What we learned on Service Canada Labs before going live on Canada.ca

On April 12, 2023, we released an alpha version of the Old Age Security Benefits Estimator to the public. The tool was still in an early development phase, but it was working. We knew the earlier we let everyone use it, the earlier we'd get real feedback.

Since then, over 4,000 people tried it out, and around 200 provided feedback. Here’s what we learned from the feedback collected in our alpha phase, how it’s helping us improve our tool and what’s next for our beta phase.

Asking experts what they think

Ideally, the estimator could save someone a trip or a call to Service Canada. That's why we wanted to know if it answered the most common questions about Old Age Security benefits. To find out, we asked Service Canada employees.

They confirmed that the estimator was able to give answers to common questions about:

• who these benefits are for
• how much they can expect to receive
• when they can expect to receive a letter from Service Canada

They told us about other questions they get often, and if they found any missing information. Some even gave us ideas to make this tool even more useful for Canadians. We'll be assessing these during our beta phase and will use this information to continuously improve the estimator.

Using data to improve questions

We were lucky enough to be able to use data from a similar tool while we were on Service Canada Labs. This helped us gather information about the questions we were asking.

In alpha, entering an income in the estimator was optional. We wanted to give clients a choice. However, we realized, through our survey, that people were looking for a precise amount in the results. Only providing the maximum income to receive a benefit wasn’t enough.

The other tool required clients to enter an income. So, we looked at their data. There was nothing to indicate that people didn’t want to do this. The question didn’t stop them from using the tool.

To give better results, we decided to require income in our beta estimator. This way, we can provide an amount to everyone whose income qualifies, while being confident that the tool is just as easy to use.

Making improvements based on client feedback

Our main goal for the alpha phase was to get people using the tool and get as much feedback as possible. Anyone who used our tool during our alpha phase could give us their thoughts through an anonymous feedback survey.

We read all the comments and ratings and found it very valuable. Through our survey, we found out that:

• 90% thought the tool was easy to use
• 73% were more aware of the benefits available to them

Some were satisfied, some had questions, and others wanted to see different features. From the survey responses, we’ve identified the main improvements clients want to see. Many wanted:

• the ability to get an estimate from a younger age
• more clarity about which types of income affect benefits
• to have more information about their partner’s results

We’ve already started working on these features and other adjustments. For example, in the beta version now on Canada.ca, we’ve added more detailed and visible results for partners. We’re looking forward to having this improvement and other tweaks make the tool better for Canadians.

Share your feedback

We’re still collecting and addressing feedback! The estimator is still in active development and will be evolving to better meet your needs throughout the beta. Expect to see some changes!