Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member bringing that up because that was a real issue in the last Parliament. It was one of the measures that we wanted to bring forward. It should be automatic that the guaranteed income supplement should be a direct mailing of the application forms and there should be information campaigns and partnerships to try to contact vulnerable communities of seniors who are difficult to reach.
Each year about 1.3 million GIS recipients whose tax returns confirm eligibility are automatically renewed. There should not be any problems with the renewals, nor should they have to do it every year. It should be automatic. I could not agree more with the member.
On the retroactivity, it is in line with the other pension plans or other programs. We are staying in line with that so we can sustain the income program that is there.
We are committed to making a concerted effort to inform all potential recipients of their eligibility for the benefit and we will continue to undertake extensive outreach to these seniors.