Seniors at Risk
Canada’s cash-strapped seniors are not the ones who should have to pay for the pandemic recovery, especially while profitable companies do not have to pay back public funds they received through the pandemic wage subsidy program.
Seniors that worked to supplement their Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), according to the rules, and lost their job due to the pandemic are being kicked off the GIS by the Trudeau government to claw back the pandemic income support for which these seniors were eligible.
The Guaranteed Income Supplement is only available to Canada’s poorest seniors and pays a benefit that leaves people below the poverty line.
Ineligibility for the GIS is also causing these seniors to lose benefits from other levels of government that have been critical to help them make ends meet.
The Liberals told people they would not be punished for receiving pandemic supports and the Prime Minister just campaigned on a promise to have people’s back until the pandemic is over.
After months of inaction by the Liberals, seniors are now being evicted on the eve of winter when their GIS would be enough to maintain their rent.
I support the NDP’s call for the government to back off and exclude emergency pandemic benefits from the calculation of GIS eligibility.
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