National

Feds face calls to fix GIS snafu in fiscal update

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Dec, 2021 12:50 PM

OTTAWA - The federal Liberals are under increasing pressure to fix an issue in the pandemic safety net that has rolled back or cut off benefits to low-income seniors.

About 83,000 seniors lost a key income support this year because they received emergency aid last year, money that bumped their earnings above the threshold to qualify for the guaranteed income supplement.

Thousands more have seen a cut in GIS payments for similar reasons.

The Canadian Labour Congress is calling on the government to use next week's economic update to end the clawback.

Seniors Minister Kamal Khera tells the Commons that the government is trying to find the best solution to help those affected.

I am proud of our government’s track record of supporting seniors.

✅We restored the age of OAS eligibility to 65

✅Enhanced the CPP

✅Strengthened GIS and OAS

And we have an ambitious agenda to do even more for Canada's seniors. pic.twitter.com/nQKNI0Cp3y
— Kamal Khera (@KamalKheraLib) December 9, 2021

Opposition MPs are also peppering the government with questions in the House of Commons over the issue, demanding the Liberals detail how and when they'll address it.

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