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Blaney: GIS should be auto-enrol for all

Seniors Critic says 444,000 seniors are currently eligible for the GIS, but are not enrolled
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North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney

North Island – Powell River MP and NDP Seniors Critic Rachel Blaney says while the Liberal government has announced they will begin the process of automatically enrolling seniors for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) when they turn 65 years of age, it’s unacceptable that it will only do so for new registrants.

“Canadian seniors should not have to struggle to make ends meet, it’s imperative that our seniors get all the benefits they are entitled to from this government,” Blaney says.

“Too many low-income seniors are still not aware of their eligibility to the GIS program, which is why the NDP has long called for the automatic enrollment of GIS for all eligible seniors.

“The government has all the information needed to automatically enroll all eligible seniors for the GIS, since they are already enrolled in Old Age Security (OAS). There is no reason not to do this automation retroactively, and this lack of vision by the Liberal government leaves eligible seniors out in the cold.

“According to the Fédération de l’âge d’or du Québec (FADOQ), more than 444,000 low-income seniors are currently eligible for the GIS, but are not enrolled.

“The Liberal government must change course and automatically enroll all eligible seniors for the GIS. The NDP will continue to work with seniors and stakeholders to ensure our seniors get the support they need to retire with dignity.”