A re-elected Liberal government will move forward to deliver more support for the most vulnerable seniors and continue to make retirement more comfortable and affordable for everyone, Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau announced on Friday in Quebec City.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for Canada’s seniors. Many were isolated from their families or experienced unacceptable conditions in long-term care homes. Seniors deserve a safe and comfortable retirement after a lifetime of work, but for too many in Canada, paying their bills and putting food on the table is still a challenge.

“Canadians need to feel confident that as they or their parents age, they will be safe and comfortable,” said Trudeau. “That’s why we’re delivering a permanent increase of $500 to help the most vulnerable seniors, and why we’ve been supporting a more affordable and comfortable retirement since 2015. We have to keep moving forward for Canadian seniors.”

He said a re-elected Liberal government will continue to make life more comfortable and affordable for Canada’s seniors by:

• Permanently increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) by $500 annually for single seniors and $750 for senior couples, starting at the age of 65, benefiting 2.2 millions seniors;
• Working with the provinces and territories to improve long-term care to ensure that seniors are guaranteed the care they deserve, no matter where they live;
• Doubling the Home Accessibility Tax Credit, which will provide up to an additional $1,500 to help seniors stay in their homes longer by making them more accessible; and
• Introducing the Multigenerational Home Renovation tax credit to support families looking to add a secondary unit to their homes to allow a family member to live with them.

This builds on the actions the Liberal government has already taken to make life more affordable for seniors both before and during the pandemic, including:

• Restoring the retirement age to 65 from 67 after the Conservatives raised it;
• Increasing the GIS for 900,000 seniors and lifting about 57,000 out of poverty;
• Providing more than $900 for single seniors and $1,500 for senior couples, on top of regular benefits, for low-income seniors to get through the pandemic;
• Delivering a one-time payment of $500 for seniors 75 and over; and
• Increasing the Old Age Security (OAS) pension by 10 per cent for 3.3 million seniors 75 and over.

Trudeau said: “We had seniors’ backs through the pandemic – supporting them when they needed it the most. The last time the Conservatives were in power, they unfairly increased the retirement age for hard working Canadians, nearly putting 100,000 seniors aged 65 and 66 into poverty every year. We can’t move backward with Conservative cuts for seniors again. We have to keep moving forward – for everyone.”