Old Age Security Act — O-9 19
Payment of allowance 19 (1) Subject to this Act and the regulations, an allowance may be paid to the spouse, common-law partner or former common-law partner of a pensioner for a month in a payment period if the spouse, common-law partner or former common-law partner, as the case may be, (a) in the case of a spouse, is not separated from the pensioner, or has separated from the pensioner where the separation commenced after June 30, 1999 and not more than three months before the month in the payment period; (a.1) in the case of a former common-law partner, has separated from the pensioner where the separation commenced after June 30, 1999 and not more than three months before the month in the payment period; (b) in the case of a spouse, common-law partner or former common-law partner, has attained sixty years of age but has not attained sixty-five years of age; and (c) in the case of a spouse, common-law partner or former common-law partner, has resided in Canada after attaining eighteen years of age and prior to the day on which their application is approved for an aggregate period of at least ten years and, where that aggregate period is less than twenty years, was resident in Canada on the day preceding the day on which their application is approved. Incarcerated common-law partner (1.1) For the purposes of subsection (1), common-law partners do not become former common-law partners if the sole reason for their separation is that one of the partners is an incarcerated person described in subsection 5(3) or paragraph 19(6)(f). Incarcerated spouse (1.2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a), a spouse is not considered to be separated from the pensioner if the sole reason for the separation is that the pensioner is an incarcerated person described in subsection 5(3). Residence in Canada must be or have been legal (2) A person is eligible for an allowance under this section only if (a) on the day preceding the day on which that person’s application for an allowance is approved that person is a Canadian citizen or, if not, is legally resident in Canada; or (b) on the day preceding the day that person ceased to reside in Canada that person was a Canadian citizen or, if not, was legally resident in Canada. Regulations respecting legal residence (3) The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting the meaning of legal residence for the purposes of subsection (2). Must apply annually (4) Subject to subsection (4.1), no allowance may be paid under this section to the spouse or common-law partner of a pensioner in any payment period unless a joint application of the pensioner and the spouse or common-law partner, or an application described in section 30, has been made for payment of an allowance in respect of that payment period and payment of the allowance has been approved under this Part. Treated as joint application (4.01) If the pensioner is an incarcerated person described in subsection 5(3), their spouse or common-law partner may apply for an allowance individually and, for the purposes of subsection (4), that application shall be considered and dealt with as though it were a joint application of the pensioner and the spouse or common-law partner. Waiver of application (4.1) The Minister may waive the requirement referred to in subsection (4) for an application for payment of an allowance for any month or months in a payment period if an application for payment of an allowance has been made in respect of any payment period before that payment period. Notice where subsequent application required (4.2) Where the requirement for an application for any month or months in a payment period has been waived under subsection (4.1) and an application is required for payment of an allowance for any subsequent month or months in that payment period, the Minister shall, not later than fifteen days before that subsequent month or the first of those subsequent months, notify the spouse or common-law partner in writing that an applicatio