,500). CPP2 = 4% x max(0, min(earnings, $85,000) - $74,600). Employee contribution = base + CPP2. Self-employed contribution = 2 x (base + CPP2).
Worked example
At the 2026 YMPE of $74,600, the earnings ratio is 1 and the PRB is $54.69 a month, or $656.28 a year. The base contribution is $4,230.45 and there is no CPP2 at that level. At $85,000 the base contribution is still $4,230.45, CPP2 is $416.00, and an employee contributes $4,646.45 with a matching employer share. At $37,300, or half the YMPE, the PRB is $27.35 a month and the base contribution is $2,011.10.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CPP post-retirement benefit?
It is a separate lifetime benefit created by CPP contributions made after you start receiving a CPP retirement pension. Each year of contributions produces a new PRB, paid in addition to the pension you already receive.
How much is the CPP post-retirement benefit in 2026?
The maximum new PRB at age 65 is $54.69 a month in 2026, and the average for new beneficiaries is $26.25. The amount scales with pensionable earnings, so half the maximum earnings limit produces about half the maximum PRB, or $27.35 a month.
Do I have to apply for the post-retirement benefit?
Service Canada calculates the PRB from your CPP contributions. It is paid for the year after the contributions are made and continues for life. This page shows the amount created by one year of contributions at age 65.
Does CPP2 create a post-retirement benefit?
CPP2 contributions also generate an additional PRB. This page caps the PRB at the YMPE and shows CPP2 only as a contribution, so the extra benefit from earnings above $74,600 is not included.
Sources
- Service Canada: CPP post-retirement benefit, how much you could receive
- Service Canada: CPP post-retirement benefit, what you need before you start
- CRA: CPP contribution rates, maximums and exemptions
- CRA: Second additional CPP (CPP2) contribution rates and maximums
- CRA: MP, DB, RRSP, DPSP, TFSA limits, YMPE and the YAMPE