The figures clearly show a huge economic gap between men and women over the age of 65. In 2008, women aged 65 and over had an average annual income of $20,495, while older men had an income of around $28,775. The gap between the incomes of men and women reflects the economic difficulties experienced by women over 65. However, the source of this income is also worth analyzing.
Men receive more income from sources related to work and personal savings, such as benefits under the Quebec Pension Plan/Canada Pension Plan and RRSPs, while women mostly depend on public plans, such as the Old Age Security program and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
However, relying on a government benefit is far from ideal because it requires seniors to be dependent on policy and live in uncertainty. The women most affected by poverty, and therefore abuse, are single women who live alone or are widows.
They must meet all the day-to-day expenses themselves. Those expenses are constantly increasing, while their incomes are fixed and dependent on the poorly indexed Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement. The Guaranteed Income Supplement is a federal benefit for seniors most in need. Many beneficiaries of this program are single women. Yet, in many ways the program does not take seniors' needs into account.
In fact, it is estimated that about 40,000 people in Quebec who would normally be eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement do not receive it simply because they must take steps and enrol in the program. Enrolment in the program is actually not automatic. However, most people who should be receiving that supplement are women with a limited education. They do not take the necessary steps to apply for this benefit to which they are entitled.
The poverty caused by this economic insecurity makes older women vulnerable. When their resources are limited, they choose to go without their medication or a balanced diet in order to pay the rent and bills. They also choose to cut out any outings or social activities to save money. That puts them in a cycle where sickness and isolation only make their already difficult living conditions even worse.
Automatic enrolment for the Guaranteed Income Supplement would allow everyone to receive the benefits to which they are entitled. The Canadian government has all the necessary information on the income and marital status of seniors, thanks to tax returns, and on their comings and goings in and out of Canada and years of residence in Canada, thanks to immigration and border services, to make enrolment automatic. Better coordination of services and greater cooperation between the provincial and federal governments will be needed for automatic enrolment.
Our universal health care system is an achievement we can be proud of. Its underlying principle of universality is the cornerstone of an inclusive health care policy. However, in recent years, the erosion of the system has been threatening its very existence. Administrative gaps, organizational problems and major shortcomings in the accountability of managers and professionals themselves undermine public confidence in the health care system. The first victims of our sick health care system are women.
I will now talk about the situation of family caregivers. Family caregivers are people who take care of a relative who may be sick. Their situation in Quebec and Canada is especially complicated, as there are very few programs to assist them. Actually, 90% of family caregivers are women. It is estimated that, in Quebec alone, they enable the government to save $5 billion annually in health care costs.
In addition to taking care of their loved ones, those women must also hold down a job, raise their own children and assume other family responsibilities. That means family caregivers often have to miss work, and that can have a negative impact on their pay and opportunities for advancement. That undermines the financial situation of some women and further increases their vulnerability.
Because of a lack of resources available to allow them to take a break, for instance, by entrusting their relatives for a few hours or a few days to a person employed by the health care system, these women demand a lot of themselves, both physically and psychologically. The issue of family caregivers is a typically female one that deserves special and urgent attention by the government.
Currently, the only practical help for those women is the compassionate care benefit under the employment insurance program. Employment insurance compassionate care benefits are paid to individuals who must temporarily take time off from work to care for a family member suffering from a serious illness that may cause his or her death in the next 26 weeks, or 6 months. However, a family caregiver is much more than someone who takes care of a loved one in their final days. Family caregivers can spend years taking care of a person suffering from a loss of independence or a chronic illness.
Given our aging population, we must come up with an employment insurance program that supports these women in need—both financially and emotionally—throughout the process. Otherwise, they find themselves isolated. Their having to stop work entirely severely jeopardizes their future and prevents them from saving for their own old age.
Currently in Quebec, those who are 65 years of age and over and who do not receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement must pay a monthly deductible of up to $80.25 for their medication. Those who receive between 1% and 93% of the maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement pay almost $50, and those who receive 94% or more of the supplement pay no deductible for their drugs.
A simple calculation points out some inconsistencies. On the one hand, a woman who is 65 or over, lives alone and has an annual income of $14,775 must pay up to $600 a year for her medication because she receives less than 94% of the Guaranteed Income Supplement. On the other hand, a woman of the same age with an annual income of $14,768 pays $0 a year for her medication because she receives a supplement of over 94% of the maximum amount. For a difference in income of less than $7 a year, an elderly woman is penalized by $600 a year, based on the income categories established by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and the Government of Canada.
When older people complain to the provincial organization or the Guaranteed Income Supplement service, they are forever being sent back and forth between the two organizations. No one wants to take responsibility, so seniors' requests are never taken into account. Meanwhile, older people, and especially women—who, as we know, use more medication because they live longer—suffer the effects of poor communication between the two levels of government.
Can you tell me how much time I have left?
