“What are you going to do for the seniors? “

They have worked their whole lives. But their retirement does not look like the dream life they were given in the advertisements for Liberté 55. No, they do not sail around the world. They hang out at McDonald’s, Tim Hortons and in parks because they can’t afford anything else. For many seniors, retirement rhymes with financial insecurity. And they hope that politicians will hear their cry from the heart and increase their old age income to allow them, if not living in luxury, to meet their basic needs.

“What are you going to do for the seniors? That’s the question 82-year-old Dorothy would like to ask politicians. The white-haired lady hides her toothless smile behind her mask. It bothers her not to have lower teeth; his dignity takes a hit. And that causes him health problems, because not being able to chew properly causes him stomach pain.

But she has no choice but to get used to it. With an income of around $ 1,500 a month, the old lady cannot afford the “luxury” of going to the dentist. “I’m trying to save a little to get my teeth fixed, but I can’t. I would need glasses too, but it costs hundreds of dollars. I don’t have any money for this. “

Dorothy isn’t the only senior struggling to make ends meet. Diane Boileau, 65, and her husband, Basile Savopoulos, 72, “just arrived” with their old age pension and retirement funds. “Luckily there are two of us, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do it,” says the lady. The elderly couple have lived in the same accommodation in the Parc-Extension district for 33 years. They couldn’t afford to move, even if they wanted to. Once all the basic expenses have been paid – rent, groceries, electricity, cable, and the Internet – they’re only left with $ 200 a month. “It’s not luxury! Diane pleads. We’ve worked our whole life. And today, we are tight. We would like to travel, but we can’t afford it. We go camping, but that’s expensive too. And the rest of the time, we take steps. “

In Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Isabelle Desjardins, a 72-year-old artist, works on her flowers in the community garden. “The federal pension is what saves me,” she says. I’m just arriving, but that’s because I live in a subsidized housing co-op. That’s what makes me survive. “

Her friend Diane Jutras, 69, arrives at the lot they share: she comes to get tomatoes for dinner. She describes her lifestyle as “voluntary simplicity”, although her frugality is not necessarily a choice. “I sold my car because I couldn’t afford to keep it anymore. I live in a co-op, I share everything I can, even my Internet connection. I have to live in a different way. “

Claims

The precariousness of the elderly is at the heart of the demands of the FADOQ Network. “Right now, a person who receives only Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits has an annual income of $ 18,505. This sum does not even reach the official poverty line in Canada, which stands at around $ 21,000 in the Montreal region, ”said the organization for the defense of the rights of the elderly in a document intended for seniors. political parties.

In its last budget, the Trudeau government made a commitment to increase old age security benefits by 10%, but only for people aged 75 and over. However, the FADOQ “is indignant” of this “discrimination”, which creates “two classes of seniors”, and asks that this increase apply to all seniors, from the age of 65 years. She is also calling for a $ 50 per month increase in guaranteed income supplement benefits for seniors.

The organization is also asking for better protection of pension funds by the federal government. “The workers are not responsible for the accumulated deficits, argues the FADOQ. They should therefore also not be collateral victims when their employers go bankrupt. “

Finally, in a context of an aging population, the FADOQ is asking for the indexation of the Canada Health Transfer of 6% annually to allow “the expansion of access to care” for the elderly and better financial support for them. caregivers.

Although several elders met by The duty do not feel heard by politicians, “six of FADOQ’s seven priorities are found in one or more platforms” of political parties, assesses the president of the organization, Gisèle Tassé-Goodman.

Promises

The word “senior” comes up 39 times in the Liberal Party’s platform, which promises to increase the guaranteed income supplement by $ 500 per year for seniors living alone and $ 750 for those in a couple. It also pledges to “continue to implement its plan to increase Old Age Security benefits by 10% next year for seniors aged 75 and over.”

In the area of ​​health, a Liberal government would invest $ 9 billion over five years to improve the services provided in long-term care centers for the elderly. Remember that many shortcomings in CHSLDs have been brought to light because of the pandemic.

They promise sea and people during the elections, but after that, we don’t hear about them anymore

The Conservatives cite the word “senior” 29 times in their platform. There is no commitment to increase the guaranteed income supplement or the old age security benefit, but we promise to better protect pension funds. We also want to help seniors who work part-time to increase their retirement income by doubling the Canada workers benefit, which, according to the CCP, is equivalent to a salary increase of $ 1 per hour for seniors at low income.

The Conservative Party is focusing on keeping seniors at home by offering a benefit of $ 200 per month to families caring for a parent at home and tax credits for medical expenses. It is also committed to “repairing long-term care” by injecting 3 billion over three years in infrastructure.

In the NDP, the word “senior” appears only five times on the platform. In particular, it promises the establishment of a “pan-Canadian strategy for seniors”, a universal public drug insurance plan including dental care and tax credits for natural caregivers.

Finally, at Bloc Quebecois, the word “elder” is counted 11 times in the platform. Opposing the Liberal promise to increase the old age pension only for people aged 75 and over, the Bloc is asking for it to be increased from age 65. The Bloc is also demanding the right of low-income seniors to work more without penalty, and health transfers.

The modesty of the elderly

While FADOQ takes the time to analyze the platforms of each of the parties, this is not the case for all the seniors met by The duty. Even if they had several concerns, few say they vote according to party promises concerning the elderly.

Many of them refuse to say who they will vote for, claiming that this is something that must remain “secret”. This is the case with Dorothy, who has always voted for the same party – the same as her parents at the time – regardless of the performance of the leaders and their commitments.

Others do not hesitate to affirm their support for Justin trudeau, “A family man” who “helped everyone” during the pandemic, or to Yves-Francois Blanchet, “Who knows his files well and who does not have the language of wood.”

And some, as in all fringes of society, vote for “the least worse”, hoping for better days. “It’s the same thing all the time: they promise sea and people during the elections, but after that, we no longer hear about it”, summarizes Basile Savopoulos.

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