Federal

Federal Support Programs for Seniors

Program	Eligibility	More Information?
Old Age Security or Old Age Pension, OAS	Generally, if you have lived in Canada for at least 10 years - see details at HRDC web-site. OAS is not paid to seniors whose individual income with very high.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Guaranteed Income Supplement, GIS	If you are eligible for OAS and live in Canada and you, with your spouse, have low or a modest income You must file your income tax return on time in order to continue to receive this benefit; otherwise, you will have to reapply to restart your benefits.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, or by not filing a tax return. Famously, there are hundreds of thousands of Canadians eligible for GIS who have not applied. After some press interest HRDC is now doing more to contact these seniors (see GIS story). So be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Spouses Allowance, SPA	If you with your spouse, have low or a modest income You must file your income tax return on time in order to continue to receive this benefit; otherwise, you will have to reapply to restart your benefits. The Allowance provides money for low-income seniors who meet the following conditions: your spouse or common-law partner (same sex or opposite sex) receives or is entitled to receive the Old Age Security pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement; you are 60 to 64 years old; you are a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time your Allowance is approved or when you last lived here; and you have lived in Canada since age 18 for at least 10 years.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Widows or Survivors Allowance	If you over 60 and are a widow/widower. Note, single, divorced and separated persons are not eligible. you are 60 to 64 years old; you are a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time your Allowance is approved or when you last lived here; your spouse or common-law partner has died; and you have lived in Canada after reaching age 18 for at least 10 years. If you have low or a modest income	HRDC web-site The fact that widows/widowers are eligible but not single, separated or divorced persons with the same low-income is discriminatino based on marital status and has been the subject of a Charter Challenge. For Widows Allowance fewer than half of those eligible are in receipt. Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Canada Pension Plan, CPP, Retirement Benefits	If you have contributed to CPP (there is a minimum number of years of contributions). You can start receiving at age 60 and received reduced benefits , (you have to not work for a month - a bit of a beurocratic farce), or you can delay until aged 70 and receive increased benefits.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Canada Pension Plan, CPP, Disability Benefits	If you have contributed to CPP (there is a minimum number of years of contributions). If you are disabled by HRDC's regulation. Your disabling condition can be physical or mental. Under the Canada Pension Plan legislation, your disability must be "severe and prolonged". "Severe" means your condition prevents you from working regularly at any job, and "prolonged" means your condition is long term or may result in your death.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Canada Pension Plan, CPP, Survivior Benefits	If a CPP contributor dies (there is a minimum number of years of contributions). Then a spouse and/or dependent children are eligible for survivor benefits.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Canada Pension Plan, CPP, Death Benefits	If a CPP contributor dies (there is a minimum number of years of contributions). Then these benefits are payable to the estate.	HRDC web-site Every year thousands of Canadians lose benefits by not applying, so be aware of take-up and retroactivity issues.
Veterans' Benefits	There are a range of benefits available. I know little about these programs but I understand that many of the elgibile do not apply for them.	Veterans's Affairs web-site

General regulations you should be aware of:

Application: You need to apply for these programs.

Retroactivity: If you don't apply when you are eligible you will lose benefits. Current legislation provides for only 11 months of retroactive benefits. There are exceptions, if you were incapacited and couldn't apply or if the department made an administrative error, or gave you misinformation.

Over the years, tens of thousands of seniors have missed out on hundreds of millions of dollars because they applied late.

Acting to Change the Regulations: On retroactivity, there is a private members bill before the House of Commons to extend full retroactivity for GIS. As well, a class action suit has been filed before the federal court to force HRDC to pay retroactive GIS benefits.

A law firm in Toronto is preparing a law suit to force HRDC to pay full retroactive benefits for the CPP benefits which have been lost because people haven't applied.