Auditor-General Sheila Fraser is being asked to investigate why thousands of low-income seniors across the country appear unaware that they are eligible for guaranteed income supplement payments of up to $560 a month.

In a letter to Fraser, Senator Percy Downe , who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chretien before being appointed to the senate, said the government should put at least as much effort into letting impoverished seniors know that they are eligible for more money as it does into tracking down people who owe income taxes.

"Considering that the government spends huge amounts of money to ensure that Canadians pay their taxes, it should make an equal effort to ensure that it pays the money owed to citizens," Downe wrote to Fraser Jan. 13. The letter was made public yesterday.

While Fraser is not ruling out an audit of the program, she said her office will decide independently whether to investigate, depending on its resources and the significance of the issue.

"Nonetheless, I certainly share your view that the GIS program should be managed economically and efficiently," Fraser wrote yesterday. "I have forwarded a copy of your letter to my staff responsible for audit work in Social Development Canada. ... However, this should not be taken as a commitment that we will conduct such an audit."

The guaranteed income supplement provides up to $560 a month on top of old age security pension payments. How much each person receives depends on their income and their living arrangements. For example, a single person would have to have an annual income of under $13,464 to be eligible. Seniors with incomes above $32,592 are not eligible.

However, Downe says Statistics Canada figures from 2002 showed there were 134,775 seniors eligible for the supplement who weren't receiving it.

Downe suspects the actual number of seniors being shortchanged is much higher since the figures were based on tax returns. He said many low-income seniors don't bother filing tax returns since their incomes are too low to owe any taxes. Because they don't file tax returns, they aren't told they are eligible for the supplement, he said.

However, Mitch Bloom, director- general of policy and legislation for income security programs at Social Development Canada, said those numbers were a projection by Statistics Canada and have dropped substantially since 2002 as a result of an aggressive effort by the government to let seniors know they may be eligible for the payments. While newer figures were not available, he said most eligible seniors who file tax returns should now be getting the payments.

Bloom admits the department is still having difficulty reaching some seniors - particularly those who are homeless, who suffer from mental incapacities, those who live in remote regions, aboriginals and those who have difficulty communicating in English or French.

However, he said the department is making efforts to reach them, even working with soup kitchens and other aid organizations.

"We're pretty proud of what we've done."

More information on the guaranteed income supplement program and who is eligible can be found at www.sdc.gc.ca.