North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney sent a letter to federal minister of seniors Deb Schulte expressing concern that seniors are being left behind in the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the letter, Blaney called for an immediate increase to OAS and GIS payments.
“Seniors are the most vulnerable demographic at this time, yet the federal government has chosen to provide income supports to so many others ahead of seniors,” stated Blaney in a media release. “At this point, seniors are having to make extremely tough choices like absorbing the extra delivery costs on a fixed income or risking their health by going to the grocery store or pharmacy themselves. Why, if we’re going through all of this trouble to protect people from COVID-19, is the government putting seniors in this situation?”
Blaney and the NDP have been calling for a universal basic income approach since the early days of the pandemic, according to the release.
“A universal approach would have gotten seniors and everyone else falling through the cracks of the [Canada Emergency Response Benefit] the help they need,” stated Blaney. “Instead, we’re now dealing with a whole slate of programming that is confusing and still difficult for people to access, with some being left out entirely. This is not the approach of a government that is truly concerned about the well-being of seniors.”
Concern for those left out of the current benefits schemes continues to mount, according to Blaney.
“My office is hearing every day from people who are still unable to make ends meet and worried about being able to pay their rent in May,” stated Blaney. “The assumption that all students are all young people who can rely on their parents and live off $1,250 a month is absurd. Persons with disabilities have been ignored by the federal government entirely. And the prime minister keeps asking seniors to wait after weeks of being told help is coming.”
In the absence of a universal benefit, Blaney is calling on Schulte to immediately increase old age security (OAS) and guaranteed income supplement (GIS) payments.
“The announcements so far about the Registered Retirement Income Fund] withdrawals and support for organizations supporting seniors are great, those need to remain in place,” stated Blaney. “But they still leave a lot of gaps. By far the easiest and fastest way to get seniors the support they need right now is an increase to OAS and GIS payments. I really hope the minister takes these recommendations seriously and considers the impact that this extra money would have on seniors given the current reality with COVID-19.”
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