Madam Speaker, the government finally announced in its budget the help for seniors on old age security that it promised in the election. The problem is that it only applies to some seniors.
The proposal is a one-time payment of $500 in August of 2021 and an increase of 10% to the OAS going forward. The catch is that it is only for those aged 75 or older. There is no real justification for leaving out seniors under age 75.
The Liberals say, “many seniors have faced economic challenges as they took on extra costs to stay safe”, and ”After a lifetime of hard work, they deserve a secure and dignified retirement.”
Could somebody tell me why this does not apply to seniors ages 65 to 74? The government has created an apprenticeship program of “junior seniors” and “senior seniors”. This is ridiculous. The government must cancel this two-tier system and give the increase to all seniors of age 65 and older.