HUMA committee binder: Deputy Minister Robidoux - November 26, 2020

Opening

Mr. Chair, Committee members,

Thank you for inviting me to speak about the 2020 to 2021 Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates B for Employment and Social Development Canada as Canada’s Minister of Seniors.

Main Estimates

As Minister Qualtrough and Minister Hussen shared with you a few weeks ago, the Main Estimates for 2020 to 2021 represents a total of $68.6 billion in planned budgetary expenditures for ESDC.

This is a net increase of $3.8 billion over the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates of $64.8 billion.

This is primarily due to an increase to Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments resulting from the planned increase in the average monthly benefit amount and changes in the number of beneficiaries.

As Minister of Seniors, it is my responsibility to make sure federal programs and services address the needs of seniors and reach them wherever they are.

The Government of Canada has taken several steps to improve the quality of life for seniors.

We put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of future Canadian seniors by restoring the age of eligibility for Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits back to 65.

By enhancing the Guaranteed Income Supplement earnings exemption and proactively enrolling eligible seniors in the Canada Pension Plan, seniors have better financial security.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has brought stress and anxiety to Canada’s seniors.

In response, we put in place a number of measures to support seniors’ financial security and well-being during these uncertain times.

Support during the COVID-19 pandemic

In April, more than 4 million low-to-middle income seniors received a GST Credit supplement.

In July, we provided a one-time payment to seniors eligible for Old Age Security, plus extra support for those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Through these measures, we provided more than $900 for low-income single seniors and more than $1,500 for low-income senior couples, on top of their existing benefits.

We also helped connect seniors to essential services and supplies. We did so by investing $9 million in the United Way to support more than 930 organizations across the country

Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, we invested an additional $20 million and launched over 1,000 community projects to reduce isolation and improve seniors’ well-being during the pandemic.

Furthermore, we temporarily extended Guaranteed Income Supplement and Allowances payments for seniors who couldn’t file their income information on time.

When it comes to safety in long-term care facilities – although long-term care falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction – we have taken some important steps.

Through the Safe Restart Agreement with the provinces and territories, $740 million in funding will go to support vulnerable Canadians, including those in long-term care, home care, and palliative care – who are at risk of more severe cases of COVID-19.

Supplementary Adjustments “B”

I will now briefly address ESDC’s Supplementary Estimates.

The Department is requesting $1.2 million related to government advertising programs for fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.

This funding will support 2 advertising campaigns. One for Services for Seniors, proposed to raise awareness of Government of Canada programs and services that either directly or indirectly benefit seniors. The other being the Inclusive Workplaces campaign that builds on the initial success and lessons learned from the pilot campaign – to support accessibility in the workplace for persons with disabilities.

Moving forward

As stated in the Speech from the Throne, seniors deserve to be safe, respected and live in dignity. The Government of Canada will work alongside the provinces and territories to help support seniors, particularly those in long-term care.

We will work with the provinces and territories to set new, national standards for long-term care so that seniors get the best support possible. We also will take additional action to help people stay in their homes longer.

The Government remains committed to increasing Old Age Security by 10% once a senior turns 75.

Closing

Thank you for this opportunity to explain the measures we are taking to deliver on our commitments.

There is no doubt that the financial resources requested today will enable us to continue our work to create a better future for seniors.

I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

-30-

Measure

Additional investment of $1.5B in the WDAs with PTs

Measure

Waive the one-week waiting period for EI sickness.

The waiting period was waived for EI sickness benefit claimants on quarantine starting on March 15, 2020. This measure was subsequently overtaken by the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

• CERB provisions came into force retroactively as of March 15, 2020.
• New claims for EI sickness benefits with an effective date on or after March 15, 2020 were processed for the CERB which had no waiting period.

Starting on September 27, 2020, the waiting period is waived for all EI sickness benefit claimants for a period of one year, or until September 25, 2021.

Measure

Work-Sharing Program: extending agreement duration from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers and workers affected by COVID-19 and other measures including:

• the mandatory waiting period (up to 38 weeks) between agreements was waived for eligible employers
• requirements for an employer recovery plan were reduced to a single line of text in the application form
• employers who have been in business for 1 year (rather than 2) are now deemed eligible to apply to the program
• eligibility was expanded to include Government Business Enterprises, public corporations (for example Transit Authorities/Universities) and not-for-profit organizations
• an enquiry unit (email) for clients affected by COVID-19 was created, providing responses to employer enquiries within 24 hours

This measure provides income support to employees eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers.

Since the special measures were introduced, over 3,700 Work-Sharing agreements have been approved, representing over 117,000 workers now supported by WS benefits. The cost of these agreements is over $1.3 Billion.

Measure

Waive the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI benefits: the requirement to submit a medical certificate was waived for a period of 6 months for all EI claims beginning March 15, 2020 or later.

For EI sickness benefit claims starting on September 27, 2020, the requirement to submit a medical certificate is temporarily waived for a period of one year (or until September 25, 2021).

This was put in place to reduce the burden on the healthcare system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data is not available on the take-up of this measure.

Measure

Changes to EI for self-employed fish harvesters and sharespersons: We will allow these workers to establish a fishing benefits claim for the summer season based on their earnings in their current qualifying period or the earnings used to establish a summer fishing claim in 2018 or 2019, whichever is highest. The same approach will apply to the coming winter season.

Fishers also benefit from a $500 minimum benefit rate and can access EI fishing benefits with a minimum of $2,500 in self-employed fishing income.

Measure

Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): Ended

We provided a taxable benefit of $2,000 every 4 weeks for up to 28 weeks to eligible workers who stopped working or whose work hours were reduced due to COVID-19 or were eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or had exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits or Employment Insurance fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020.

We are continuing to accept and process retroactive applications until December 2, 2020.

If you continue to need financial support, find out if you are eligible for Employment Insurance (EI)

Measure

Employment Insurance (EI) program

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we made temporary changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program to better support Canadians looking for work.

As of September 27, you may be eligible for EI if you:

• were employed for at least 120 insurable hours in the past 52 weeks
• If you received the CERB, the 52 week period to accumulate insured hours will be extended
• stopped working through no fault of your own
• have not quit your job voluntarily
• are ready, willing and capable of working each day (EI regular benefits); and
• are temporarily unable to work while you care for someone else or yourself (EI maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, and family caregiver benefits)

If you are eligible for EI benefits, you will receive a minimum taxable benefit at a rate of $500 per week, or $300 per week for extended parental benefits.

If you are not eligible for EI, you may be eligible for the new benefits:

• Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)
• Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)
• Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

Measure

Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

The CRB provides a benefit amount of $500 per week (available in two-week periods) for up to 26 weeks for those who are not employed or self-employed and who are not eligible for EI, or had their employment/self-employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19.

Measure

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)

The CRSB provides $500 per week, for up to 2 weeks (available in 2 one-week periods), effective September 27, 2020 until September 25, 2021 for workers who:

• are unable to work because they contracted COVID-19,
• stopped working for at least 50% of the week due to COVID-19 sickness reason; and
• self-isolated for reasons related to COVID-19, or have underlying conditions, are undergoing treatments or have contracted other sicknesses that will make them more susceptible to COVID-19

Measure

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB)

The CRCB provides $500 per week for up to 26 weeks per household for workers:

• unable to work for at least 50% of the time that they would have otherwise worked or devoted to their work in the week for which they claim the benefit, because they had to care for a child under the age of 12 or another family member who requires supervised care:
  • because their school, daycare, day program, or facility that they normally attend is unavailable, closed or open only certain times or for certain individuals
  • because the care services or the person that usually cares for the child or family member is not available due to COVID-19
  • because they are sick and/or have been directed to quarantine for reasons related to COVID-19, or
  • because they are at high risk of serious health complications if they contracted COVID-19

Measure

Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program:

Key actions taken:

• exempted TFWs from entry restrictions into Canada (March 26)
• implemented flexibilities to enable timely access to foreign workers (March 26)
• developed and communicated new requirements for employers to safeguard the health of Canadians and foreign workers (March 27)
• extended the federal Migrant Worker Support Network pilot in B.C. to help temporary foreign workers affected by COVID-19 (April 11)
• agriculture and Agri-food Canada announced the $50 million Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which will provide a maximum non-repayable contribution amount of up to $1,500 to employers for each temporary foreign worker arriving in Canada, to offset costs of new requirements on employers related to COVID-19 in key sectors (April 13)
• implemented regulatory amendments and launched inspections of employers on new requirements related to COVID-19 (April 20 and 24, respectively)
• Agriculture and Agri-food Canada launched “Step up to the Plate – Help Feed Canadians” initiative to encourage careers in the agri-food sector, and help match Canadians with jobs (April 21)
• launched post-quarantine inspections, which consist of inspections to assess COVID-19 conditions after the 14-day quarantine period (June 9)
• Service Canada launched an inspection pilot project, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Skills and Training and local health units to assess the living and working conditions on some farms where outbreaks have occurred (June-July)
• strengthened assessment criteria for all new and existing LMIA applications under review to help ensure Canadians have the first opportunity for available jobs (June 15)
• established a Mexico-Canada Contact Group to collaboratively and effectively respond to COVID-19 outbreaks (June 25)
• launched the Canadian Red Cross initiative to improve measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, and provide customized service to meet the basic needs of seasonal agriculture migrant workers exposed or infected (early July)
• established a Dedicated Liaison Officer on Integrity and Compliance to provide a focal point for consulates and migrant network groups to address employer non-compliance, and report on a regular basis regarding challenges and actions taken to address concerns (July 8)
• commenced processing LMIA fee refunds to employers who no longer need workers due to COVID-19 (July 11)
• announced an additional investment of $35 million to improve health and safety on farms and in employee living quarters to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19. This funding, known as the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund, will support direct infrastructure improvements and emergency housing, as well as personal protective equipment, sanitary stations, and any other health and safety measures (July 31)
• announced $6M to expand direct outreach to workers, delivered through migrant worker support organizations across Canada (July 31)
• announced $16.2M to strengthen the employer inspections regime, particularly on farms, and to improve how tips and allegations of employer non-compliance are addressed (such as by initiating an inspection). Implementation is underway, with the expectation that this funding will help to increase the number of inspections focusing on workplaces and workers vulnerable to COVID-19 (July 31)
• launched consultations on worker accommodations to develop minimum requirements to improve employer-provided accommodations, focusing on ensuring better living conditions for workers (October 27)

These measures help to advance efforts to address issues regarding COVID-19 by promoting jobs for Canadians and Permanent Residents, protecting the rights of foreign workers, and ensuring Program users receive transparent and efficient service.

Measure

Protecting the health and safety of farm workers

We are providing $35 million through the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund to improve health and safety on farms and in employee living quarters to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19. The funding will provide support to farmers for:

• direct infrastructure improvements to living quarters and work stations, temporary or emergency housing, and
• personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitary stations, and any other health and safety measures to safeguard the health and safety of Canadian and temporary foreign workers from COVID-19

Measure

Canada Emergency Student Benefit

Financial support was provided to over 708,000 post-secondary students and recent graduates who could not find summer employment due to COVID-19.

Eligible students received $1,250 per month, plus an additional $750 per month if they had dependants or a disability for a maximum of $2,000 per month.

CESB was available from May to August, with applications being accepted retroactively to September 30.

Measure

Canada Student Loan Program – Repayment Moratorium

The Government of Canada temporarily paused the repayment of Canada Student Loans from March 30, 2020, until September 30, 2020. During this time, payments were not required and interest did not accrue.

Measure

Double the Canada Student Grants: to up to $6,000 for full-time students and up to $3,600 for part-time students in 2020 to 2021.The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependants were also doubled.

No student or spousal contribution expected in 2020 to 2021, in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.

Increase the maximum weekly amount of Canada Student Loans from $210 to $350 for the 2020 to 2021 school year.

Taken together, these measures are expected to benefit more than 765,000 students in loan year 2020 to 2021 at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion.

Measure

Supports for Student Learning Program

• $15 million to help organizations that provide support to vulnerable children and youth to migrate their wraparound supports online while also increasing connectivity for vulnerable children and youth.
• This funding will serve approximately 14,700 youth through supports to complete high school and transition to post-secondary education. A total of 7 agreements have been signed, and the full funding amount has been expended.

Measure

Creating new jobs and opportunities for youth

We are creating up to 116,000 jobs, placements, and other training opportunities to help students find employment and develop valuable skills this summer and over the coming months.

• On April 22 and June 25, 2020, announced a total additional investment of $187.7 million in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to provide employment placements and skills development supports to up to 9,500  Canadian youth, in high-demand and critical sectors such as health, community services, and information technology.
• $40 million of this additional investment allocated to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program at Employment and Social Development, with a target to serve up to 4,000 more youth in 2020 to 2021. This funding is supporting a number of projects providing skills and employment opportunities for youth across Canada, including youth with mental health challenges. 

The Strategy is delivered by ESDC and 10 other federal departments and agencies, and aims to help youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market.

• Student Work Placement Program
• On April 22 and June 25, 2020, announced a total additional investment of $266 million in the Student Work Placement Program to create 40,000 work-integrated learning placements for post-secondary students in their field of study.  Student Work Placement Program gives post-secondary students across Canada paid work experience related to their field of study.
• ESDC works with Employer Delivery Partners, who work with businesses and post-secondary education institutions to: provide wage subsidies to employers that offer quality student work placements; and create partnerships with colleges, universities, polytechnics and CEGEPs to recruit students for these placements.

Measure

Changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program:

On June 25, an additional $61.7M in funding was announced for CSJ 2020 to support the creation of 10,000 additional jobs, expanding the CSJ 2020 work placement target from 70,000 to 80,000 jobs.

This is in addition to temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program introduced in April 2020, to allow employers to:

• receive an increased wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can also receive up to 100 % of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee;
• extend the end date for employment to February 28, 2021;
• adapt their projects and job activities;
• hire staff on a part-time basis.

Measure

Extension of lay-off periods: We have extended time periods for temporary layoffs by up to 6 months in the Canada Labour Standards Regulations to allow employers more time to recall laid-off employees. The temporary changes will help protect the jobs of federally regulated private-sector employees and support employers facing economic hardship as a result of the pandemic.

Measure

Delivering Essential Services to those in need:

Investment of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

Measure

Increasing the Canada Child Benefit (CCB): $300 per child through the CCB for families currently receiving the CCB. This will mean approximately $550 on average per family.

This benefit was delivered as part of the scheduled CCB payment in May.

Measure

Supporting people experiencing homelessness: support to people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $157.5 million through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy at the onset of the pandemic.

An additional investment of $236.7 million through Reaching Home was announced on September 21, 2020 to provide continued support to the homeless-serving sector in their efforts to reduce transmission and impacts of COVID-19 throughout the winter, as well as to support the provision of permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness and prevent further inflows into homelessness.

Measure

Helping address urgent housing needs of vulnerable individuals (CMHC)

We are introducing the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians by rapidly creating new affordable housing. This $1 billion initiative will cover the construction of modular housing, as well as the acquisition of land, and the conversion of existing buildings to affordable housing.

It is expected to enable the rapid creation of up to 3,000 new affordable housing units across the country and will help stimulate the economy.

Measure

One-time payment for Seniors:

The Government provided a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension, with an additional tax-free payment of $200 for seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). This measure provided a total of $500 to low-income seniors who receive both the OAS pension and the GIS. Allowance recipients also received $500. This $2.5 billion investment in financial support helped Canadian seniors cover increased costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initial payments were issued during the week of July 6. Individuals who were eligible to receive the OAS pension or the GIS in June 2020 were eligible for this payment and did not need to apply.

After the initial payments were issued, there were a number of seniors who were found to be eligible for an OAS pension retroactively. As a result, a second series of one-time payments was issued during the week of September 28.

Measure

One Time Payment to Persons with Disabilities: We are providing a one-time-, tax-free, non-reportable payment of up to $600 in recognition of the extraordinary expenses incurred by persons with disabilities during the pandemic. This will help Canadians with disabilities who are recipients of any of the following programs or benefits:

• holders of a valid Disability Tax Credit
• beneficiaries as at July 1, 2020 of:
  • Canada Pension Plan Disability
  • Quebec Pension Plan Disability Pension
  • Disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada

Individuals have the opportunity to apply for the applied for the Disability Tax Credit by December 31, 2020 and if eligible can receive the one time payment. Seniors with disabilities who received the one-time seniors payment announced on May 12, 2020 may also be eligible for the one-time payment to persons with disabilities. In cases where they are eligible for both payments, individuals would receive a total amount of $600 as follows:

• $300 for Canadians who are eligible for the Old Age Security pension and who received the one-time seniors payment of $300; or
• $100 for Canadians who are eligible for the Old Age Security pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement or Allowances and who received the one-time senior’s payment of $500. 

Measure

Providing resources to improve workplace accessibility and access to jobs:  A new investment of $15 million in 2020 to 2021 will provide community organizations with resources to improve workplace accessibility and access to jobs in response to COVID-19, including by helping employers set up accessible and effective work-from-home arrangements. This support will also cover expanding accessible online training opportunities and helping connect Canadians with disabilities working from home with employers.

Measure

Supporting organizations that provide essential services to seniors: We are contributing $9 million through United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors. These services could include the delivery of groceries, medications, or other needed items, or personal outreach to assess individuals' needs and connect them to community supports.

Measure

New flexibilities under the New Horizons for Seniors Program: We are expanding the New Horizons for Seniors Program with an additional investment of $20 million to support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network.

For all organizations who received funding under the 2019 to 2020 New Horizons for Seniors Program community-based stream, funding can be used to provide immediate and essential services to seniors impacted by COVID-19.

Measure

Extending GIS and Allowance payments: Temporarily extending GIS and Allowance payments if seniors’ 2019 income information has not been received. This will ensure that the most vulnerable seniors continue to receive their benefits when they need them the most. Seniors are encouraged to submit their 2019 income information as soon as possible in order to avoid an interruption in benefit payments.

Measure

COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group: The Government of Canada established the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group, comprised of experts in disability inclusion, to provide advice on: the lived experiences of persons with disabilities during this crisis; along with disability-specific issues; challenges and systemic gaps; and strategies, measures and steps to be taken in response, in keeping with a “Nothing Without Us” approach.

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to address COVID-19’s impact on vulnerable Canadians?

Key facts

• COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations less prepared to deal with the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Risks of stress, hardship and abuse rise as isolation increases and gaps emerge in the social supports on which these Canadians rely. In-person and often in-home contact as well as group activities play a key role in supporting vulnerable populations.
• Demands on community support programs are growing rapidly at a time when the number of volunteers is falling. Significant challenges are emerging as front-line staff work to adapt and deliver essential services while minimizing social contact.

Response

• One of the most important roles of our Government during this pandemic is to support vulnerable Canadians, including seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women, people experiencing homelessness, and members of the LGBTQ2 community.
• The need to reduce social contact to limit the spread of COVID-19 has opened gaps in programs for vulnerable people. It has led to:
  • New challenges in connecting vulnerable persons such as seniors with the supplies or services they need (for example, too few volunteers to deliver meals or take seniors to medical appointments)
  • Elimination of in-person, one-on-one support for vulnerable persons (for example cancellation of friendly visits to elderly people or in-home supports for isolated seniors), and
  • Cancellation of group programs (for example cancellation of day programs for seniors)

Background

Community organizations are on the frontlines, serving critical community needs both in times of stability and crisis. Many vulnerable Canadians, such as seniors, children and youth at risk, people with disabilities, women, racialized communities such as Black Canadians, people experiencing homelessness, and members of the LGBTQ2 community rely on these organizations, and that reliance often rises in times of hardship. They provide meals to isolated seniors, services to children and youth at risk, shelter for the homeless, support for those fleeing domestic abuse, addiction counselling, settlement services for recent immigrants, and countless other contributions.

To-date, the Government of Canada has announced a number of initiatives that support charitable and non-profit organizations in addressing COVID-19-related issues. Examples include: $100M for Food Banks and Local Food Organizations; $9M to United Way Canada through the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support isolated seniors in all regions across Canada; over $400M in additional funding to the Reaching Home-funded communities to support people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak; $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities; and $350 million for the Emergency Community Support Fund to support vulnerable Canadians through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is the single largest funder of programming to combat social isolation among seniors in Canada with an annual budget of $70 million. While it is well-known for its small grants that support social participation and inclusion, the Program also funds volunteer services that are essential to seniors’ quality of life and ability to live independently, such as Meals on Wheels and supports for seniors who are caregivers.

The Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic recognizes that older persons are particularly affected by the crisis and is increasing supports to seniors in various ways. The Government of Canada is providing support to voluntary and service organizations who are working to provide necessary services to seniors, and has introduced several new measures to protect seniors’ financial security.

New flexibilities under the community-based stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program allowed organizations across the country to use previously approved project funding, approximately $50 million, for essential services to seniors affected by COVID-19. Organizations that were approved for funding for the 2019 to 2020 call for proposals could use their funding for activities such as helping seniors stay connected to their community and family, and supporting the delivery of food and medication to seniors at home. The additional investment of $20 million to the New Horizons for Seniors Program, supported organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network.

As well, the NHSP provided $9 million in funding to the United Way Centraide Canada to work with communities in each province and territory to support isolated, vulnerable seniors cope with the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $350 million Emergency Community Support Fund complemented these investments and supported community organizations serving vulnerable populations to adapt and reorient their services in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Emergency Community Support Fund was delivered through the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP) of ESDC. SDPP is a flexible and responsive program focused on supporting children and families, including seniors, persons with disabilities and Black Canadians. ESDC has pioneered innovations in federal funding to charities and non-profits, and has found the intermediary model to be an efficient mechanism that can rapidly distribute funds in a manner that is responsive to community needs.

To support a wide range of community organizations serving vulnerable populations, the Emergency Community Support Fund relied on 3 main intermediaries, the United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross and the Community Foundations of Canada.

Those 3 intermediaries:

• Flowed funding quickly to local organizations that needed it the most
• Conducted fair and transparent assessment processes
• Minimized duplication through national and local coordination, and
• Were accountable for the use of the funds and its results

From May 19, 2020 to October 30, 2020, community-based organizations from across the country could apply for funding through the Emergency Community Support Fund to support a variety of activities that addressed a pressing social inclusion or well-being need caused by COVID-19.

In addition, ESDC worked with the Canadian Red Cross to train and equip the volunteers and staff of community organizations to safely provide services; and the United Way to enhance the social services helpline 211.

To address the needs of those experiencing homelessness in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the Government invested an additional $409 million in Reaching Home. The Program began providing additional funding as of April 1, 2020 to 58 Designated Communities (including in Quebec), 30 communities receiving funding directly under the Indigenous Homelessness stream, and the 3 territorial capitals; and recipients of the Rural and Remote Homelessness stream and for Indigenous Homelessness stream investments not allocated to specific communities. Later rounds of funding extended support to 6 additional Designated Communities and several Modern Treaty Holders.

Prepared by
Name: Suzanne Allen
Title: Program Manager

Key contact
Name: Susan MacPhee
Title: Director, Social Programs Division
Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by
Name: Monika Bertrand
Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate
Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: October 29, 2020
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What measures has the Government put in place to assist Canadian seniors facing the current COVID-19 pandemic?

Key facts

• As of November 9, 2020, 268,735 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Canada, including 10,564 deaths.
• Of the total number of cases reported, 14% were individuals between 60 and 79 years of age and 10% were aged 80 and older.
• Those aged 60 years and over represent 70% of all reported hospitalizations, 63% of all reported Intensive Care Unit admissions and 97% of deaths.

Response

• Seniors across the country have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Since the pandemic was declared I have been in contact with my provincial and territorial counterparts and have heard from a number of stakeholders, as well as the National Seniors Council.
• In the Speech from the Throne, the Government made it clear that seniors deserve to be safe, respected, and live in dignity. The Government announced that it will take any action it can to support seniors during this pandemic.
• Working with the provinces and territories, we will introduce national standards for long-term care. We are committed to introducing Criminal Code amendments to explicitly penalize those who neglect seniors. We remain committed to increasing Old Age Security for seniors 75 years of age and older, and taking additional action to help seniors stay in their homes longer.
• As a member of the Ad Hoc Cabinet Committee on COVID-19, I am committed to ensure that seniors’ needs across Canada are carefully considered and addressed.

Background

Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by
Alexandre Martin
Senior Policy Analyst, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit, SPPS
613-899-7593

Key contact
Nancy Milroy-Swainson
Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
613-894-6033

Approved by
Alexis Conrad
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What are the financial highlights of the 2020 to 2021 Main Estimates for the Department of Employment and Social Development?

Key facts

Response

• The Main Estimates for 2020 to 2021 present a total of $68.6 billion in planned budgetary expenditures for the Department of Employment and Social Development, a net increase of $3.8 billion over the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates of $64.8 billion.
• The increase is primarily associated with statutory items, in particular, an increase to the Old Age Security Pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments, explained by increases in the average monthly rates and in the increasing number of beneficiaries.

Background

Note: The Main Estimates do not include Specified Purpose Accounts: the Employment Insurance Operating Account, the Canada Pension Plan, the Civil Service Insurance Fund and the Government Annuities Account.

Approximately $68,641.7 million in total budgetary funding is anticipated through the Main Estimates for the Department of Employment and Social Development ($3,824.7 million in voted appropriations and $64,817.0 million in statutory). This excludes funding anticipated through Budget 2020. More than 94% of planned budgetary expenditures will directly benefit Canadians through the Old Age Security Program and other statutory transfer payment programs.

Overall, the Department of Employment and Social Development's total budgetary authorities for 2020 to 2021 have a net increase of $3,872.1 million, or approximately 6.0%, from the previous year's total Main Estimates of $64,769.6 million.

This increase in funding is primarily attributable to statutory items:

• an increase of $3,323.3 million to the Old Age Security Pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and to Allowances, explained by expected increases to the average monthly rate and changes in the number of beneficiaries
• an increase of $275.4 million to the Canada Student Loans Program and Canada Apprentice Loans, mostly due to increased grant amounts for low-income, middle-income and part-time students provided through the Canada Student Grants
• an increase of $112.2 million to Canada Disability Savings Grants and Bonds, which is due to a steady increase in total registered Canada Disability Savings Plans and participation in the program
• an increase of $38.9 million related to the delivery of programs and services to the public on behalf of partners, which are to be recovered
• an increase of $34.0 million to the Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond due to more people saving for the post-secondary education of their children, to more children from low-income families receiving the education savings incentives for the first time and to more children continuously receiving the Canada Learning Bond, and
• an increase of $28.2 million for other items

In addition, voted grants and contributions (Vote 5) are expected to reach $3,021.4 million in 2020 to 2021, an increase of $292.6 million from the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates, mainly attributable to investments announced in Budget 2018 and Budget 2019 to the Student Work Placement Program, the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Transformation Initiative, the Workforce Development Agreements and the Canada Service Corps.

The Department plans to spend $803.3 million in 2020 to 2021 in operating expenditures (Vote 1), representing a net increase of $100.5 million from the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates of $702.8 million. The net increase is related to additional funding including for the Old Age Security Service Improvement Strategy and workload, Temporary Foreign Worker Program including the Global Talent stream, Canada Service Corps and the modernization of federal labour standards.

It is to be noted the increase in total budgetary expenditures is offset by a decrease of $333.0 million related to measures announced in Budget 2019 (Votes 10 to 85).

Regarding non-budgetary loans, there is a net decrease in authorities of $56.2 million from the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates, mainly as a result of a Budget 2019 measure which provides an interest-free 6-month non-repayment period after a student loan borrower leaves school.

Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by
Jennifer Moorehead
Senior Director, Planning and Expenditure Management
Chief Financial Officer Branch

Key contact
Jason Won
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer Branch
(819) 654-6583

Approved by
Mark Perlman
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer Branch
(819) 654-6634

Date
February 19, 2020

Line item

Rationale

• The Old Age Security (OAS) pension is paid to all persons aged 65 and over who meet the legal status and residence requirements. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is an income-tested benefit payable to OAS pensioners whose income is below a set threshold.
• There is an estimated increase of $3,238.4 million (5.8%) in combined OAS pension and GIS payments in the 2020 to 2021 Main Estimates, compared to the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates.
• Program expenditures for the OAS pension and the GIS are expected to increase year over year, largely due to an aging population (resulting in more beneficiaries) and the quarterly revision of the monthly benefit to reflect increases in the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Implications

• The OAS program is a statutory program financed from the Government of Canada’s general tax revenues. 
• The $3,238.4 million increase in the OAS pension and GIS payments is an amalgamation of the following components:
  • a $2,211.8 million increase in the OAS pension payments, resulting from:
  • an increase in the estimated number of beneficiaries from 6,382,267 to 6,617,129, which accounts for an increase of $1,665.3 million
  • an increase of the forecasted average monthly rate from $584.22 to $593.89, which accounts for an increase of $748.5 million
  • an increase in the anticipated OAS benefit repayment, as a result of the OAS Recovery Tax, which contributes to a reduction of $202.0 million, and
• a $1,026.6 million increase in the GIS payments, resulting from:
  • an increase in the number of beneficiaries from 2,060,549 to 2,220,198, which accounts for an increase of $1,001.0 million, and
  • an increase in the forecasted average monthly rate from $521.50 to $522.54, resulting in an increase of $25.6 million

Prepared by
Nathalie Martel
Director, International and Intergovernmental Policy and Agreements
(613) 698-8566

Key Contact
Nancy Milroy-Swainson
Director General
Seniors and Pension Policy Secretariat
(613) 894-6033

Approved by
Alexis Conrad
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister - Income Security and Social Development Branch
(613) 868-7004

Date
November 13, 2020

Subject

Issue

Why does Employment and Social Development (ESDC) require additional authorities in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2021? 

Response

• Supplementary Estimates seek parliamentary approval for changes to departmental spending plans for the current fiscal year, including items that were unforeseen at the time the Main Estimates were prepared
• ESDC is requesting adjustments for:

Background

Text description: Employment and Social Development require additional authorities in the Supplementary Estimates (B) in Operating Vote 1 and Grants and Contributions Vote 5.

Text description: Employment and Social Development require Transfers in the Supplementary Estimates (B) in Operating Vote 1 and Grants and Contributions Vote 5.

Text description: Employment and Social Development require additional authorities’ adjustments in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for Statutory Budgetary authorities.

Text description: Employment and Social Development require additional authorities’ adjustment in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for Statutory non-Budgetary authorities.

Issue

Charities in Canada are requesting supports to withstand the pandemic’s economic disruptions and to pivot their services to support vulnerable groups through COVID-19.

Key facts

• Charities and non-profits employ 2.4 million people across approximately 170,000 organizations (86,000 charities and around 90,000 non-profits). They added $169 billion to gross domestic product in 2017 (8.5% of GDP). Community charities and non-profits (those that are not public bodies like hospitals and universities, and those that are not serving the business sector, like trade associations) represent approximately 150,000 organizations and employ 611,000 people
• Charities and non-profits range from very large to extremely small organizations. They work at the local, regional, provincial/territorial and national levels and are active in almost every area of social, economic, environmental and community life. They provide meals to isolated seniors, services to children and youth at risk and people with disabilities, shelter for the homeless, support for those fleeing domestic abuse, addiction counselling, settlement services for recent immigrants, assistance to urban Indigenous people and other countless contributions
• COVID-19 has had a significant negative economic impact on the charitable and non-profit sector. Income has already fallen as charities and non-profits have realized steep drops in sales of goods and services (28% of income to community charities and non-profits in 2017) and donations (18% of income in 2017)
• Imagine Canada, an umbrella group for the charity and non-profit sector, modelled the pandemic’s economic impact on charities (excluding hospitals, universities and colleges). Early estimates from March found that registered charities could see financial losses of up to $15.7 billion, and layoffs of nearly 200,000 employees. Surveys have since found that organizations in the sector are seeing revenues fall by an average of 30% - far higher than expected, and charities have been forced to lay off over 84,000 employees
• While some charities and non-profits will benefit from a range of measures announced by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, these measures do not fully address the needs of the sector as a whole. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, for example, will help organizations like the YMCA to re-hire employees through the summer months. But over half of Canada’s registered charities are entirely volunteer-run, and will not be eligible for this assistance

Response

• The Government of Canada sees charities and non-profits as vital partners in the fight to overcome the health, social and economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
• This is why the Government of Canada announced a $9 million investment through United Way Centraide Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors including the delivery of groceries, medications, or other needed items, or personal outreach to assess individuals' needs and connect them to community supports
• In addition, organizations currently funded under the New Horizons for Seniors Program have been allowed to re-orient their current projects, collectively valued at over $50M, to respond to the social inclusion needs of seniors. Now those projects can focus on activities such as helping seniors access technology and devices to stay in touch, telephone wellness check-ins with seniors or virtual social gatherings
• On May 12, 2020 the Government announced an expansion of the New Horizons for Seniors Program with an additional investment of $20 million to support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network
• On April 21, 2020, the Government also announced an investment of $350 million to support vulnerable Canadians, including seniors, through charities and non-profit organizations that deliver essential services to those in need. The Emergency Community Support Fund provided funding to 3 national intermediaries with networks across the country (United Way Centraide Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and Community Foundations of Canada) to redistribute to community organizations
• This announcement built on the work that has been done for vulnerable Canadians, including increased support for those experiencing homelessness, help for women and children fleeing violence, counselling services for children and youth, and support for seniors
• Economic supports offered to charities and non-profits as part of wider COVID-19 response measures include: the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage, and Sport Organizations; the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance; the Canada Emergency Business Account; Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy; the Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy; and the Work Sharing Program if they met the eligibility requirements
• We continue to look at ways to support Canada’s charities and non-profits to weather the impacts of COVID-19, so these critical partners for our communities’ wellbeing are ready and able to serve Canadians long into the future

Key Quotes

“While COVID-19 is affecting all Canadians, some people are more at risk to the impacts of the pandemic. Recent announcements will further help our most vulnerable Canadians and ensure organizations have what they need to help. Canadians need to look out for one another in these difficult times. We will get through this together.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“The Government of Canada strives to support the most vulnerable in our communities. This pandemic means that some of our fellow Canadians need help now, more than ever. That is why we are working with partners to increase the support to ensure organizations on the front lines of COVID-19 can continue to serve those Canadians who need it most.”

—The Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Prepared by

Name: Heather Meek

Title: Sr. Policy Analyst

Key contact

Name: Susan MacPhee

Title: Director, Social Programs Division

Phone number: 613-567-3607

Approved by

Name: Monika Bertrand

Title: Director General, Social Innovation and Community Development Directorate

Phone number: 613-315-4598

Date: October 29, 2020

Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

Why is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requesting $1 million (excluding employee benefit plan costs) in Vote 1, $11.5 million in Vote 5 (Contributions), and $13 million in Statutory funding for Personal Support Worker Training and Other Measures to Address Labour Shortages in Long-Term and Home Care in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2021?

Key facts

• According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, as of May 25, 2020, more than 840 outbreaks have been reported in long-term care facilities and retirement homes, which have accounted for more than 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in Canada
• Health Canada estimates that between 170,000 and 211,000 long-term care residents live in approximately 2,060 facilities across Canada. 93% of the residents are seniors (65+years) and 7% are adults with disabilities (2016)
• The Canadian Association for Long-Term Care forecasts that 42,000 new long-term care beds will be needed by 2023. By 2027, 45% of job openings for Personal Support Workers are expected to come from current workforce retirements
• This funding will not be fully dispersed by December 31, 2020, the repeal date of the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act (PHENCPA), therefore an appropriation of $1 million in Vote 1 and $11.5 million in Vote 5 is requested for payments made between January and March 2021

Response

• The Government of Canada is taking concrete action to help address the shortage of support workers in home and long-term care to ensure that the vulnerable members of our society are safely and properly cared for, both now and into the future
• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the acute need for additional workers in long-term care facilities, home care and assisted living services. It has also exacerbated workforce challenges in the supportive care sector, especially in long-term care facilities, which experienced the tragic impacts of COVID-19
• ESDC has requested funding to provide surge capacity in supportive care by recruiting up to 4,000 new Personal Support Worker interns through an accelerated online training and work placement project. Post-surge, new interns will be encouraged to pursue long-term careers in supportive care, and to seek full certification at educational institutions that will recognize their accelerated training and work experience.  This investment will further support improvements to the quality and consistency of training for these workers across the country

Background

The shortage of Personal Support Workers in the long-term and home care systems has been a growing issue for several years, particularly in the context of an aging population. Through the pandemic, existing recruitment and retention challenges (such as low pay, poor benefits, challenging work conditions, low perception of the occupation, and casual/part-time work or unpredictable hours) have been exacerbated by absences due to illness, self-isolation and childcare responsibilities of current workers. As the COVID-19 crisis has shown, there is an urgent need for short- and long-term solutions to supplement the current workforce.

Through the Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP), which focuses on skills issues in key sectors of the Canadian economy, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has requested funding for a new pilot project to help address labour shortages in long-term and home care.

The project will aim to supplement the existing workforce, by quickly training up to 4,000 Personal Support Worker interns through an accelerated online training micro-credential program, available free of cost, followed by a paid work placement. Employers that hire Personal Support Worker interns will receive a wage subsidy during the work placement period (approximately $7/hour up to a maximum of $5,000 per participant) to offset the costs of increased supervision and on-the-job training. The project will also develop a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process to assist new workers who opt to upgrade their micro-credential to a full Personal Support Worker certificate subsequent to the project, in order to pursue career advancement, increased responsibilities and pay. To support long-term sustainability, professional development, and recognition of the supportive care sector, the project will engage stakeholders to develop and promote consistency in occupational and training standards across provinces and territories.

The Government of Canada recognizes provincial and territorial jurisdiction in the long-term and home care sector. However, as all jurisdictions are struggling with the COVID-19 crisis, the federal government can play an important convening role in bringing all parties together to help reduce the variability in Personal Support Worker training and certification requirements across Canada.

During the development phase of the project proposal, SIP consulted with key worker, industry, and educational stakeholders as well as government agencies. These included Health Canada, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, the Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representatives of the Canadian Association of Continuing Care Educators (CACCE), and provincial and territorial governments through Health Canada’s Federal/Provincial/Territorial FPT Committee on Health Workforce (CHW).

Prepared by

Name: Jennifer Moorehead

Title: Senior Director, Planning and Expenditure Management, CFOB

Phone number: 613-793-3084

Key contact

Name: Jacinthe Arsenault

Title: Director, Sectoral Initiatives Program

Phone number: 613-240-7116

Approved by

Name: Chris Bates

Title: Director General, Apprenticeship and Sectoral Initiatives Directorate

Phone number: 613-868-6517

and

Name: Mark Perlman

Title: Chief Financial Officer, CFOB, ESDC

Phone number: 819-654-6634

Date

Date approved in: October 16, 2020

Issue

Why is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requesting $1.2 million related to government advertising programs in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2021?

Key facts

• In line with the 2020 Speech from the Throne of addressing the gaps in our social system and build back better to create a stronger, more resilient Canada, the Government of Canada offers numerous programs and services designed to help older Canadians prepare for and live in retirement and improve the life outcomes of persons with disabilities
• The Government communicates with the public in both official languages to inform Canadians of policies, programs, services and initiatives, and of Canadians’ rights and responsibilities under the law

Response

• For the 2020 to 2021 Supplementary Estimates (B), the Department requested $1.2 million for advertising campaigns
• A budget of $1 million will be allocated for the ‘’Services for Seniors’’ campaign. This campaign will promote programs and services related to Seniors
• A budget of $200,000 will be allocated for the ‘’Inclusive Workplace’’ campaign. This campaign will increase awareness about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities

Background

Issue

Why is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requesting an adjustment of $1.4 million in funding to the statutory item "Contributions to employee benefit plans" in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2021?

Key facts

• Changes to statutory items are presented in the Supplementary Estimates for information purposes only as Parliament has already approved the purpose of the statutory expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made through other legislation (other than Appropriation Acts).
• Contributions to employee benefit plans include costs to the government for the employer’s matching contributions and payments to the Public Service Superannuation Plan, the Canada and the Quebec Pension Plans, death benefits, and the Employment Insurance Operating Account.

Response

An adjustment of $1,440,799 to EBP costs related to three items requested in these Supplementary Estimates is being included in the 2020 to 2021 Supplementary Estimates (B). The three items are:

• funding to address the outbreak of COVID-19 among temporary foreign workers on farms ($1,186,801)
• funding for Training for Personal Support Worker Interns; and Other Measures to Address Labour Shortages in Long-Term and Home Care ($176,810), and
• funding to support Business Resumption for federally regulated employers ($77,188)

Prepared by
Name: Jennifer Moorehead
Title: Senior Direct
Phone number: 819-654-6402

Key contact
Name: Jason Won
Title: Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Phone number: 819-654-6583

Approved by
Name: Mark Perlman
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Phone number: 819-654-6634

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO: October 16, 2020

Issue

How does the New Horizons for Seniors Program support Canadian communities?

Key facts

• Since its introduction in 2004, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has funded over 23,600 projects in hundreds of communities across the country.

Response

• The New Horizons for Seniors Program supports the Government of Canada’s overarching goals to enhance the quality of life and promote the full participation of individuals, including seniors, in all aspects of Canadian life
• The government is investing $70M annually to support the diverse needs of seniors in hundreds of communities across the country, through either small grants or larger multi-year projects to help increase social inclusion among seniors
• New Horizons for Seniors Program funding improves the ability of organizations to address cultural diversity and the needs of vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous seniors, seniors in rural and remote areas, LGBTQ2 seniors and seniors with disabilities.
• These projects not only improve the well-being of seniors, they also enable communities to benefit greatly from the increased participation and contribution of seniors to community life
• The New Horizons for Seniors Program has taken 4 steps to respond to COVID-19 and its impact on seniors
• In the spring of 2020, the Department provided both community-based and pan-Canadian funded organizations with flexibilities to adapt their current project activities to support seniors impacted by COVID-19
• On March 29, 2020, the Prime Minister announced $9 million in funds for community organizations serving seniors. The New Horizons for Seniors Program worked with United Way Centraide Canada to deliver those funds to community organizations
• On May 12, 2020, the Government announced an additional investment of $20 million to the New Horizons for Seniors Program to support organizations that offer community-based projects that reduce isolation, improve the quality of life of seniors, and help them maintain a social support network. The annual community-based call for proposals, held this fall, was designed to account for the challenges facing seniors-serving community organizations during the pandemic

Background

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is a Grants and Contributions program created in 2004 to help ensure that seniors can benefit from, and contribute to, the quality of life in their communities through the following program objectives:

• promote volunteerism among seniors and other generations
• engage seniors in the community through mentoring of others
• expand awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse
• support social participation and inclusion of seniors, and
• provide capital assistance for new and existing community projects and/or programs for seniors

The program’s 2 funding streams are:

1. Community-based, and
2. Pan-Canadian

• Budget 2019 included an additional investment of $100 million over 5 years and $20 million per year ongoing for the New Horizons for Seniors Program
• This additional funding enhances the ability to meet the growing demand for an oversubscribed program that operates in all regions across Canada and will respond to the diverse and growing needs of seniors

The current annual budget is $70 million:

• the Community-based stream’s annual budget is $50.04 million
• the Pan-Canadian stream’s annual budget is $13.1 million, and
• the administration of the program is $6.86 million

During the pandemic, the Department provided both community-based and pan-Canadian funded organizations with flexibilities to adapt their current project activities to support seniors impacted by COVID-19. Examples of project changes include organizations adapting in-person programming to virtual programs, delivering groceries and other necessities and making phone calls to isolated seniors. 

Key quotes

“By enabling opportunities for seniors to connect, support each other, share information and contribute to their communities, we are empowering them and improving their well-being. Together, we can give seniors the recognition, respect and admiration they deserve.”

– The Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors

Prepared by
Name: Duncan Farthing-Nichol
Title: Manager
No phone number: 647-267-3388

Key contact
Name: Susan MacPhee
Title: Director
Phone number: 819-654-6164

Name: Monika Bertrand
Title: Director General
Phone number: 819-654-3345

Key contact
Name: Jean-Pierre Gauthier
Title: Director General
Phone number: 819-654-6893

Approved by
Name: Janet Goulding
Title: Associate Assistant Deputy Minister
Phone number: 819-654-2156

Name: Stephanie Hébert
Title: Assistant Deputy Minister
Phone number: 819-654-2447

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Synopsis

Long-standing issues in supportive care, particularly long-term care, have been starkly revealed by the COVID pandemic. Tragically, in the first 7 months of the pandemic, long-term care and retirement home residents and staff represented 25% of all COVID-19 cases. Approximately 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in the country were connected to long-term care and seniors’ residences.

In Fall 2020, outbreaks in long-term care facilities are on the rise. The proportion of long-term care homes with outbreaks in Ontario has tripled since early September. In Quebec, according to Montreal's regional director of public health, seniors 65 and older accounted for 6% of COVID-19 cases in mid-September, but that proportion had increased to 15% of all positive tests in October.

As of October 27, Québec and Ontario remain the most affected provinces and territories, with at least 120 known active outbreaks in LTC/assisted living facilities in Québec and 87 in Ontario, followed by Alberta (30), British Columbia (19), Manitoba (19), and New Brunswick (1). Additional outbreaks may be active across provinces and territories.

Key messages

• The federal government is taking a number of steps to respond to the significant challenges faced by long-term care facilities across the country in order to help avoid a repeat of the experience of Spring 2020
• The Government of Canada and provincial/territorial governments have reached a Safe Restart Agreement, supported by over $19 billion in federal investments, to help provinces and territories restart the economy, while making Canada more resilient to waves of the virus
• This includes $740 million in funding to support our most vulnerable populations, including incremental infection prevention and control measures to protect those in long-term care, and those receiving home care and palliative care
• The government also continues to work with the Canadian Red Cross to support provinces and territories facing outbreaks in long-term care. The Red Cross is already working closely with local authorities in order to provide assistance in outbreak situations in long-term care homes
• We will continue taking any action we can to address challenges in long-term care institutions and support seniors while working alongside the provinces and territories

If pressed on additional support provided by the Federal Government…

• The Public Health Agency of Canada has provided guidance on the care of residents in long-term care, as well as infection prevention and control guidance to help prevent COVID-19 infections among residents and workers in long-term care and assisted-living facilities, as well as in home care. This guidance was developed with the National Advisory Committee on Infection Prevention and Control and endorsed by the Pan-Canadian Special Advisory Committee
• Up to $3 billion in federal funding has been provided to support provinces and territories to increase the wages of low-income essential workers, which could include front line workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities
• The Government of Canada adapted the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program to respond to the impacts of COVID-19. A new temporary COVID-19 Resilience stream has been created to provide provinces and territories with added flexibility to use existing resources to fund quick-start, short-term projects, including health infrastructure such as long-term care homes
• In collaboration with partners, the Health Canada-funded Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute have launched an initiative to spread promising practices in preventing and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on long-term care and retirement homes. The goal of the initiative is to better position participating facilities to prevent and manage any future outbreaks

If pressed on the Safe Restart Agreements…

• The Government of Canada is working to ensure that Canada has the resources it needs to restart the economy safely, while protecting the health of Canadians. In partnership with the provinces and territories, federal efforts will focus on priorities to address Canadians’ immediate needs within the next 6 to 8 months, including vulnerable populations
• Canadians receiving long-term care, home care and palliative care are at an increased risk of more severe cases of COVID-19. As the economy restarts, it is important to have continued protections and supports in place for these vulnerable populations
• Under the Safe Restart Agreement, the Government of Canada has invested $740 million to help provinces and territories to support one-time costs for measures to control and prevent infections. This can include addressing staffing issues and providing personal protective equipment in long-term care, home care, and palliative care facilities and services. Funding can also be used to support other vulnerable populations
• To support the restart of the economy, the Government of Canada also continues to work with provinces and territories to support procurement of personal protective equipment

If pressed on the Speech from the Throne…

• The Government announced its intention to work with the provinces and territories to set new national standards for long-term care so that seniors get the best support possible
• The Government will also look at further targeted measures for personal support workers, who do an essential service helping the most vulnerable in our communities. Canada must better value their work and their contributions to our society
• The Government of Canada will work with Parliament on Criminal Code amendments to explicitly penalize those who neglect seniors under their care, putting them in danger

Background

Issue

What is the government doing to protect Canada's seniors from elder abuse?

Key facts

According to the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (2015):

• the prevalence of elder abuse in Canada is 7.5%
• the most frequent perpetrators are close family members, and
• among the most significant risk factors for abuse are depression and having been abused at an earlier stage in life

Response

• The Government of Canada values the many contributions made by seniors to our nation. That is why we are working to implement measures to help improve the lives of seniors and their families
• We recognize that elder abuse is a serious issue affecting many seniors in Canada, and even more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contributed to further isolating seniors
• The Government is committed to working with Parliament on Criminal Code amendments to explicitly penalize those who neglect seniors under their care, putting them in danger

Background

The abuse of older adults remains an often hidden but serious social problem that affects the lives of thousands of seniors in Canada. Elder abuse includes physical abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse and sexual abuse.

In December 2018, Ministers approved the National Seniors Council’s three-year work plan (2018 to 2021) with the following 4 work priorities:

• identifying measures to address crimes and other harms against seniors
• examining potential objectives and elements of a national seniors strategy
• providing advice on federal initiatives (such as the National Housing Strategy) using an age-friendly/healthy aging perspective, and
• identifying measures to counteract ageism by shifting the public discourse on aging

The NSC hosted an expert round table and town hall in March 2019, to identify promising practices and discuss new measures to reduce financial crimes and harms against seniors. A ‘what we heard report’ summarizing the discussions was published on the Government of Canada website in August 2019.

From 2007 to 2015, the New Horizons for Seniors Program pan-Canadian funding focused on increasing the awareness of elder abuse and invested in over 70 projects, which developed, replicated, adapted, and disseminated tools, resources and promising practices across the country.

The New Horizons for Seniors Program's community-based funding stream continues to increase elder abuse awareness through its annual funding of one-year community-based projects for an amount of up to $25,000. From 2004 to 2019, the Government of Canada awarded close to $35 million in funding to organizations across Canada for more than 700 projects with a focus on elder abuse awareness.

Budget 2019 included significant additional funding of $100 million over 5 years, with $20 million per year ongoing, for the New Horizons for Seniors Program so that it can continue to improve seniors’ quality of life.

In the 2019 federal election, the Liberal Party’s electoral platform included commitments to help protect seniors from abuse. The platform mentioned that “every year, about one in ten seniors is a victim of crime, but many seniors are reluctant to report it – with only half of violent crimes against seniors reported to police, and only about a third of financial crimes being reported.”

The Minister of Seniors 2019 mandate letter commitments included working with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada to strengthen Canada's approach to elder abuse by: creating a national definition of elder abuse; investing in better data collection and law enforcement related to elder abuse; and establishing new offences and penalties in the Criminal Code related to elder abuse.

In the Speech from the Throne delivered on September 23, 2020, the Government committed to working with Parliament on Criminal Code amendments to explicitly penalize those who neglect seniors under their care, putting them in danger.

Key quotes

n/a

Prepared by
Name: Joëlle Bastien
Title: Senior Policy Analyst, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit
No phone number:

Key contact
Name: Nancy Milroy-Swainson
Title: Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
Phone number: 613-894-6033

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

Uncertainty in the financial markets have caused public concern regarding the long-term sustainability of the Canada Pension Plan, especially due to COVID-19.

Key facts

• Approximately 6.1 million CPP beneficiaries were paid a total of $48.9 billion in 2019 to 2020
• As of June 30, 2020, the CPP Fund managed by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has $434.4 billion in net assets, which represents an increase of 8.4 percent over the previous year and an all-time high for the Fund

Response

• The Canada Pension Plan is fully sustainable for at least the next 75 years as demonstrated in the 30th Actuarial Report
• The Canada Pension Plan fund has a long investment horizon that is designed to absorb periodic downturns in the financial sector
• Despite the downturn in March, global financial markets experienced a strong rebound. In the first fiscal quarter of 2020 to 2021, Canada Pension Plan investments generated $22.9 billion in net income for the Fund

Background

The CPP is a social insurance plan that is funded by the contributions of employees, employers and self-employed persons, and by the revenue earned on CPP investments. The CPP benefits consist of retirement pensions, along with disability, death, survivor, post retirement and children’s benefits. Quebec has a separate but comparable plan, the Quebec Pension Plan.

The CPPIB invests the funds not needed by the CPP to pay current benefits and operating expenses. As of June 30, 2020, the CPPIB held net assets of $434.4 billion, an increase of $24.8 billion from the previous quarter ended March 31, 2020, and an increase of $42.4 billion from March 31, 2019.

Since it was created in 1997, the CPPIB has yielded higher than expected rates of returns on investments. The CPP Fund is invested for the long term, has a broadly diversified portfolio and steady cash inflows, and is structured to withstand stock market cycles. The CPP portfolio was designed to be resilient, enabling it to weather severe market events – such as the current situation.

Key quotes

“While global financial markets experienced a strong rebound from March, significant uncertainty in health, social and economic conditions persists,” said Mark Machin, President & Chief Executive Officer, CPP Investments. “Amid this environment, CPP Investments delivered solid performance, while our investment teams were active in creating long-term value across our diversified programs.”

Prepared by
Name:  Neal Leblanc
Title: Manager, CPP Policy
No phone number: 819-635-6760

Key contact
Name: Marianna Giordano
Title: Director, CPP Policy and Legislation
Phone number: 613-266-6195

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

In order to support widows, the Government promises to work with provinces to increase the value of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) survivor’s pensions by 25%. The commitment indicates that this represents an increase of up to $2,116 per year and would affect the 1.2 million individuals currently in receipt of a survivor’s pension.

Key facts

• Major changes to the Plan require the formal consent of two-thirds of provinces representing two-thirds of the population.  The Government of Canada has no authority over the Quebec Pension Plan
• This initiative is one of the issues being discussed with provinces as part of the 2019 to 2021 Triennial Review of the CPP

Response

• Losing a partner is a challenging time for anyone, but for seniors, this moment also comes with the additional loss of pension income. This can force surviving partners — most of whom are women — to reduce their standard of living or risk running out of savings
• This is why we have promised to work with provinces to increase the Canada Pension Plan survivor’s pension
• Federal and provincial Finance Ministers review the Canada Pension Plan every 3 years, looking at both the Plan’s financial state and the adequacy of its benefits and provisions. This proposal is part of the discussions taking place with provinces as part of the current Triennial Review, which was initiated in December 2019

Background

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a national mandatory contributory public pension plan for all workers in Canada. In Quebec, workers are covered by the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) that came into force at the same time as the CPP in 1966. The federal government does not have the power to unilaterally change CPP benefits and has no authority over the QPP. The proposed changes to the CPP survivor’s pension require the consent of two-thirds of provinces representing two-thirds of the population of the provinces. This initiative has been included for discussion with provinces as part of the 2019 to 2021 Triennial Review of the CPP.

Per the legislation, a new or increased benefit to the CPP must be fully funded. An immediate increase in the survivor’s pension for current benefit recipients would not have been pre-funded by contributions. The legislation requires the resulting liability to be paid off by an increase in the contribution rate for a determined period no longer than 15 years.

Some measures to help CPP survivors are already being implemented. The recently introduced CPP enhancement, which began in 2019, will increase the survivor’s pension by up to 50% over time (as well as the retirement pension).

Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by
Name: Neal Leblanc
Title: Manager, CPP Policy
Phone number: 819-635-6760

Key contact
Name: Marianna Giordano
Title: Director, CPP Policy and Legislation
Phone number: 613-266-6195

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date

Date approved in SADMO / COO

Key facts

• In 2019 to 2020, the Government will have paid $56.2 billion in Old Age Security (OAS) benefits to 6.5 million beneficiaries, which includes $42.8 billion in OAS pension benefits to 6.4 million recipients
• Close to 3 million OAS pensioners are aged 75 and over.
• It is estimated that the proposal would lift over 20,000 seniors out of poverty, the majority of whom are women

Response

• The Government of Canada is committed to moving forward with investments that give Canadian seniors a better quality of life, including stronger financial security
• Seniors are living longer than ever before, however, with increasing age, seniors tend to have lower income and often face higher health-related expenses because of the onset of illness or disability
• We are taking action to help make life more affordable for Canadians as they age. As reiterated in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, we remain committed to increasing the Old Age Security pension for seniors aged 75 and over
• Once decisions have been made on how the Government will implement this commitment, details will be made public

Background

The Old Age Security (OAS) program is a non-contributory, residence-based program financed through general tax revenues. The objective of the OAS program is to provide a minimum level of income to seniors and contribute to their income replacement in retirement. The OAS benefits include the OAS pension, which is paid to all individuals aged 65 and older who meet the residence and legal status requirements, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for low‑income seniors, and the Allowances for low-income Canadians aged 60 to 64 who are the spouses/common-law partners of GIS recipients, or who are widows or widowers.

The GIS is an income-tested monthly benefit that provides additional support to low‑income seniors who have little or no income other than the OAS pension. Together, the OAS pension and the GIS help ensure that the overall income of seniors does not fall below a specified threshold, providing seniors with a minimum income guarantee.

To date, the Government has undertaken several measures to improve the financial security of low‑income seniors. Since 2016, the Government has:

• increased the GIS top-up for the lowest‑income single seniors by up to $947 annually, helping close to 900,000 seniors who rely almost exclusively on the OAS pension and the GIS, and lifted an estimated 57,000 seniors out of poverty (based on the Market Basket Measure)
• restored the age of eligibility for the OAS pension and the GIS to 65 from 67, preventing about 100,000 future seniors from falling into poverty
• increased the GIS earnings exemption from $3,500 to $5,000, extended the exemption to self‑employment income, and introduced an additional 50% exemption on employment and self‑employment income between $5,000 and $15,000, as of July 2020. This measure enables working GIS recipients to earn up to $15,000 in employment and self‑employment income before the GIS benefit reduction applies to their full income, and
• introduced a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the OAS pension, with an additional tax-free payment of $200 for seniors eligible for the GIS. This measure provided a total of $500 to low-income seniors who receive both the OAS pension and the GIS. Allowance recipients also received $500. This $2.5 billion investment in financial support will help Canadian seniors cover increased costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic

In the 2020 Speech from the Throne, the Government reiterated its commitment to increase the OAS pension for seniors aged 75 and over. This commitment was first made in the Liberal Party’s 2019 election platform, which committed to increase the OAS pension by 10% for seniors in this age group, providing up to $729 more per year in additional benefits. This commitment was also reiterated in the Minister of Seniors’ mandate letter.

Key quotes

"Seniors poverty is a growing concern. The Liberals' proposed OAS increase would make a real difference to Canada's poorest seniors."

– CARP (statement through CBC news article: “Trudeau promises more financial supports for seniors  but no independent accounting”, September 18, 2019)

"…the policy is noteworthy because it benefits the “oldest old,” where the “risk of falling into poverty increases substantially,” rather than everyone over 65 years, who qualify for OAS."

– Kevin Milligan, Ph.D, Professor of Economics at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia (statement through The Globe and Mail news article: “Canadian seniors in focus as election campaign enters second week”, September 18, 2019)

Prepared by
Name: Graham Barton
Title: Policy Analyst
No phone number: 819-654-1657

Key contact
Name: Kevin Wagdin
Title: Director, Old Age Security Policy and Public Pension Statistics
Phone number: 613-858-9247

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-8004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) doing to ensure that seniors receive the benefits to which they are entitled in a timely way?

Key facts

• The Old Age Security (OAS) is a statutory program financed from the Government of Canada general tax revenues. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is an additional stipend provided to low-income seniors
• The demand for the OAS program has significantly increased over the past 15 years due to the aging population. In 2005 to 2006, there were approximately 4.3 million OAS beneficiaries. Since then, the number of individuals receiving OAS has grown by approximately 49%, reaching 6.4 million beneficiaries in 2019 to 2020. A total of $57.4 billion in OAS benefits were paid in 2019 to 2020
• In 2019, over 2.19 million seniors received at least one GIS payment. In total, the Department delivered $12.7 billion in GIS payments during the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year
• Eligible clients are enrolled a year in advance and will begin receiving benefits after they turn 65. Currently, over 17,000 seniors are automatically enrolled each month for the OAS and the GIS without having to complete an application
• The Department has developed the OAS Service Improvement Strategy (SIS) to address the growing client base while at the same time ensuring the OAS program remains responsive to the needs of Canadians now and in the future

Response

• Service Canada ensures that 90% of seniors receive their Old Age Security benefits in the first month they are payable. So far this year, the Department has paid 90.4% of OAS benefits within the first month of entitlement (against a target of 90%)
• The Department has also simplified processes for speed of payment, including expanding automatic enrolment for Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits, which has eliminated the need for many Canadian seniors to apply for benefits. As of September 2020, more than 1.4 million seniors have been automatically enrolled for the Old Age Security pension
• As part of Service Canada’s Service Improvement Strategy Projects, the Government invested $175M to improve the Old Age Security delivery platform by migrating the Old Age Security program to a more modern platform. Once completed, this new platform will increase speed of delivery for Old Age Security benefits

Background

In 2005 to 2006, there were approximately 4.3 million Old Age Security (OAS) beneficiaries. Since that time, the number of individuals receiving OAS has grown by approximately 49%, reaching more than 6.4 million beneficiaries in 2019 to 2020.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provides financial assistance to seniors who have little or no income other than the OAS pension. The program provides up to $10,780 per year for a single OAS pensioner and up to $6,489 per year for each member of a couple (January to September 2019). These amounts include the ‘GIS top up’ introduced in 2011, and increased in July 2016, which provides the lowest income seniors with additional benefits of up to $1,670 per year for single seniors and $473 per year for each member of a couple.

The Department’s service standard for the OAS program is to put individuals into pay for their OAS pension within the first month of entitlement, with an objective of achieving this 90 per cent of the time. While the Department continues to meet or be close to its OAS service standard objectives, it recognizes that some applications can take longer to process for a variety of reasons including, for example, that the Department does not have all the required information or documentation from clients to make a decision. So far this year, the Department has paid 90.4% of OAS benefits within the first month of entitlement (against a target of 90%).

The Department has developed the OAS Service Improvement Strategy (SIS) to modernize the delivery of the OAS program by improving services to eligible clients, including low-income individuals, while also generating efficiencies in the processing of OAS benefits resulting in faster delivery of benefits.

The objectives of the OAS SIS are to:

• deliver consistent and electronic services with greater stewardship to clients
• simplify, integrate and automate delivery of OAS benefits, and
• increase efficiency and decrease operational costs

These objectives are being met by: 

• introducing automatic enrolment and streamlining the OAS application processes where possible
• migrating the OAS legacy systems to the Information Technology Renewal Delivery System and Corporate Payment Management System (CPMS) platforms to allow for integrated processing of pension benefits and payments where possible, and
• implementing a suite of e-Services and other administrative improvements

Automatic enrolment for the OAS basic pension was first introduced in 2013 and expanded to include even more clients in 2015 eliminating the need for selected seniors to apply for their OAS pension benefits

Automatic enrolment was again expanded in 2017, this time to include the GIS. This means that seniors who are selected for OAS automatic enrolment are also automatically enrolled for the GIS, with entitlement to the GIS being determined based on income. Once enrolled, clients are re‑assessed each year to determine their GIS entitlement.

In August 2018, the Department implemented the Integrated OAS and GIS Application. With this measure, individuals are able to apply for both benefits at the same time, on one form. Building on this measure, the Department also implemented an online application form in November 2019.

Once individuals are either automatically enrolled or have applied for the GIS, they will never need to reapply. As long as they file a tax return or provide income information to the Department every year, the Department will automatically assess their eligibility.

As of September 2020, more than 1.4 million seniors have been auto-enrolled.

Prepared by
Name: Maren Delion
Title: Manager, Benefits Integrated Services Branch

Key contact
Name: Barbara Curran
Title: Director General, Benefits Integrated Services Branch
Phone number: (819) 654-6674

Approved by
Name: Cliff Groen
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
Phone number: (819) 654-6944

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What is Service Canada doing to ensure that seniors continue receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)?

Key facts

• The vast majority of Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) clients are automatically reassessed for the GIS without an interruption to their benefits. Given the pandemic and the deferred tax filing deadline, this year Service Canada had income information on all but approximately 214,000 of 2.2M beneficiaries (9.7%)
• With the deferral of the tax filing deadline, a temporary measure was put in place in July 2020 for all 214,000 recipients to avoid suspending benefits because of missing income information
• June 2020 benefits are maintained and paid separately until December 2020 or until the 2019 income information becomes available, whichever is earlier
• Proactive communication and outreach activities have been undertaken. Letters were mailed and clients receive calls reminding them of missing income information
• It is estimated that 44,000 recipients could have their benefits suspended starting in January 2021, which is significantly lower than previous years (105,000 in 2017; 75,000 in 2018; 73,000 in 2019)

Response

• Service Canada is committed to supporting seniors and ensuring they receive the benefits to which they are entitled
• Entitlement for the GIS is reassessed every year in July based on the previous year’s income. With the deferral of the tax filling deadline for 2019, a temporary measure was put in place to avoid suspending benefits because of missing income information
• June 2020 benefits are maintained and paid separately until December 2020 or until the 2019 income information becomes available, whichever is earlier. This year, 214,000 recipients benefited from this exceptional measure
• At the end of September 2020, approximately 63,000 GIS recipients had not yet provided their income information. Since then, over 20,000 individuals have provided this information either to CRA or Service Canada. For those remaining where information is not received and processed by November 29, 2020, their GIS payments will be suspended in January 2021
• Service Canada has, and continues to take, a number of measures to reach out to these individuals including:
  • increasing communications via Ministerial announcements and social media
  • sending letters directly to all individuals with missing income information, and
  • reaching out proactively to seniors organizations and telephone calls directly to impacted individuals

Background

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provides financial assistance to seniors who have little or no income other than the Old Age Security (OAS) pension. The program provides up to $10,780 per year for a single OAS pensioner and up to $6,489 per year for each member of a couple (January to September 2019). These amounts include the ‘GIS top up’ introduced in 2011, and increased in July 2016, which provides the lowest income seniors with additional benefits of up to $1,670 per year for single seniors and $473 per year for each member of a couple.

Issue

The Globe and Mail recently published an article that criticized the Government of Canada’s one-time tax-free payment for seniors. The article suggested that tens of thousands of seniors would not receive the payment because they had chosen to defer their Old Age Security (OAS) pensions.

Is it possible to extend the one-time payment to seniors who have opted to defer their OAS pension?

Key facts

• Based on preliminary tax and OAS administrative data, it is estimated that about 4% of seniors who become eligible for the OAS pension at age 65 choose to defer their pensions beyond that age
• According to 2017 Canada Revenue Agency data (tax filers only), 97.2% of eligible seniors receive the OAS pension

Response

• The Government of Canada is committed to supporting seniors, particularly during this ongoing pandemic crisis
• On May 12, the Prime Minister announced a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security pension, with an additional $200 for seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement and Allowances
• It was not possible to extend the one-time payment to seniors who had chosen to defer their OAS pension because the Department cannot identify individuals who may be eligible for the pension but are choosing to defer it. The Department only has information on seniors who have already applied and been approved for the benefit
• The initial one-time payments for seniors were issued the week of July 6th, 2020. However, after those payments were issued, there were a number of seniors who were found to be eligible for an OAS pension retroactively. As a result, a second series of one-time payments was issued during the week of September 28th
• The Government of Canada will continue to work with all levels of government to ensure seniors have the supports they need

Background

On May 12, 2020, the Prime Minister announced a one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension, with an additional $200 for seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). Approximately 6.7 million seniors who were eligible for the OAS pension in June 2020 received the $300 payment, and approximately 2.2 million of those seniors received the additional $200 payment due to their eligibility to the GIS.

Since July 2013, Canadians can defer receiving the OAS pension beyond age 65 for up to 5 years and receive, in exchange, a higher pension in the future. This voluntary deferral gives individuals the option to increase their pensions by 6% for every month it is delayed, or 7.2% per year, and up to 36% for those who take advantage of the full deferral until age 70.

It was not possible to extend the one-time payment to seniors who were deferring their OAS pension because the Department cannot identify individuals who may be eligible for the pension but are choosing to defer it. The Department only has information on seniors who have already applied and been approved for the benefit.

Individuals who have decided to defer their OAS pension have effectively either not applied or have opted out of the automatic enrolment process. Therefore, it is not known who they are and if they would be eligible for the OAS pension.

Based on tax and OAS administrative data, about 4% of the first cohort of seniors who could defer their pensions for the maximum period of 5 years (for example from 2013 to 2018) opted to defer their pensions.

Seniors that had previously deferred their OAS pension but had started to receive it by June 2020 were provided with the one-time supplementary payment.  Indeed, over 100,000 seniors that were receiving a deferred OAS pension received the one-time tax-free payment.

The Old Age Security Act (OAS Act) includes an 11-month retroactivity provision. Individuals who apply late, or after having deferred their OAS pension application, can benefit from this provision. As a result, eligible individuals who applied retroactively to June 2020 or an earlier date became entitled to the one-time payment for seniors.  Indeed, approximately 67,000 additional payments were issued the week of September 28, 2020.

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders

N/A

Prepared by
Jorge Uriarte-Landa
Old Age Security Policy and Public Pension Statistics

Key contact
Kevin Wagdin
Director
Old Age Security Policy and Public Pension Statistics
613-858-9247

Approved by
Nancy Milroy-Swainson
DG, Seniors and Pensions Policy. Income Security and Social Development Branch
613 894-6033

Date
November 10, 2020

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to improve the service delivery of the Old Age Security (OAS) program, including efforts improve and modernize its delivery platform?

Key facts

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is supporting Canadians and improving their quality of life by modernizing the Old Age Security (OAS) program through a number of key initiatives
• Over 17,000 seniors are now automatically enrolled each month for the OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) when they turn 64, without having to complete an application. Eligible clients are enrolled a year in advance and will begin receiving benefits after they turn 65
• As of August 31, 2020, over 1.4 million seniors have been automatically enrolled for OAS through the OAS auto-enrolment program
• The project has introduced new online, self-service options in order to meet the expectations of seniors, and deliver a modern service experience for Canadians. Clients can save time by making important decisions online such as adding, stopping or changing voluntary tax deductions, reviewing detailed benefit payment information, and checking the status of their application in the comfort of their home. As of September 30, 2020, over 508,000 unique users have checked their application status online
• While the Department is committed to modernize the way services are delivered, we are also taking steps to simplify the application process, to ensure Canadians receive timely benefits when they need it
• An OAS/GIS integrated application was implemented in August 2018 to support seniors not eligible for automatic enrolment, eliminating the need to complete 2 separate applications. As of September 30, 2020, over 201,000 integrated applications have been received
• The Department also launched the OAS toolkit on Canada.ca to ensure Canadians have access to accurate and up-to-date program and benefit information. As of September 30, 2020, the toolkit has been viewed over 227,000 times

Response

The Government of Canada continues to transform and modernize the Old Age Security program and services. We have taken a number of steps, including the introduction of auto-enrolment, to ensure eligible Canadians receive the benefits to which they are entitled. As of August 31, 2020, over 1.4 million seniors have been automatically enrolled for the Old Age Security pension.

• Through Budget 2019, the Government has invested $90 million, over 3e years, to allow ESDC to continue to improve and modernize the Old Age Security delivery platform, and hire additional staff to process more timely Old Age Security benefit claims for seniors
• While the Department had targeted a migration date of December 2020, resources within the Department were realigned to deliver on commitments that support citizens during the pandemic, such as the payment of additional benefits to Canadians
• While the Department has been working to keep on track for a December 2020 migration date, more time is required to ensure a successful implementation

Background

Launched in 2012, the Old Age Security Service Improvement Strategy is a multi-year initiative that addresses aging IT, demographic changes, and client service expectations.

A number of key deliverables have been implemented, including automatic enrolment, streamlined applications, and e-Services. The key remaining deliverable is migrating from the current legacy system to the Information Technology Renewal Delivery System, which is currently the Canada Pension Plan platform.

OAS migration has a high degree of technical complexity and difficulty, as the operation involves moving from an old legacy system to a new platform. The OAS system is nearly 60 years old and fragile, and the migration needs to be carefully managed.

Balanced against the technical challenges is the level of risk. The Government of Canada must avoid a scenario that would put OAS recipients at risk of not receiving their payments.  Avoiding a system failure is the primary objective – whether that is a failure of the existing system, or a premature migration that puts payments at risk. 

The Department has made steady progress toward ensuring readiness for migration at the target date of December 2020, including a rigorous project management plan using agile methodology. Testing of the data migration has been run 3 times, confirming a high level of data match for migration. Further, change management activities are well advanced, including a national pilot designed to validate training and procedure materials that will support staff at migration.

As part of ongoing readiness checks prior to migration, the Department has also been monitoring development and testing of the new solution. Recent test results indicate a significant number of critical and high defects that put a successful migration at an intolerable level of risk. Unless these defects are remediated, proceeding with a migration in December 2020 would almost certainly lead to the inability to process new applications and revise benefits, creating financial hardship for seniors. As a result, the Department is assessing the viability of a revised migration date.

Prepared by
Name : Nixon Chan
Title : Manager, Major Projects Execution, Transformation Management Branch

Key contact
Name : Megan Kennedy
Title : Director General, Major Projects Execution, Transformation Management Branch
Phone number: 819‑654-4674

Approved by
Name : Benoît Long
Title : Chief Transformation Officer
Phone number: 819‑654-6949

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

As part of its last mandate, the Government had committed to index Old Age Security benefits to a Seniors Price Index. Why didn’t the Government change to this indexation as promised?

Key facts

• During its previous mandate, the Government committed to index Old Age Security benefits based on a new Seniors Price Index that reflects the cost of living faced by seniors
• Statistics Canada’s analysis showed that the Seniors Price Index is very similar to the Consumer Price Index. Therefore, Old Age Security benefits will continue to be indexed by the Consumer Price Index

Response

• We thoroughly examined the impact of indexing Old Age Security benefits to a Seniors Price Index and found that doing so would have made very little difference in helping our most vulnerable seniors make ends meet
• Assisting seniors with the cost of living remains a priority for our Government, as demonstrated by our commitment to increase the Old Age Security pension by 10% for seniors aged 75 and over
• We also took a broad range of measures since 2015 to improve seniors' social and economic well-being
• We increased the value of the Guaranteed Income Supplement for the lowest-income single seniors and allowed seniors who work to keep more of their benefits
• We also reversed the planned increase to the age of eligibility for Old Age Security benefits, introduced proactive enrolment for Canada Pension Plan benefits at age 70 and strengthened workplace pensions
• The Government of Canada will continue to ensure that the Old Age Security program remains a key pillar of our income security system for seniors

Background

Old Age Security (OAS) pension, Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Allowances amount increases are legislated under the Old Age Security Act. They are calculated 4 times a year (January, April, July and October) using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) so that benefits keep up with the inflation rate as measured by the CPI. For periods where there is a decrease in the CPI, benefit amounts are held constant.

In their previous mandate letters, the Ministers of Seniors; Families, Children and Social Development; and Finance, were asked to bring forward options to improve financial security for Canada’s seniors and those most in need, including the commitment to index OAS and GIS payments to a new Seniors Price Index (SPI).

Statistics Canada released a technical paper on June 20, 2019, providing information on the data and methods used to calculate the SPI, as well as estimates of the inflation experienced by seniors from January 2013 to August 2018.

During the study period, the CPI and the SPI showed little difference, which implies that the sub-population of seniors and the overall Canadian population are facing the same general inflation.

Key quotes

“After a lifetime of hard work, Canada’s seniors have earned a more secure and dignified retirement. They deserve a retirement filled with family and friends, not financial worries. We will continue to move forward with investments that give our seniors a better quality of life, with stronger supports to help make ends meet – especially for our most vulnerable seniors.”

– Liberal Party Platform “Forward: A Real Plan For the Middle Class”, September 29, 2019, Page 16.

“The Government remains committed to increasing Old Age Security once a senior turns 75.”

– “A stronger and more resilient Canada: Speech from the Throne to Open the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament of Canada 2020”, September 23, 2020, Page 17.

Prepared by
Name: Chloé Hammond Gauvin
Title: Junior Policy Analyst, Old Age Security Policy and Legislation
No phone number: 819-654-2369

Key contact
Name: Kevin Wagdin
Title: Director, Old Age Security Policy and Legislation
Phone number: 613-858-9247

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What is the Government of Canada doing to improve the service delivery of the Old Age Security (OAS) program through the OAS Service Improvement Strategy (SIS) (including Guaranteed Income Supplement [GIS])?

Key facts

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is supporting Canadians and improving their quality of life by modernizing the Old Age Security (OAS) program through a number of key initiatives
• Over 17,000 seniors are now automatically enrolled each month for the OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) when they turn 64, without having to complete an application. Eligible clients are enrolled a year in advance and begin receiving benefits after they turn 65
• As of August 31, 2020, over 1.4 million seniors have been automatically enrolled for OAS through the OAS auto-enrolment project
• The project has introduced new online, self-service options in order to meet the expectations of seniors, and deliver a modern service experience for Canadians. Clients can save time by making important decisions online such as adding, stopping or changing voluntary tax deductions, reviewing detailed benefit payment information, and checking the status of their application from the comfort of their home. As of September 30, 2020, over 508,000 unique users have checked their application status online
• While the Department is committed to modernize the way services are delivered, we are also taking steps to simplify the application process, to ensure Canadians receive timely benefits when they need it
• An OAS/GIS integrated application was implemented in August 2018 to support seniors not eligible for automatic enrolment, eliminating the need to complete 2 separate applications. As of September 30, 2020, over 201,000 integrated applications have been received
• The Department also launched the OAS toolkit on Canada.ca to ensure Canadians have access to accurate and up-to-date program and benefit information. As of September 30, 2020, the toolkit has been viewed over 227,000 times

Response

• The Government of Canada continues to transform and modernize the Old Age Security program and services. We have taken a number of steps, including the introduction of auto-enrolment, to ensure eligible Canadians receive the benefits to which they are entitled. As of August 31, 2020, over 1.4 million seniors have been automatically enrolled for the Old Age Security pension
• Through Budget 2019, the Government has invested $90 million, over 3 years, to allow ESDC to continue to improve and modernize the Old Age Security delivery platform, and hire additional staff to process more timely Old Age Security benefit claims for seniors

Background

Launched in 2012, the Old Age Security (OAS) Service Improvement Strategy (SIS) is a multi-year initiative to modernize the delivery of the OAS program by improving services to eligible clients, including low-income individuals, while also generating efficiencies in the processing of OAS benefits. The objectives of the OAS SIS are to:

• deliver consistent and electronic services with greater stewardship to clients
• simplify, integrate and automate delivery of OAS benefits, and
• increase efficiency and decrease operational costs

These objectives are being met by: 

• introducing automatic enrolment and streamlining the OAS application processes where possible
• migrating the OAS legacy systems to the Information Technology Renewal Delivery System and Corporate Payment Management System (CPMS) platforms to allow for integrated processing of pension benefits and payments where possible, and
• implementing a suite of e-Services and other administrative improvements

Issue

What is the Government doing to help protect seniors’ investments assets?

Key facts

• A registered retirement income fund (RRIF) is an arrangement between an individual and a carrier (an insurance company, a trust company or a bank). The individual transfers property to the carrier, and the carrier makes a payment to the individual. The minimum amount must be paid to the individual in the year following the year the registered retirement income fund (RRIF) is entered into. Earnings in a RRIF are tax-free and amounts paid out of a RRIF  are taxable on receipt

Response

• In the spring, as part of a suite of support measures, we reduced required minimum withdrawals from registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) by 25% for 2020, providing seniors with additional flexibility in the face of volatile market conditions
• The Government of Canada will continue to be there for Canadians, very much including seniors, as it has been since the start of the pandemic

Background

Individuals must start receiving registered pension plan (RPP) payments and convert their registered retirement savings plans (RRSP) to registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) (or purchase a life annuity with their RRSP funds) by the end of the year they turn 72.  Minimum RRIF withdrawals must start in the year following the year an RRSP is converted to a RRIF.

The registered retirement income funds (RRIF) minimum withdrawal factors are percentages applied to the value of the assets in the RRIF each year. The minimum withdrawal is based on the value of the assets in the RRIF on January 1st of a year; thus the value of RRIF assets at that time determines the dollar amount of the withdrawal for the year.

The 25% reduction of the required minimum withdrawals from registered retirement income funds (RRIFs) for 2020 was announced on March 18, 2020 and became law on March 25, 2020. The measure was in Bill C-13, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, which received Royal Assent on March 25, 2020.

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders

N/A

Prepared by
Name: David Gosse
Title: Policy Analyst
No phone number: 613-266-7150

Key contact
Name: Manon Therriault
Title: Manager, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit
Phone number: 819-360-0209

Approved by
Name: Nancy Milroy-Swainson
Title: Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
Phone number: 613-894-6033

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What is the Government doing to protect Canada’s seniors from fraud?

Key facts

• No current, national-level data can provide a reliable, evidence-based portrait of the prevalence of financial exploitation of seniors in Canada. That said, there is anecdotal evidence that seniors are vulnerable to financial fraud

Response

• The Government of Canada is working to implement measures to help improve the lives of seniors and their families and is taking the issue of fraud against seniors very seriously.
• Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has further isolated many seniors and increased vulnerability to fraud
• Fraud and theft are offences under the Criminal Code
• Through the National Seniors Council, the Government has been examining the issue of financial abuse of seniors
• The Government has also been implementing a number of activities to raise awareness among seniors to prevent financial abuse. For example, my Department provides funding under the New Horizons for Seniors Program to community groups to help reduce elder abuse

Background

Awareness-raising activities have been a key strategy for preventing financial abuse at the federal level. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the Canadian Revenue Agency, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the Competition Bureau, the Canadian Anti Fraud Center, and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada deliver awareness and prevention activities to help Canadians, including seniors, identify fraud, scams, and fraudulent sales practices.

Such activities include:

• New Horizons for Seniors Program: ESDC’s New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), provides funding to community-based seniors-serving organizations across Canada for projects that must focus on at least one of the five program objectives, including expanding awareness of elder abuse, which also includes raising seniors' awareness of financial abuse. Budget 2019 included significant additional funding of $100 million over five years, with $20 million per year ongoing, for the New Horizons for Seniors Program so that it can continue to improve seniors’ quality of life
• Fraud Prevention Forum: The Fraud Prevention Forum (chaired by the Competition Bureau of Canada), is comprised of nearly 100 public and private sector organizations who focus on fighting fraud aimed at consumers, including seniors
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), which is jointly managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Competition Bureau, and the Ontario Provincial Police, is a dedicated centre that collects information on mass marketing fraud and other scams impacting Canadians and disseminates that information to law enforcement agencies, private industry, and the Canadian public
• Seniors Guidebook to Safety and Security: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Seniors Guidebook to Safety and Security is an educational resource directed towards the community and, more specifically, seniors and their caregivers in recognizing elder abuse, safety concerns and frauds and scams. Education and awareness of preventative techniques can help seniors and their caregivers recognize a potential crime situation and show how the risk can be reduced or removed. The Seniors Guide to Safety and Security was first launched on Seniors Day 2015 (October 1st), and since updated, with the latest version being made available on the RCMP site in 2017
• Strengthening Financial Literacy of Seniors: Strengthening Seniors’ Financial Literacy, a strategy by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, to help seniors manage their finances, protect themselves against fraud, and plan for retirement. The Agency also develops information for Canadians and issues consumer alerts on fraud, scams, and sales practices
• Code of conduct for banks: In July 2019, the banking industry adopted a Code of Conduct for the Delivery of Banking Services to Seniors. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) will monitor banks to ensure they comply with the code. The code is an important first step in guiding banks in their delivery of services to meet the needs of seniors. Banks who have signed on to the code must abide by its principles

As part of its work plan (2018 to 2021), one of the priorities of the National Seniors Council (NSC) is to ‘Identify Measures to Address Crimes and Harms Against Seniors'.

As a first step to inform the NSC’s advice to Ministers on financial crimes and harms against seniors, the NSC hosted a town hall and expert roundtable in March 2019. This included experts, academics, community and association leaders representing groups with a broad membership base, front-line workers who have developed or led promising initiatives, and leaders in fields relating to elder abuse and financial abuse of seniors.

The focus of the event was on financial scams and harms targeting seniors perpetrated by strangers (for example, online, telephone and door-to-door scams); financial abuse and harms targeting seniors perpetrated by someone they know; and consumer protection (for example, high-pressure sales tactics, overbilling, and dealings with financial and telecommunications companies, etc.).

In summer 2019, the NSC released a What We Heard Report (WWRH) summarizing the information gathered during these events. The Council also provided recommendations to Ministers regarding ways to address crimes and harms against seniors.

The Council’s recommendations focused on:

• further disseminating existing resources and information to build awareness and capacity among seniors and stakeholders
• utilizing the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) to encourage organizations to share educational resources on financial crimes and harms
• reviewing regulatory framework and penalties related to different types of financial frauds to determine whether stricter rules are required in sectors such as retail, finance, and telecommunications
• monitoring and evaluating measures in the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2 that protect vulnerable Canadians in their dealings with banks, particularly in relation to seniors, to ensure that they are having their intended effect, and
• undertaking longitudinal research on this topic to help inform Government initiatives. There is a need for more reliable data on key trends to help policy makers develop evidence-based approaches to addressing them

Motion M-203, A Motion on Fraud Activities against Seniors, was introduced by Member of Parliament The Hon. Alice Wong (Conservative, Richmond Centre).This motion urged the Government to: (a) recognize the disproportionate effect of fraud activities against the seniors community across Canada; (b) coordinate a national response to fraud activities to ensure that seniors and other vulnerable groups have the resources they need to understand the signs of fraud; (c) establish tangible recourses for victims of fraud; and (d) work with local law enforcement agencies and the Canada Revenue Agency to introduce legislation to combat fraudulent attacks targeting vulnerable seniors. Parliament adopted the Motion on May 14, 2019.

In the 2019 federal election, the Liberal Party’s electoral platform included commitments to help protect seniors from abuse. These included a national definition of elder abuse, investing in better data collection and law enforcement, and establishing new penalties in the Criminal Code relating to elder abuse. The platform mentions that “every year, about one in ten seniors is a victim of crime, but many seniors are reluctant to report it – with only half of violent crimes against seniors reported to police, and only about a third of financial crimes being reported.”

Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by
Name: Joëlle Bastien
Title: Senior Policy Analyst, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit
No phone number:

Key contact
Name: Nancy Milroy Swainson
Title: Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
Phone number: 613-894-6033

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

What is the Government doing to combat ageism and support the labour force participation of older Canadians?

Key facts

• The labour force participation of older individuals has improved since the early 2000s and outpaced the growth of core-aged worker (25 to 54 years old) participation. The participation rate of 55 to 64 year olds increased from 50.9% in 2000 to 66.8% in 2019. However, participation among older adults still lags that of older adults in other countries (20th among OECD countries)
• In 2008, 15% of older displaced workers indicated that their largest barrier to re-employment was an “age barrier” (Statistics Canada, 2008). Moreover, in 2012, a national survey conducted by Revera found that 20% of seniors aged 66 years and older experienced age discrimination from an employer

Response

• The Government of Canada supports Canadians, including older individuals, to stay in the labour force through various initiatives
• We amended the Canada Labour Code to give employees in federally regulated industries the right to request flexible work arrangements
• Our bilateral Labour Market Development Agreements and the Workforce Development Agreements provide funding to provinces and territories for the delivery of training to individuals, including older workers
• We increased the earnings exemption under the Guaranteed Income Supplement in recognition of the contribution of seniors who continue to work
• The Forum of Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors is supporting Canadians with information on key initiatives that support Labour Force Participation of Older Workers
• The National Seniors Council is also working on identifying measures to counteract ageism , including developing a definition of ageism that reflects the diversity of older people in Canada

Background

Amendments to the Canada Labour Code, passed as part of the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, gave employees in federally regulated industries who have at least 6 months of service the right to request flexible work arrangements from their employer, such as a change to the number of hours they must work, their work schedule or their location of work. Additional changes will provide for 5 days of personal leave per year (3 of them paid) to deal with family and certain other responsibilities.

Each year, the Government of Canada provides provinces and territories (PTs) with approximately $3 billion in ongoing funding through the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs). The Government of Canada is also investing an additional $2.7 billion ($1.8 billion for the LMDAs and $900 million for the WDAs) between 2017 to 2018 and 2022 to 2023. These agreements enable PT governments to offer a range of skills training and employment supports to help Canadians improve their skills and find and keep jobs. Under these agreements, PTs have the flexibility to design and deliver employment programming that meets the needs of their local labour markets.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada is investing an additional $1.5 billion in the WDAs in 2020 to 2021. This immediate support will help respond to the increased number of Canadians looking to re-enter the workforce, and target workers and employers in sectors hardest-hit by COVID-19, as well as groups particularly disadvantaged by the pandemic. This investment will help ensure quick access to training for Canadian workers, including gig-workers and the self-employed. Canadians will have access to programs such as skills training, wage subsidies, job search assistance and career counselling.

The WDAs include dedicated funding for persons with disabilities, and can also be used to support members of underrepresented groups such as visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, youth, older workers, and newcomers to Canada. PTs can also use WDA funding to support employers seeking to train current or future employees to fill available jobs or enhance the skills of their workforce.

Through the work of the Forum of Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Seniors, jurisdictions have identified Canadian and international promising practices that support the extended working life of older workers and are undertaking further work on this topic. This includes examining public policies, which influence older workers’ decisions about labour force participation and identifying negative stereotypes about older workers with a view to proposing ways to dispel those stereotypes.

In 2018, the Forum published on “Promoting the Labour Force Participation of Older Canadians – Promising Initiatives” and in 2019 on “Understanding the impact of public policies and programs on the Labour market decisions of older workers”. Recently, the Forum developed a new report “Older Workers: Exploring and Addressing the Stereotypes” that will be published in early 2021. This report will synthesize and analyze the information pertaining to the beliefs surrounding older workers and propose strategies, approaches or mechanisms to explore and address those stereotypes.

The NSC’s work plan (2018 to 2021) includes a priority to identify measures to counteract ageism and identify ways to shift the public discourse by reducing stereotypes regarding older adults and promoting a strengths-based perspective on aging.

The NSC will develop a definition of ageism that reflects the diversity of older people in Canada and identify ways to raise awareness of ageism, its impact, and potential sources. To help move this work forward the NSC has commissioned a review and analysis of the public discourse on aging and older adults in Canada, which will also include a case study highlighting the public discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be ready to share with Ministers in spring 2021.

Key quotes

Ministers quotes / Quotes by key stakeholders

N/A

Prepared by
Name: David Gosse
Title: Policy Analyst
No phone number: 613-266-7150

Key contact
Name: Manon Therriault
Title: Manager, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit
Phone number: 819-360-0209

Approved by
Name: Nancy Milroy Swainson
Title: Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
Phone number: 613-894-6033

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue

How is the government supporting caregivers?

Key facts

• The Canada Caregiver Credit took effect as of the 2017 tax year. It simplified the existing caregiver credit system.
• In 2018 to 2019 there were approximately:
  • 8,385 claims for Employment Insurance (EI) Compassionate Care benefits (71% of which were made by women) with a total of $45.8 million in benefits paid
  • 5,475 claims for EI Family Caregiver benefit for critically ill or injured children (79% of which were made by women) with a total of $36.8 million in benefits paid, and
  • 10,106 claims for EI Family Caregiver benefit for critically ill or injured adults (69% of which were made by women) for a total of $48.3 million in benefits paid

Response

• Our Government recognizes the crucial role that many Canadians, including seniors, play in supporting family and friends with serious health conditions, disabilities or aging-related needs
• Our Government offers support to Canadians who take time off from work to provide care to family members through the Employment Insurance Family Caregiver Benefit for critical illness and the Compassionate Care Benefit
• In Budget 2017, our Government also simplified the existing caregiver credit system. The Caregiver Credit falls under the purview of my colleague, the Minister of Finance
• Our Government has also put in place measures to support Canadian workers, including caregivers, who are unable to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September, we introduced 3 recovery benefits, including the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit

Background

Key quotes

N/A

Prepared by
Name: Géraldine Cavé
Title: Senior Policy Analyst, Seniors Policy and Analysis Unit
No phone number: 613-222-3107

Key contact
Name: Nancy Milroy Swainson
Title: Director General, Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat
Phone number: 819-654-1652

Approved by
Name: Alexis Conrad
Title: Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security and Social Development Branch
Phone number: 613-868-7004

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Key facts

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) was notified of the audit on July 7, 2020
• ESDC branches are making extraordinary efforts to support OAG audit while delivering essential services to Canadians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• The audit is nearing its examination phase
• We expert to receive OAG preliminary findings on December 17, 2020
• The OAG audit report is expected to be tabled at the Parliament in March 2021

Background

In an effort to protect Canadians and the economy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada implemented on March 25, 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, which includes measures to provide immediate supports to Canadians, including emergency benefits. This required the Department to deliver policy and programs in a matter of days, in contrast to the usual development process.

As part of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, the Government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act that will pay income support to eligible Canadians and is administered through the Canada Revenue Agency.

[1 paragraph redacted]

Prepared by
Name: Sheri Ostridge
Title: Chief Audit Executive, Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Management Branch
No phone number: 902-394-6847

Key contact
Name: Majid Esanhaji
Title: Director Liaison and DAC
Phone number: 819-319-1607

Approved by
Name:
Title:
Phone number:

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Benefits

Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Benefits

Canada Recovery Benefit.

Benefits

Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

Benefits

Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.

Issue

What is the uptake of Employment Insurance following the transition of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

Key facts

• Further to the announcement on August 20, 2020, the Government of Canada transitioned from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to a simplified Employment Insurance (EI) program on September 27, 2020
• Since September 28, 2020, over 2 million EI claim applications have been received. Of these, 63% represent those that transitioned from CERB, and 37% represent new applications
• Since September 28, 94% of total claims received have been processed
• As of November 11, 2020, a total of $2.25B in benefit payments have been issued for claims established on September 28 or later
• Since September 28, EI Call Centre agents have answered almost 900,000 calls. Every day, EI Call Centre agents answer between 22,000 and 32,000 calls, which are record high volumes. Average wait times for callers can exceed one hour due to these record high number of calls

Response

The transition from CERB to the EI program ensures that the Government of Canada continues to deliver Canadians the benefits they need when they need them the most. 

• The simplification of the EI program has allowed Canadians to receive their benefits in a timely manner, despite the large volume of applications received. Of the over 2 million EI applications received since the transition, 1.87 million have been processed, and as of November 12, more than 94% were processed within 28 days
• In anticipation of the unprecedented number of EI claims, and to support EI clients, Service Canada has nearly doubled the number of specialized EI call centre agents, from 1,100 to over 2,100. Nevertheless, Canadians who need to speak to an agent should expect long wait times due to the anticipated record call volumes. Service Canada thanks Canadians needing to speak to an agent for their understanding and patience
• The Government of Canada will continue to improve and modernize its service delivery systems to ensure timely delivery of payments to Canadians

Background

The majority of Canadians who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) through Service Canada, and who continued to report a need for financial assistance, were automatically transitioned to Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits following receipt of 28 weeks of benefits or the end of the CERB payment period on October 3rd, whichever came first. Those who received CERB from CRA, and may have been eligible for EI, needed to apply.

The Department has implemented policy and processing simplification, as well as automation measures to manage the transition from CERB to EI as effectively as possible. For instance, the processing network reallocated its workforce to initiatives that maximize the speed of payment to clients and advanced preparatory work for the post-CERB claim intake.

EI program simplification is comprised of 3 new temporary measures that are in place for one year to facilitate access to EI, which, combined, have effectively set EI eligibility requirements to 120 insurable hours across Canada, with a minimum regular benefit rate of $500 per week for at least 26 weeks.

The pandemic has dramatically increased the volume of EI claims received, and similarly the enquiries to the EI call centres. To better support clients with their enquiries, EI call centres have conducted an aggressive onboarding strategy to significantly increase agent capacity. 

However, it is important to note that EI call centres did not have the capacity to meet the full EI call centre demand prior to the pandemic.  Increases to EI call centre capacity have not fully caught up to the increased call demand.  As a result, clients calling the EI call centre may experience longer wait times, and in some cases may not initially be able to connect to an agent.  EI call centres continue to onboard additional agents in order to improve this service experience, doubling the call centre network since the spring from 1,100 to over 2,100 call centre agents as of October 2020.

Prepared by
Name: Maren Delion
Title: Manager, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch

Key contact
Name: Nisa Tummon
Title: Director General, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch

Approved by
Name: Cliff Groen
Title: Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch

Date
Date approved in SADMO / COO:

Issue: Re-opening and services – Service Canada offices

Response

At this time, 296 of 317 Service Canada Centres are open. As a result, 96% of the Canadian population is within 100 kilometres of a Service Canada Centre. We are funded, we are open and we are serving clients.

Issue: EI system (individuals left out of the EI system during the pandemic)

Response:

The Government introduced the Canada Recovery Benefits Act to support workers through the next phase of the recovery, and to avoid a gap in coverage after they have received their last Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments.

The Act creates 3 new temporary Canada Recovery Benefits to provide income support to workers while promoting economic recovery with measures that encourage people to return to work. These include the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit. These benefits are  effective from September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021 and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, a set of temporary of measures were put in place on September 27, 2020 to facilitate access to EI; these measures are complementary to, but not included in, the Act. Approximately 2.8 million CERB recipients were expected to be transitioned to EI re pandemic)gular benefits, including over 400,000 workers who would not have qualified for EI without these measures. These measures include:

• an hours credit;
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week, or $300 per week for extended parental benefits
• at least 26 weeks of regular benefits
• a minimum unemployment rate of 13.1% applies to all regions across Canada, and
• an EI premium rate frozen at the 2020 premium rate for 2 years

As of November 11, 2020, 1.85 million applications for EI Regular Benefits have been processed, with $2.25 billion in benefits paid.

Issue: EI Program (individuals transitioning back to EI and forecasted uptake of CRB benefits)

Response

It was estimated that 2.8 million workers would transition from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to EI at an incremental cost of $10 billion as a result of the facilitation measures and the minimum benefit rate. The Canada Recovery Benefits were estimated to impact the following over a one year period: 900,000 workers accessing the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB); 4,400,000 workers accessing the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB); and, 700,000 workers accessing the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB). The Recovery Benefits were expected to cost $24 billion.

Issue: Changes to the EI Program

Response

In the Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada committed to reforming the EI program for the 21st century and make it the sole delivery mechanism for employment benefits, including for Canadians who did not qualify for EI before the pandemic, including for the self-employed and those in the gig economy.

Issue: Integrity - EI System

Response

The Government of Canada remains strongly committed to delivering easy to use, seamless, digitally enabled services that put the needs and expectations of Canadians first.

The Benefits Delivery Modernization (BDM) Programme is the Department of ESDC’s multi-year, incremental approach to transform all business practices and processes for the delivery of benefits programs, beginning with EI, and expanding to CPP and OAS.

Through the modernization of benefits delivery, the Government of Canada will improve the service experience for Canadians, including expanding self-service options and accelerating application processes.

Through investments in business process re-engineering, technology suite renewal and policy simplification, the BDM Programme will help deliver on commitments to streamline applications and reduce wait times for Canadians accessing the benefit programs delivered by Service Canada, and to improve the ESDC’s ability to meet established service standards.

The BDM Programme will ensure eligibility/entitlement decisions and benefit payments are accurate and consistent, fraud prevention is embedded throughout benefits delivery and the benefits delivery system is stable and reliable.

Issue: Supps B and expenditures on CERB

Response

The government had originally invested approximately $60 billion in the CERB through supps (A) and we added an additional $28 billion through supps (B) both because we were further along in the calendar year in the months that were covered and also because we added an additional 4 weeks. In supplementary estimates (A) we provided the estimate of what we were expecting to spend. Because it was Statutory, it's for information purposes only. For supplementary estimates (B) what we did was we brought it up by the $28.5 billion to get us to the funded amount. This is an up to amount. It is based on what we are projecting to spend. As of September 30th we spent just over $77 billion. We were projecting spending another $3.3 in the schedule that came in the [Inaudible] schedule. This is an up to amount and it's whatever we're planning to spend. The other element is people still have the ability to apply for the CERB up until December 2nd and go retroactive to that period. This is to be able to cover that amount.

Issue: Main Estimates and OAS

Response

There is an estimated increase of $2,211.8 million (5.2%) for the OAS pension in the 2020 to 2021 Main Estimates compared to the 2019 to 2020 Main Estimates.  This increases to $3,323.3 million when you combine OAS, GIS, and Allowances.  As a universal benefit, program expenditures for the OAS pension are expected to increase year over year largely due to an aging population (resulting in more beneficiaries) and the quarterly revision of the monthly benefit to reflect increases in the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Issue: Service Canada and Notices of Debt

Response

Under the Government of Canada’s effort to protect Canadians and the economy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) put a pause on collection activities for all of ESDC debts up to September 30, 2020. This included no issuance of Monthly Statement of Accounts (MSA) and Notice of Debt (NOD) for all programs. This decision was made to focus on supporting Canadians rather than establishing new overpayments.

As the Department transitions back to a simplified Employment Insurance (EI) program, the issuance of NODs and MSAs recommenced on November 1, 2020.

Resumption of outbound calls for all program debts (except for EI-ERB) will begin in December 2020. Active and full collection activities will resume on all ESDC debts in February 2021.

Since the transition from CERB to EI on September 28, over 2 million EI applications have been received, 1.87 million have been processed, and as of November 12, more than 94% were processed within 28 days.

Background

Temporary measures were put in place for one year to facilitate access to the EI program and to welcome more Canadian workers into the system, which included lifting the requirement that severance be considered as part of forward looking income. As a result, unemployed Canadians are not receiving new debt notifications.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) put a pause on collection activities for all of ESDC debts up to September 30, 2020. This included no issuance of the Notice of Debt (NOD) for new debts in an effort to protect Canadians and the economy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

For the period from March 15th to October 31st, 2020, no NODs were issued. However, during this same period, the EI program was concentrating on providing Canadians with the economic support they needed during a time of crisis. The decision was made to focus on supporting Canadians rather than establishing new overpayments.

The issuance of notice of debts related to the EI program are generated by the Department’s financial system and sent to clients through mail in the format of an official statement of debt.

Most pensions (CPP or OAS) overpayments are collected through offsets against ongoing monthly benefit payments. Clients are notified 30 days before recoveries take place. For overpayments where there are no ongoing benefits paid, collection actions are undertaken and clients are asked to reimburse the overpayment. This process includes the issuance of Monthly Statement of Accounts (MSA) to clients, on which the Canada Revenue Agency make collection attempts. However due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary measures were introduced which suspended collections on overpayments and the issuance of MSAs to clients.

Issue: Service Canada Service Standards for OAS and CPP

Response

The priority for ESDC as we moved to both support Canadians and ensure the safety of our employees was to implement measures so employees could work remotely, be productive, and tend to their own individual circumstances while still doing their jobs. The majority of our employees are working productively given the pressures the department has faced. Employees with previous experience and knowledge in some areas were reassigned where resources were most needed; for example, passport officers were reassigned and trained under the tightest timelines to work in the Employment and Insurance sector with the emergence of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). In terms of employees physically in the office, the number greatly varies based on location. Select Service Canada Centres have reopened. We are managing occupancy to ensure safe physical distancing to ensure the health and safety of our employees and Canadians. Some offices in our processing centres are seeing up to 25% of employees physically present in the office while our headquarters in the National Capital Region is currently working at an occupancy rate of about 3%. With the majority of ESDC employees working remotely, we have made an unprecedented investment in our network. The department had seen about 4,000 employees working remotely on a daily basis prior to the pandemic. Today, we can proudly say that an average over 25,000 employees working remotely on a daily basis with minimal network disruptions.

Response

• The Government has implemented many measures to help seniors who are isolated or facing mental health challenges due to COVID-19.
• The Government acted quickly to help seniors during the pandemic. On March 20, the Government authorized a new $9 million agreement with the United Way Centraide Canada to support local organizations that provide essential services to seniors. The Government implemented new flexibilities under the New Horizons for Seniors Program to allow organizations across the country to use previously approved project funding for essential services to seniors affected by COVID-19. In May, the Government provided an additional $20 million investment to this program and, in April, we announced $350 million for the Emergency Community Support Fund
• These measures provide organizations on the ground with the support they need to help seniors. These organizations are now able to help seniors stay connected with their families by providing electronic devices; helping with the delivery of food and medication to self-isolated seniors in their homes; and ensuring seniors receive the community support they require
• Also in response to the pandemic, the Government of Canada announced $19B in funding for Safe Restart initiatives, including $500 million targeted for mental health and substance services
• In addition, the Government announced an investment of $240.5 million to offer virtual care and mental health tools to support Canadians of all ages
• In the Speech from the Throne, the Government announced that it will work with provinces and territories to develop national standards for long-term care, introduce amendments to the Criminal Code to protect seniors in care against neglect, and take additional action to help people stay in their homes longer

1. Background

On February 27, 2020, the Government tabled the Main Estimates 2020 to 2021 in the House of Commons. At that time, HUMA extended invitations to ESDC Ministers to appear and testify. Due to the pandemic and the Prorogation of Parliament, the Main Estimates were not adopted according to the usual rules and practices of the House of Commons. With the return of Parliament in the fall, the Government re-tabled the Main Estimates as well as the Supplementary Estimates 2020 to 2021 (B).

Once the striking of Standing Committees took place and committees were formed, HUMA moved to adopt a work plan for its future business. The first item agreed upon was to invite the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development on both the Main Estimates and the Supplementary Estimates to appear on November 4. The Minister of Labour appeared on the same topic on November 24.

The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity for Committee Members to question the planned government spending for the fiscal year prior to the introduction of the appropriation bill authorizing the necessary funds, which is scheduled to take place no later than December 10. In addition, according to a motion adopted by the House of Commons, Standing Committees have until November 27 to report to the House that they have considered the Estimates.

At the request of the Committee, the November 26 meeting will be 2 hours in duration: a one-hour discussion with you and senior officials and one additional hour with senior officials only. 

2. Committee Proceedings

HUMA is composed of 12 MPs.

In the current minority Parliament, the Government does not hold the majority at HUMA. The Chair is Liberal MP Sean Casey and 2 Vice-Chairs CPC MP Peter Kent and BQ MP Louise Chabot. Mr. Kent and Ms. Chabot are Employment Critics.

Other members are:

• Han Dong (Lib)
• Rosemarie Falk (CPC)
• Leah Gazan (NDP)
• Wayne Long (Lib)
• Jamie Schmale (CPC)
• Ryan Turnbull (Lib)
• Adam Vaughan (Lib)
• Brad Vis (CPC)
• Kate Young (Lib)

It is anticipated that BQ Seniors Critic Andréanne Larouche will replace her colleague Louise Chabot for this appearance. Of note, Ms. Larouche is also the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Women and will likely raise issues relating to the vulnerability of women seniors. The NDP Seniors Critic Scott Duvall may replace NDP Member Leah Gazan. MP Duvall has previously expressed issues of concern relative to poverty amongst seniors.

You will be provided with 5 minutes for opening remarks.

HUMA has agreed that questioning of witnesses will be allocated as follows:

The first round of questioning:

• 6 minutes for the Conservative Party
• 6 minutes for the Liberal Party
• 6 minutes for the Bloc Quebecois
• 6 minutes for the New Democratic Party

For the second and subsequent rounds of questioning:

• 5 minutes for the Conservative Party
• 5 minutes for the Liberal Party
• 2.5 minutes for the Bloc Quebecois
• 2.5 minutes for the New Democratic Party
• 5 minutes for the Conservative Party
• 5 minutes for the Liberal Party

3. Parliamentary and Media Analysis

In addition to questions specific to items included in the Estimates documents, you may receive questions from opposition party members related to the following:

Seniors: COVID Response

ESDC has played a significant role in developing innovative measures to help Canadians financially through the pandemic. In general, these measures received support from opposition parties as they recognized the urgency in helping Canadians through this difficult situation. However, the Government continues to be criticized by the BQ and the NDP for not providing sufficient timely support to the most vulnerable, including seniors. Although the Government announced in May that it would provide an additional $300 to those who receive Old Age Security and an additional $200 to all who are eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement, BQ Seniors Critic Andréanne Larouche has expressed concerned that approximately 60,000 seniors may lose their guaranteed income supplements should they fail to submit their federal tax returns by November 29. She raised this issue in the House of Commons on November 5.

Speech from the Throne Commitment on Increasing OAS

The Throne Speech mentions that the Government remains committed to increasing Old Age Security for those 75 and older, and boosting the Canada Pension Plan survivor’s benefit. On social media, you highlighted that this would bolster the financial security of over 3M seniors, and lift 25,000 seniors out of poverty, 2 thirds of whom are women. The NDP and the BQ have expressed reservations about this measure since its announcement in the 2019 Liberal Platform. At HUMA, opposition parties could ask why the Government is denying seniors between the ages of 65 and 75 of an old age security increase and why they are creating 2 classes of seniors. The NDP has previously requested that the Government abandon this proposal in favour of retirement security for all Canadians.

Speech from the Throne Commitment on Long Term Care Facilities for Seniors

The difficult living conditions seniors are experiencing in long-term care centres across this country have been at the centre of the pandemic. Opposition parties may raise the issue of living conditions for seniors in general and ask about Government measures to ensure the safety and security of seniors for the remainder of the duration of the pandemic, including, the establishment of national standards for long-term care. The NDP and the BQ have been critical of the government in the issue of long-term care. Meanwhile, Erin O’Toole is in favour of a royal commission to probe Canada's response to the pandemic that would include a focus on long-term care. CPC Housing Critic Brad Vis may raise the issue during the meeting.

Committee profile

Sean Casey, Liberal Party, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Brief biography

Sean was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland but grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Saint Francis Xavier University. He worked for the New Brunswick Telephone Company before attending Dalhousie Law School, graduating in 1988. While attending Dalhousie, he was on the Student Union Executive and served as President of the Law Students Association. Upon graduating, Sean served as a summer student at what was then Scales Jenkins and McQuaid (now Stewart McKelvey) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

He continued to work with the firm and was named a partner at 29 years of age. In 2003, Sean left the firm to take a leadership role in the family business, commonly known as Paderno. That was also the year he ran his first of 4 marathons. In 2008, Sean rejoined Stewart McKelvey where he served as Regional Managing Partner. In 2011, Sean was elected the Member of Parliament of Charlottetown. He was re-elected in 2015, and again most recently in 2019. In Parliament, Sean has served most recently as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard. He has previously served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

He is currently the Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, and Chair of the Liberal Atlantic Caucus.

Wayne Long, Liberal Party, Saint John — Rothesay, New Brunswick

Brief biography

Wayne Long is a member of the Saint John community with national and international business experience. Wayne currently serves as President of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and his efforts have helped turn the team into one of Canada’s most successful CHL hockey franchises winning the cherished Memorial Cup in 2011. That same year, Wayne was recognized with the John Horman Trophy, awarded to the Top Executive in the QMJHL.

Prior to his work with the Sea Dogs, Wayne was President of Scotiaview Seafood Inc. He was also a successful large-scale product manager with Stolt Sea Farm Inc. Wayne’s work has seen him travel across North America, negotiating contracts with national restaurant distributors, restaurant chains, and retail chains. He earned the North American Excellence in Sales and Marketing award twice. Wayne is a former Board Member for Destination Marketing and Salmon Marketing.

Wayne was born in the riding, has lived in the riding 44 years, and currently calls the area home alongside his wife, Denise, and their 2 children, Khristian and Konnor.

Han Dong, Liberal Party, Don Valley North, Ontario

Brief biography

Raised and educated in Toronto, Han Dong, his sister, and his parents immigrated to Canada from Shanghai in 1990. Growing up working at his parent’s 24-hour coffee shop, Han learned the value of hard work, family, and community which ultimately lead him to public service.

In 2014, Han was elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), gaining valuable legislative experience.

Han works with a Toronto based high-tech company dedicated to building safer communities with digital neighbourhood watch technology. He has also shown leadership in promoting Toronto's diversity, currently serving as the leader of the Chinatown Gateway Committee established by Mayor John Tory.

Han and his wife Sophie, are the proud parents of Emma and Matthew.

Ryan Turnbull, Liberal Party, Whitby, Ontario

Brief biography

Ryan Turnbull is a passionate change maker, experienced entrepreneur and social innovation that has devoted his life to advance ethical leadership, social responsibility, and build a more ethical economy and society. Ryan has raised his young family in the Durham Region for over 5 years and has deep roots in the Whitby community, where he recently moved.

Ryan has taken advanced leadership training and earned an MA in philosophy from Carleton University. Ryan has taught and developed curriculum at multiple post-secondary institutions around the world. Over the last decade, Ryan has led the development of a successful social innovation consulting firm that has had a direct social impact on the organizations, communities and the people they serve, in the Durham Region and across Ontario. Ryan has worked with over 250 charitable organizations, has advised government at all levels and has led over 350 impactful projects and his work has had a direct and positive influence on the quality of life for all segments of the population including children, youth, seniors, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, women, LGBTQ2S, and many others. Ryan has also served on the board of directors for Food Secure Canada and the Ethics Practitioners’ Association of Canada.

Adam Vaughn, Liberal Party, Spadina—Fort York, Ontario

Brief biography

Adam Vaughan was first elected to the House of Commons for Trinity-Spadina on June 30, 2014. On October 19, 2015, Adam was re-elected in the new riding of Spadina-Fort York, and was re-elected for a second full term on October 21, 2019.

Adam was elected twice to Toronto City Council before voters sent him to Ottawa to represent urban issues in Parliament. As an activist and as a journalist, Adam has played a significant role in the social and economic growth of Toronto. Adam Vaughan brings a lifetime of experience to federal politics. On City Council he played a major role in reforming the planning process in the city. He led successful campaigns to rebuild and revitalize existing public housing stock while initiating new policies to create family housing, supportive housing and new co-op housing programs in Toronto.

Together with residents, he spearheaded the revitalization of the Alexandra Park community: a significant neighbourhood in Toronto that will see new affordable housing, new commercial space, a re-built community and more parkland added to the downtown. Adam Vaughan’s record in office demonstrates strong support for the arts and housing in Toronto.

While on council, he championed the expansion of OCAD University’s campus and led the campaign to save Theatre Passe Muraille. He also served on the Boards of the Toronto Arts Council, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Harbourfront Centre and Heritage Toronto. Before entering politics, Adam was a broadcast journalist for more than 20 years, specializing in municipal affairs for both the CBC and Citytv. He covered all 3 levels of government and has written about urban issues too.

In the 41st Parliament, Adam was appointed the Liberal Critic for Housing and Urban Affairs and worked with Justin Trudeau, Liberals, and local governments across the country to re-establish a national housing policy as part of a new urban agenda for Canada.

On December 2, 2015, Adam was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs. He served in this role until January 26, 2017, when he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing and Urban Affairs).

On February 1, 2017, Adam was appointed to chair an Advisory Committee on Homelessness composed of experts and stakeholders in the field of homelessness to support the renewal of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

He is currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development (Housing) and a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development, and Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Kate Young, Liberal Party, London West, Ontario

Brief biography

Kate Young was first elected Member of Parliament for London West in October 2015. She is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario). She has also served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport for Science and Sport, and for Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility (Accessibility); and Parliamentary Secretary for Transport.

Prior to being elected, Kate had a lengthy career in journalism and public relations in both the private and public sector. Best known as the first female news anchor at CFPL-TV in London, Kate was also the Manager of Public Affairs and Community Relations for the Thames Valley District School Board and Manager of Community Relations at TD Financial Group.

As a community organizer, Kate has volunteered much of her free time with organizations that directly impact London West, including the London Health Sciences Foundation Board of Directors, the Fanshawe College Board of Directors, and the Museum London Board of Directors. In 2007, London City Press Club named Kate Newsmaker of the Year for her outstanding service to the London community.

Kate has a diploma in Journalism (Broadcast) from Fanshawe College and is the proud mother of 2 children. She is also a grandma to twin boys. Kate grew up in London West, attended Westminster Secondary School, and continues to live in the riding with her partner Brian.

Rosemarie Falk, Conservative Party, Seniors Critic, Battlefords — Lloydminster, Saskatchewan

Brief biography

Rosemarie Falk is the federal Member of Parliament for Battlefords-Lloydminster. She was first elected to the House of Commons in a federal by-election on December 11, 2017.

Under the leadership of the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Rosemarie serves as the Shadow Minister for Seniors. She is also a member the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Rosemarie was born and raised in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Along with her husband Adam, she is now raising her 3 children there. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary. Throughout her work and volunteer experience, she has been actively engaged in her community working with some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Rosemarie is committed to being a strong voice for seniors, families, taxpayers and rural communities. She is in federal politics to help build a stronger Canada today and for the next generation.

Peter Kent, Conservative Party, Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Critic, Thornhill, Ontario

Brief biography

Peter Kent was first elected to the House of Commons representing Thornhill in 2008 and sworn into Cabinet as Minister of State of Foreign Affairs, responsible for the Americas.

Re-elected in 2011, Peter was appointed Canada's Environment Minister and served in that capacity until July, 2013. In October, 2013 Peter was elected Chair of the House Standing Committee on National Defence. In October, 2015 Peter was again re-elected as MP for Thornhill and appointed Deputy Critic for Foreign Affairs. In Summer, 2016 Peter was appointed as Critic of Foreign Affairs. In September, 2017 Peter was appointed Shadow Minister of Ethics.

Prior to his election to the House of Commons, Peter was a broadcast journalist, having spent more than 40 years working as a writer, reporter, producer, anchor and broadcast executive in Canada, the United States and around the world.

He covered stories that shaped the 20th Century, including momentous events such as the Vietnam and Cambodian conflicts and recovery, decades of conflict, uncertainty and hope in the Middle East, the Ethiopian famine, the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe, South Africa’s transition from the apartheid era to Mandela’s presidency, the overthrow of Idi Amin, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

Peter won a number of awards over the course of his career, including the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award. He is also a member of the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame.

A passionate believer in community involvement, Peter actively supports a number of charitable organizations. He has served as a mentor with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council and was on the Toronto cabinet of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. He remains involved with the Royal Conservatory of Music, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Jamie Schmale, Conservative Party, Families, Children and Social Development Critic, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, Ontario

Brief biography

With a strong background in radio, journalism, and federal politics, Jamie has had the honour of representing Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock in Ottawa since 2015.

Prior to entering politics, Jamie attended Fenelon Falls High School and Loyalist College, graduating from the Radio Broadcasting program. Jamie started his career as News Anchor and later News Director for CHUM Media Kawarthas. Covering news, municipal politics, and sports for 91.9FM Radio CKLY in Lindsay, Jamie covered the horrific attacks of 9/11, the blackout of 2003, and the amalgamation of the 16 municipalities of Victoria County into what is now the single-tier City of Kawartha Lakes.

Raised in Bobcaygeon, he now calls Lindsay home. A professional, father, and volunteer, Jamie is actively involved in a number of local charities and not-for-profits.

In 2014, Jamie was nominated by the Conservative party to become the next Conservative candidate for the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock (HKLB) riding. Since first being elected, he has served on various Parliamentary Committees such as the Procedure and House Affairs, Natural Resources and up until prorogation in August 2020, was the Vice Chair of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee.

In 2019, Jamie was asked to serve as the Shadow Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations under previous Leader Andrew Scheer. He is now pleased to hold the role of Shadow Minister for Families, Children and Social Development under his friend, riding neighbour and current Leader, Erin O’Toole.

Brad Vis, Conservative Party, Housing Critic, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, British Columbia

Brief biography

Born in Matsqui, British Columbia, Brad has deep roots in the Fraser Valley. The grandson of Dutch immigrants, he was raised on the values of hard work, sacrifice, integrity and determination.

Brad has spent the majority of his career working in government, politics and the agri-business sector. His professional background extends to the fields of communications, public relations and policy development.

Brad holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and a master’s degree in Political Science from Carleton University.

Elected in 2019, Brad is honoured to represent all residents of Mission–Matsqui–Fraser Canyon and is thrilled to work hard on their behalf. His mission is to raise issues and work to accomplish the goals of the riding in Ottawa rather than work as Ottawa’s representative in the riding.

Under the leadership of the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Brad serves as the Shadow Minister for Housing and is a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA).

Brad is happily married to Kathleen and the father of Declyn and Nicholas.

Leah Gazan, New Democratic Party, Families, Children and Social Development Critic, Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba

Brief biography

Leah Gazan was elected as the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre in October 2019. She is currently the NDP Critic for Children, Families, and Social Development, as well as the Deputy Critic for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. Gazan is a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament. She recently introduced a private member's bill, Bill C-232, The Climate Emergency Action Act, which recognizes the right to a healthy environment as a human right.

As an educator, advisor, and media contributor, Leah Gazan has been deeply engaged with issues and organizing in Winnipeg’s core for nearly 3 decades. Gazan has spent her life working for human rights on the local, national, and international stage. Her recent success includes organizing and traveling across the country to push Bill C-262, the Indigenous Human Rights Act.

Her contributions in Winnipeg have both shaped our understanding of our collective struggles and strengths, and helped move us towards justice. As president of the Social Planning Council between 2011- 2015, Gazan organized and pushed policy in support of an end to poverty, addressing violence against women and girls, finding solutions for housing insecurity and homelessness, ensuring fair wages, community-based actions addressing addictions, and proper supports for mental health.

Gazan was a prominent Winnipeg lead during Idle No More, articulating the movement to the Winnipeg public. Gazan also co-founded the #WeCare campaign aimed at building public will to end violence against Indigenous women and girls. Gazan is a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory.

Louise Chabot, Bloc Québecois, Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Critic, Thérèse-De Blainville, Quebec

Brief biography

Louise Chabot, born in 1955 in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Quebec, is a Quebec trade unionist and politician. She was president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) from 2012 to 2018. This organization represents nearly 200,000 members, including 130,000 in the education and early childhood sector. She coordinated a major unionization project that resulted in the grouping of more than 15,000 family child care providers, a first in the Canadian union movement. On October 21, 2019, she was elected Member of Parliament for the riding of Thérèse-de-Blainville under the banner of the Bloc Québécois.