Open for signatureElectronice-7810 · Parliament 45

Adjust OAS and GIS

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask the House of Commons to review the adequacy of Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, adjust OAS benefits and GIS eligibility as needed, and establish regular public reviews tied to cost‑of‑living measures.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Would align OAS/GIS with rising living costs, helping seniors who rely mainly on these federal programs.
  • Could increase income support for low‑ and modest‑income seniors, reducing financial strain and risk of poverty.
  • A mandated, regular public review tied to cost measures would improve transparency and allow policy to adapt over time.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • Raising OAS or expanding GIS eligibility would increase federal expenditures and require budgetary trade‑offs or cuts elsewhere.
  • A comprehensive review may duplicate existing analyses or be slow, delaying immediate relief for seniors in need.
  • Broad adjustments risk being less targeted than alternatives like focused supports for highest‑need seniors or provincial measures.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons Canadian seniors who rely primarily on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) are facing increasing financial pressures as the cost of basic necessities, including housing, food, utilities, transportation, and health related expenses, continue to rise; and Many seniors have little or no private pension or retirement savings. Significant changes to GIS were introduced in 2016, including an increase in benefits for the lowest-income single seniors. Since then, the cost of living has increased considerably, raising concerns about whether current OAS benefit levels and GIS income eligibility thresholds adequately reflect the financial circumstances of Canadian seniors. We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to: 1. Conduct a comprehensive review of the adequacy of OAS payments for seniors aged 65 and older in relation to the current cost of living, and assess whether GIS income eligibility thresholds provide adequate support to low - and modest income seniors; 1. Conduct a comprehensive review of the adequacy of OAS payments for seniors aged 65 and older in relation to the current cost of living, and assess whether GIS income eligibility thresholds provide adequate support to low - and modest income seniors; 2. Based on the findings, consider increasing OAS benefits and adjusting GIS income eligibility thresholds to provide greater support to low - and modest income seniors; and 3. Establish a regular review process for OAS benefit levels and GIS income eligibility thresholds using relevant measures of changes in the cost of living and the financial circumstances of Canadian Seniors, and report publicly on the findings.

Government response

No government response is available yet.