GATINEAU – As the global pandemic continues in Canada, the Canadian government say it will continue to support vulnerable, low-income seniors who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) were intended to support people who lost their job through the outset of the pandemic.
However, the government recognizes that some Guaranteed Income Supplement and allowance recipients may face lower benefit payments because of the income they received from the CERB and CRB.
As announced in the economic and fiscal update, the government will provide up to $742.4 million for one-time payments.
These payments will alleviate the financial hardship of those seniors who qualified and received CERB and CRB in 2020 but who subsequently saw that they counted as income and impacted their GIS or allowance benefits.
This automatic, one-time payment will support those who saw a loss of GIS or allowance by compensating them for the full, annualized loss amount.
To ensure that this issue does not reoccur, Canada’s Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, introduced Bill C-12 in parliament on Feb. 8.
“Low-income seniors should not be penalized for accessing income support they needed during the pandemic crisis,” Khera said.
“We will be fully compensating those seniors who are now facing financial hardship as a result of receiving pandemic benefits in 2020.”
Bill C-12 would amend the Old Age Security Act to exclude any income received under CERB, CRB, the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit for the purposes of calculating the amount of GIS and allowance payable beginning in July 2022.
Officials say the government will continue to provide support to seniors who need it most.
“And, because we don’t want seniors to face this again, I have introduced legislation to make an important legislative fix so that pandemic benefits won’t affect their GIS or allowance benefit amounts going forward,” Khera added. “The Government of Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to seniors who have more financial needs through real action.”
