CARP believes that the rights of Canadians over the age of 65 have to be acknowledged; why are they not represented in the budget

BY PAUL JUNOR

For over thirty years, https://www.carp.ca / has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of older Canadians.  It is a non-partisan, advocacy association with over

300,000 members which is committed to working with all parties in government to advocate for older Canadians. It is driven on a mission of advocating for better healthcare, financial security, and freedom from ageism. CARP believes that the rights of Canadians over the age of 65 have to be acknowledged by the three levels of government in Canada.

In a press release on Monday, November 7^th, 2022, CARP presents data that show that the number of Canadians who are 65 years and older is growing at a rate of six times faster than children in the age group 0-14. In fact, there were approximately 861,000 seniors in 2021 who are 85 years and older, which represents a 200% increase since 2001. It is projected that there will be a 300% increase by 2046.

Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP states, “Older Canadians are a growing economic and politically influential group. The needs of older Canadians are increasingly relevant and significant as our population ages. They are a growing economic and political influential group. We’d expect to see far more in the budget directed at older Canadians. Most of what we did see were repeat announcements.”

The 2022 Fall Economic Statement was released on November 6^th, 2022 and shed light on Trudeau’s government strategy that utilizes to ensure that the average Canadians are able to adjust to the cost of living.

The key demands that CARP presented to the Federal Finance Committee last fall include the following:

• That the government boost Old Age Security (OAS) by 10 % for people 65 to 74
• That the government increase the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Survivor Benefit by 25% for people 65 and older from 60% to 75% and remove the benefit ceiling that negatively impacts a surviving spouse
• That the government eliminate current mandatory RRIP withdrawal rules.
• That the government amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to give pensioners ‘super-priority’ status and create a pension insurance program that insures 100% of pension liabilities
• That the government makes the Canada Caregiver Tax Credit a refundable tax credit, or a rebate
• That the government commit to preventive care by fully funding three leading vaccines for all adults over age 65, for high-dose flu, the new (and more effective) shingles vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine

On the other hand, CARP is pleased that the federal government invested $4 billion starting from 2023 for six years in the Canada Workers Benefit through automatic advance payments to help older Canadians who are still in the workforce.

Also, the $1.02 billion that will be spent to process Employment Insurance (EI) and Old Age Security (OAS) claims faster will go a long way to ensuring that seniors receive their OAS at a faster rate. In addition, support given to those in rural Atlantic Canada who were affected by Hurricane Fiona went a long way in helping seniors recover quickly. Finally, amendments to the Payment Cards Networks will ensure that negotiations are facilitated quicker to reduce credit card transaction fees for small businesses.