FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO GO EXTRA MILE
Income supplement isn’t going to everybody who is eligible for it.

Over the last number of years, much work has been done to improve the lives of low-income Canadians. In particular, the introduction of the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) has made a tremendous impact to the lives of many Canadian seniors.

In fact, Statistics Canada reports that the poverty rate for seniors has dropped substantially over the last decade – from close to 11 per cent to about 7.3 per cent today. I believe the GIS can be partially credited for this progress.

The GIS is paid to those Canadians who receive an Old Age Security pension but who have either little or no other income. The basic requirements of the program are that: you must have lived in Canada for at least 10 years, you are 65 or older, and not counting Old Age Security payments, the senior reports a yearly income of less than $13,200 for a single person.

Therefore, a single senior on Old Age Security may be eligible for an additional payment up to $6,600 per year, which can make a significant difference in the life of an individual.

Currently, there are about 9,300 Islanders receiving these payments to which they are fully entitled. However, there is a group that is still falling between the cracks- the gap that exists between government’s good intention and the way the program is delivered. Statistics Canada reports that there are at least 500 Islanders who are eligible for the G.I.S but are not receiving the Supplement because they did not apply.

I am concerned that seniors, who have not applied, may very well be the ones that are most in need. They may lack the ability to complete the application form, be socially isolated, or simply not aware of the benefit to which they are entitled.

Furthermore, I am convinced that within the federal government there is information available to the bureaucracy, which would allow it to identify those seniors who are qualified to receive the supplement. So the question arises as to how much effort is being made to identify those individuals?

In 2001, the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities released a report, which was called the Guaranteed Income Supplement: The Duty to Reach All. The thrust of this report was to point out the government’s obligation to inform all qualified seniors of existing benefits and to make it as easy as possible for seniors to apply.

Beginning in February 2002, Human Resources Development embarked on a Take-Up Initiative- with the goal of reaching seniors that may be eligible for the supplement and asking them to apply. As a result, improvements were made about increasing awareness of the program among eligible seniors.

Still, it is the obligation of our government to go the extra mile and make sure that everyone who is qualified, receives this assistance. Let us take a moment and look at this from the other end of the telescope. If we consider that the federal government expends a huge amount of effort making sure that Canadians pay their taxes- it would only seem logical that government also ensure that it pays its qualified citizens.

As a member of the Senate Committee on National Finance, I was surprised to learn at a recent meeting that the expenditures for the fiscal year show a national decrease of over 39,000 in the forecast number of G.I.S. recipients. Such a major decrease leads one to question how many seniors who live in a very low-income bracket and who are eligible for the GIS, are not receiving the supplement.

Unfortunately, I believe that senior levels of the Ottawa bureaucracy do not make the efforts needed to identify and help those seniors, who would benefit from this type of program. Currently, the problem is that there are restrictions and barriers in place. Seniors who do not file tax returns may be completely unaware of the supplement’s existence.

Certainly, we have seen significant progress in reducing poverty among senior citizens in Canada. The Government of Canada should be pleased that seniors now have one of the lowest poverty rates of any group in our country.

Yet, I believe more can be accomplished. To this end, I will be making representation to the Minister of Social Development, on her responsibility to make certain that the benefits of the Guaranteed Income Supplement reach all those who are eligible.

In the meantime, I would urge all Island seniors to ensure that they are receiving the payments to which they are entitled. Similarly, I would ask all those who know seniors – whether they are family, friends or neighbours – to make sure that the appropriate steps are taken.

Application forms and assistance are available by calling the following Government of Canada toll-free number 1-800-277-9914. Simply explain the situation and you will be helped if you are eligible.