War Veterans Allowance rates and maximums.

War Veterans Allowance maximums, October 2026

The War Veterans Allowance is a tax-free monthly benefit for low-income wartime veterans, their dependants and survivors. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) publishes a maximum monthly rate for each household type and adjusts those maximums on a quarterly basis. The most recent adjustment took effect on 1 October and the next is scheduled for 1 January 2027, so any figure copied from a 2025 or early-2026 page may be out of date.

Blindness adds $76.31 to the single rate and $76.07 to the couple rate. The child and orphan amounts are separate lines, not part of the household figure.

Worked example (hypothetical)

A made-up veteran with a spouse and two dependent children would have a maximum of $3,215.53 plus 2 × $326.00, or $3,867.53 a month. If the veteran died, VAC says the survivor keeps the full allowance for one year, so up to that same amount. In the following year the survivor is paid the single rate, $2,131.63, plus the child amounts, so up to $2,783.63 with the two children. These are ceilings. Actual payments depend on income, which VAC assesses using the same standard as the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Why $3,215.53 here and $3,215.57 elsewhere

VAC’s rates page prints the WVA couple maximum as $3,215.53 and, a few lines later, the Canadian Forces Income Support couple maximum as $3,215.57. The single rate is $2,131.63 in both programs, and the orphan rate is $976.82 in both. The child amount differs: $326.00 under WVA and $455.71 under CFIS. We report each figure exactly as printed and do not “correct” either. The CFIS side is on the Caregiver Recognition Benefit and income support rates page.

Who qualifies

• War-time service. A Veteran, including Merchant Navy, or Allied Veteran of the Second World War or the Korean War, or certain civilians who served in the Second World War.
• Residency. All applicants must live in Canada when they apply. An Allied Veteran must also have lived in Canada before enlisting, or for a total of 10 years since their service.
• Income. WVA is income-tested, and most regular income counts. Annual exemptions, such as the casual earnings and interest exemptions, are applied at assessment.

Survivors, couples and moving abroad

Survivors, meaning spouses, common-law partners and dependent children, continue to receive WVA after the qualified Veteran dies. The full allowance continues for one year, then the single rate plus any dependant amounts. If you and your spouse are both Veterans or qualified civilians, VAC says each should apply individually for the single rate. For payment outside Canada, VAC says a person must already be receiving WVA and must have lived in Canada for at least 12 months, and a short absence typically has no effect; Allied Veterans cannot be paid while outside Canada because of legislative restrictions. Recipients can also reach emergency grants of up to $1,000 per calendar year through the Assistance Fund.

For other VAC amounts see the disability pension rates by class and the Pain and Suffering Compensation table. Low-income seniors may also want the GIS calculator, since WVA uses the same income standard.

What this page does not cover

It does not work out what you would actually receive, which depends on your income. It does not cover treatment benefits, the Veterans Independence Program, long-term care or funeral assistance, and it does not decide eligibility. The program page does not mention orphans, so the orphan rate is shown only as VAC prints it.

Sources

• Veterans Affairs Canada, Rates (War Veterans Allowance) (the six maximums, the quarterly wording and the 1 October and 1 January 2027 dates; page modified 2026-10-01; retrieved 20 October 2026)
• Veterans Affairs Canada, War Veterans Allowance (eligibility, income test, survivor rule, Assistance Fund, payment outside Canada; page modified 2025-07-16; retrieved 20 October 2026)
• Veterans Affairs Canada, Canadian Forces Income Support (the companion income-support program used for the $3,215.57 comparison; page modified 2026-10-20; retrieved 20 October 2026)