Evidence of meeting #32 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cpp.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
I am not an expert in this program, but there are several parts to it. It provides assistance, with regard to real property, objects, tables, etc. Another aspect deals with awareness about elder abuse; this then relates to how a community is organized. There is also an aspect related to what I talked to Ms. Mathyssen about, concerning national professional organizations. In fact, we offer organizations involving professionals in a position to detect abuse or mistreatment of seniors such as the Canadian Medical Association—I am pulling an example out of thin air—to develop material to educate their members so that these people can be identified. That's the nature of this program.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I'd like to ask a question that I thought of earlier. Ms. Demers and everyone else talked about it. You said that there are a number of low-income seniors. The pension amount is based on the income tax return. You said that a number of people are not filing an income tax return. So we cannot identify these people and help them.
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
They don't want to be helped.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I understand. I have the same problem in my riding, like everyone else.
I am from Quebec. We talked about cuts a little earlier. People often think that it's because the provinces increased benefits that the federal government has cut them, but it doesn't work like that, they're completely separate.
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
In fact, they are completely separate. The Guaranteed Income Supplement rate is set in accordance with your income. For Quebeckers, if indexation has occurred, an increase in the Quebec Pension Plan, and there has been no increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement because there has been no indexation, you see it. If you get $1 more here, you lose 50¢ there.
Conservative
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
It's not integrated—
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
No, no, they're not integrated, it has nothing to do with integration.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
So it has nothing to do with the province, it's the way benefits are being calculated that is changing.
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
That's the only reason why.
Conservative
Bruce Stanton Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This is a quick question going back to the question of old age security for permanent residents and other people who have a shorter term than 40 years in the county—the residency requirement, as they say. You may be aware that there have been proposals before the House to reduce that residency requirement from ten down to, say, three years, hypothetically. What would a measure like that cost, considering that for each increment you put in play, presumably the benefit would decline also, because it's always taken as a percentage of the 40 years, isn't it? There's eligibility, but once you cross the eligibility line, then the benefit changes depending on residency.
Could you explain that?
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
I'll do my best. It gets technical very quickly. Let me put it to you this way for starters.
The biggest part of the cost is on the GIS benefit. Once you're eligible for OAS, you're eligible for GIS; you're eligible for the guaranteed income supplement.
Conservative
Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
No. If it were just the OAS.... One-fortieth is what, $30?
Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
It's $38; it would be peanuts. You're referring to Bill C-428, aren't you?
Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
It's for the low-income immigrants that this bill is costly. It's estimated to cost $700 million per year.
Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Yes, and $600 million of that is due to the increase in the GIS.
Conservative
Director, Old Age Security Policy, Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Yes.
