Human Resources Committee on Oct. 28th, 2025

[The Chair (Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.)), Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good morning, everyone. The clerk has advised me that we have quorum.

We will begin meeting number 11 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Pursuant to the motion adopted on June 18, 2025, the committee is meeting on government mandate and key priorities for the first hour, and youth employment in Canada for the second hour.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. All members are attending in person today. No one is appearing on Zoom, which means no one had to be sound tested for interpretation.

Before we begin, I want to review a few items. You have the option to participate in today's meeting in the official language of your choice. Make sure you have your earpiece on and you have chosen the official language in which you choose to participate. If there is an issue with interpretation, please raise your hand and get my attention. We'll suspend while it is being corrected. I would also like to advise you to please ensure that your devices are on silent mode and to avoid tapping the mic boom, as it can cause health issues for our interpreters. Please address all questions through the chair. Wait until I identify you by name before you speak.

In today's meeting, for the first hour we have the Secretary of State for Seniors, the Honourable Stephanie McLean, appearing in person to speak to her mandate. As well, we have Paul Thompson, deputy minister, Department of Employment and Social Development, and Kristen Underwood, director general, seniors and pensions policy secretariat.

I will now give the floor to the secretary to give her opening statement. Then we'll move to the normal questioning round.

Madam Secretary, you have the floor for five minutes or less.

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Thank you so much, Chair.

I would like to start by acknowledging that we are gathered today on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin nation.

Thank you to the members of this committee for the invitation to speak about my mandate and priorities as Secretary of State for Seniors.

The Government of Canada is working to ensure that older Canadians can age with dignity. I am honoured, as the Secretary of State for Seniors, to talk about the actions we're taking to support older Canadians in this current economic climate.

Since taking on this role, I've had the distinct privilege of meeting many seniors across the country. I am very impressed with the contributions they are making in our communities every day.

My top priority in the role of Secretary of State for Seniors is, first and foremost, to help provide the people who built this country with the retirement they worked so hard for. I will absolutely continue to uphold the Government of Canada's commitment to provide seniors with the services they need where they live. Services like this give older adults the opportunity to thrive in their communities. My objective in this role is to make a positive contribution for older Canadians.

Supporting seniors is not just about honouring those who built this country through their work and lifelong commitment; it is also about investing in everyone's future.

Older Canadians are an important part of our social fabric and our economy. People such as the veterans in my riding, who fought and risked their lives for Canada, make our country stronger, more resilient and more responsive to the challenges of the modern world.

With increased life expectancy and with an aging population in Canada, we have an action plan that protects our pension system and that ensures all older Canadians receive the benefits they're entitled to.

We're also modernizing our benefits delivery system—this is a system that was built more than 60 years ago—by bringing benefits like the old age security program and the Canada pension plan into one streamlined and user-friendly system. We're making sure that it's functional, fast and responsive to the needs of Canadians. This is a massive undertaking, so we're doing it in phases and with the utmost care.

In June 2023, we successfully transferred 600,000 OAS clients onto the new platform. In March 2025, we added 7.4 million more. Then, at the end of April, these 7.4 million seniors received their OAS payments through this new platform, accurately and on time. This was a giant leap forward—a massive milestone—for the way we serve Canadians. It means that millions of OAS clients now have access to self-serve options like updating their personal online information and applying for benefits online.

I want to take a moment to thank all of those in the department who worked so very hard to make this milestone a reality. Without their dedication, it absolutely wouldn't have been possible.

Canada's retirement income system is a stable base, and it's on this base that Canadians can build a secure future. My job as Secretary of State for Seniors is to ensure that the pension system in Canada responds to the reality that older Canadians are living in.

In July 2022, the previous government increased the OAS by 10% for seniors aged 75 and older, and this provided more than $800 extra for full pensioners over the first year.

In 2023 and 2024, the OAS program paid over $76 billion in benefits to 7.4 million Canadians. In the same year, 2.5 million low-income seniors received the guaranteed income supplement, which put up to $1,100 in the pockets of the most vulnerable seniors.

For some seniors, government-funded OAS and GIS are their only livelihood; therefore, it's essential that they get access to these benefits without delay. So far this year, we've improved the speed of pay for old age security as well, including the Canada pension plan disability benefit and for the GIS. Over 96% of our clients were automatically reassessed this year. I would like to highlight to the members of the committee that this is the highest renewal rate we've ever seen. It's largely thanks to the additional automation features that are made possible by the new benefits delivery system.

To further support older Canadians, the government also indexes the OAS benefits quarterly. This means those benefits can only go up; they never go down. We're also indexing CPP, which is one of the top-ranking public pension plans in the world. This is a pension plan, but it's also a social insurance program. It's the largest survivor and disability insurance program in Canada. This gives protection to disabled contributors and their families, as well as to the families of deceased contributors.

At the end of the day, we know these benefits work, as the poverty rate among senior is half of the national average.

In closing, I remain focused on making sure older Canadians receive every dollar they're entitled to.

That's the promise we made to you, and I'm working every day to make sure we deliver on that promise.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madam Secretary of State.

We'll begin the first round of questioning with Ms. Roberts for six minutes, please.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Secretary, I would like to thank you for coming today. I have a few questions.

One thing that really concerns me is that I recently had to assist seniors who had been living in their car over the winter. The reason is that they just couldn't afford the cost of living and, therefore, couldn't afford the rent or their food.

For seniors on fixed incomes, every cost increase, from groceries and rent to medical supplies, erodes their purchasing power. As we know, 58,255 widowed women are over 65 and living in poverty. Single seniors are 39% of Canadians over 65, yet single seniors do not benefit from income splitting. We know that's an issue. In 2021, the census showed that 305,000 seniors were living below poverty, with over 173,000 women affected. Seventy-one per cent of single seniors were living alone, earning under $50,000.

How are we supposed to respond to seniors listening today who are choosing whether to pay their rent, to buy medicine or to buy food when they're barely making their rent payments?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Thank you for the question.

While seniors are at half the rate of the national average for working Canadians below the poverty line, we know there is still more work to do, such as with the single seniors you mentioned. That's why we're focused on building an economy that brings down costs for Canadians, and this very much includes seniors and helping them get ahead.

You also mentioned food prices and the overall cost of living. We know this is putting pressure on Canadians, particularly those with fixed incomes. To support seniors, we've made significant investments, including increasing the maximum GIS for single seniors, which you were talking about, and increasing the OAS pension for seniors 75 and older. OAS benefits, as I mentioned, are increased quarterly to keep up with the rising cost of living. These investments are really crucial in reducing the poverty rate, and we know they're working because the poverty rate for seniors is half the national average.

We know there is more to do, and that's why we're focused on making historic investments in key initiatives that affect affordability. We know housing is a key affordability issue. This really feeds into the Canada housing plan. The national housing strategy also has seniors as a core consideration with respect to the development of that strategy—

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

I apologize for interrupting, Minister.

What's upsetting is the story of one my constituents who lost her husband. She is 74 years old. She worked for only a few years. She raised her four children and is living on a minimal income. She has a small townhouse of 1,200 square feet. As we all know, when you move a senior out of the environment they are accustomed to, they deteriorate. She decided she was going to rent one of the rooms to a student to help offset costs. She applied for a job to allow her to stay in her home. She also applied to get a reduction on her property tax. We all know that's a blanket situation, because when she sells the house, that money will have to be paid back at some point, but in the interim, it helps her to stay in the home she wants to retire in. Unfortunately, she lost her job, and because she had earned that little extra, her OAS was clawed back. The student then lost his job, and she felt bad about throwing him out because he couldn't pay his rent.

How do I explain to this woman that the government is doing everything it can to assist her when she's being penalized for doing something that will help her stay in her home?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

A lot of seniors are still able to work and take on additional jobs, so it sounds like this particular senior is really sophisticated and doing what she can. She's leveraging her assets. I hear about municipal property taxes in my constituency as well. Folks bought their home for $60,000 and paid it off back in the nineties. Now it's worth $1 million and they're paying property taxes on that.

We know these costs contribute, and that's why this requires a multi-level government approach.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Let me give you another really profound statistic. The total potential impact on the GDP of closing the gap in women's health is $37 billion per year.

I have a senior who is working to try to offset some of the costs. Her money is clawed back and she cannot afford her medication, which is going to cause health issues and put a bill on our health system. It's going to burden our health system because she now has to go to the hospital or the doctor. She has to choose whether she buys her medicine, pays her rent, pays her utility bills or eats.

I know she's listening today and I know she's going to want an answer from us about how we're going to justify her GIS being clawed back because she worked and made $3,000. She has a student who lost his—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Roberts.

Madam Secretary, you can respond to that in a follow-up question, if you choose.

Madam Koutrakis, you have six minutes.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, Secretary McLean. It's really great to have you here to talk to us about the important work that you and your team do for seniors.

You spoke in your opening statement about how your mandate is to help provide retirement for seniors who worked their whole lives to have a comfortable retirement. Can you expand a little bit on the priorities and how these align with the broader goals of the ESDC?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

That's an important question, particularly given that the secretary of state position is newer to government. It's been a while—since Harper—since these positions have existed. It's a great question.

My priority is to ensure that seniors in Canada can age in dignity within their communities, that they can stay in their communities and that they receive the benefits they've worked really hard for and to which they are entitled.

To ensure that, I am responsible for leading the coordination of efforts across the federal government that support seniors. We know that across departments there are things happening that affect seniors, for example, the actions that the Department of Finance has recently taken with respect to fraud and scams, which we know disproportionately affect seniors. I work closely with my colleagues to provide seniors' perspectives and to ensure they're taken into account.

I also oversee programs and initiatives that are specific to seniors that promote aging with dignity, combat isolation and deal with financial security. All of these measures are really central to the government's approach in ensuring we're bringing down the cost of living for Canadians and for seniors to help them get ahead.

I also play a leadership role on the program design with respect to the Canada pension plan, old age security, GIS and the Canada pension plan disability benefit. These pieces also exist not just within the seniors portfolio and ESDC but within the Department of Finance, because it's responsible for many of the investments and financial regulation pieces.

My role also includes helping seniors age with dignity and, as I mentioned, combatting social isolation. One of the key programs that we oversee and take care of out of my office is the New Horizons for Seniors program, which I know most MPs are really familiar with as this really impacts the seniors directly on the ground in their communities.

Underscoring the role that the provinces and territories play, I co-chair the federal-provincial-territorial ministerial table that's responsible for the seniors forum.

That's it in a nutshell.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Thank you for that.

You also spoke about the modernization of the system for the application process, which is a self-serve portal for OAS. We've also heard from some seniors who have experienced delays in accessing benefits or services. I know the system is being modernized.

What is being done to improve service delivery and reduce wait times for seniors applying for OAS and GIS, despite the modernization of the system?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

We've heard this for a long time. That really fed into this critical investment in updating and modernizing the system. While we're at that 96% re-enrolment rate, there's still more to do, because we want to be at 100% to ensure timeliness for seniors. We recognize that timely service is critical, particularly for those for whom OAS and GIS are their only sources of income.

In 2024-25, for example, 87.5% of OAS benefits were paid within the first month of entitlement, so this includes new sign-ups for OAS. In March 2025, very recently just this spring, the OAS program successfully migrated that 60-year-old platform to a new system called Cúram. The platform provides Canadians with that single point of access. It's not only for OAS, CPP benefits and GIS but also for EI, which is of interest as well to this committee.

We continue to modernize service delivery and expand automation. We're looking at new and emerging technologies, which includes things like artificial intelligence, which we know has a real-world use case for speeding up certain kinds of systems and processes. We're optimistic this will help enhance service to Canadians.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Thank you.

I cede my time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madam Koutrakis.

Mrs. Gill, you have six minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to give my time to my colleague Ms. Larouche.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank Mrs. Gill, who has the best interests of seniors at heart, for allowing me to ask questions today of the Secretary of State, given my role as the Bloc Québécois spokesperson on seniors’ issues.

In preparing for this committee meeting, I noticed that the briefing notes provided by the Library of Parliament fail to mention the fact that the government has increased the old age security pension by 10% only for seniors aged 75 and over, completely ignoring seniors aged 65 to 74. However, there is mention of the cost associated with this increase. All we hear about is the expense, when in fact the cost of caring for these people is minimal. I don't see it as an expense, but rather as an investment. There are seniors who live below the poverty line and cannot age with dignity. First, they are entitled to this financial support. Second, when we allow people to become impoverished, it means greater costs for society.

I would also like to commend my Conservative colleague Anna Roberts, with whom I've had discussions to get her support for Bill C‑319—which I introduced in the last Parliament and which sought to increase old age security pensions by 10% for seniors aged 65 to 74. Mrs. Roberts gave the example of her 74-year-old mother, who was already in a precarious situation and who, unfortunately, was not eligible for the increase in the old age security pension like seniors aged 75 and over.

Madam Secretary of State, wouldn't you agree that this 10% increase—which creates a gap between the pensions of people aged 65 to 74 and those aged 75 and over—has an impact on seniors' households?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Thank you for the question.

You're referring to the fact that in July 2022, the OAS was permanently increased by 10%, and then your bill was put forward to address that. That 10% increase was for those 75 and older. I understand your bill was to address the 65-to-74 age group.

This increase to 75 years and older was done to address the fact that we are aware that those who are 75 and older have less ability, generally, to continue to participate in the workforce. For some folks who retired earlier, their financial planning doesn't take them as long...and this is because folks are living longer than they expected to in many cases. Their retirement investments just aren't taking them far enough. They can see, going forward, that they're not going to have as many funds to rely on. This is why this age group was specifically targeted.

Those who are 75 and older tend to have higher health-related needs. Depending on the province they live in and the resources available, this can mean higher costs for them as well. This really was a targeted measure that was put in place to make life more affordable for those who experience more vulnerability.

We know the need is great, particularly for those who are relying on OAS and GIS specifically. To target those who are 75-plus was intentional to address the heightened need.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Secretary of State, poverty and illness do not wait for you to turn 75. I'm not the only one saying so.

In October, the organization SOS Dépannage, based in Granby, in my region, sent me a written report on hunger for 2024, pointing out that on page 34 of the document, I could find data on its clients who request food assistance and whose main sources of income are old age security and retirement pensions.

Yesterday, Chantal Vézina, in an interview on the program Tout un matin, presented Moisson Montréal's report on hunger, along with its recommendations for helping seniors in precarious situations.

Madam Secretary of State, it is not acceptable to respond that you will help food banks. It is shameful that in 2025, seniors are reduced to standing in line for food assistance.

Ms. Vézina said that one of the first solutions was to increase pensions. She was referring specifically to people aged 65 to 74, since it is even more difficult for them because they have received nothing.

Madam Secretary of State, what do you have to say to food aid organizations that are asking not only for help in providing more services, but above all for an increase in pensions for seniors?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

No one should have to make a decision between feeding themselves or heating their home. I think the question is how the issue is addressed.

When we look at old age security and the GIS, those programs combined, from their inception going back to World War II, were created and intended to be part of a retirement plan—not the whole retirement plan—for Canadians.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Larouche.

Ms. Falk, go ahead for five minutes.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Thank you, Secretary, for being here.

Seniors are feeling the full weight of the cost of living crisis, and this has been created under your Liberal government. Canadian food inflation has nearly doubled the Bank of Canada's target, and food prices have been rising 48% faster here in Canada than in the United States.

After a decade of Liberal inflationary deficits, it's not just food; it's the cost of housing, heating and basic necessities that have gone up. The situation is particularly dire for those living on fixed incomes, who don't have the flexibility to absorb higher costs.

As the Secretary of State for Seniors, are you actively advocating within cabinet for an end to the government's inflationary deficits, which are driving up costs and making life harder on seniors who are on fixed incomes?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Yes, seniors are on fixed incomes. I think it's important to remember that Canada has one of the world's best pension regimes.

This pension—

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

That's right, but my question was about whether you are advocating for them within cabinet. That was my question.

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

I'm sorry. You had several questions embedded in one question.