Support for Responsible OAS Reform Keeps Growing
Community, media, and political leaders from the left, right, and centre know it’s time to update OAS to eliminate seniors' poverty and improve affordability for young and working age people. Here's what they're saying.
The Basic Income Canada Network (BICN) formally endorses Gen Squeeze’s plan to Fix OAS as a strategy to increase Canada’s national ambition to reduce poverty even in this difficult era of austerity.
BICN advances human-rights based public policy that ensures everyone has enough income to meet basic needs, live with dignity, and participate in society and the economy.
The Basic Income Canada Network (BICN) formally endorses Gen Squeeze’s plan to Fix OAS as a strategy to increase Canada’s national ambition to reduce poverty even in this difficult era of austerity.
BICN advances human-rights based public policy that ensures everyone has enough income to meet basic needs, live with dignity, and participate in society and the economy.
Therefore be it resolved that the Health Officers Council be of the position that: The federal government should restructure OAS to ensure that it is optimized to improve population health outcomes.
and be it further resolved that: The federal government considers phasing out OAS benefits at a threshold similar to other federal income tested benefits to better align funding distribution with population health benefit.
and be it further resolved that: A portion of the savings from this restructuring be used to significantly reduce seniors’ poverty by increasing incomes for seniors below the official poverty measure;
and be it further resolved that: The remaining savings be invested to improve the social determinants of health for younger generations, including through enhanced supports for housing, childcare, postsecondary education, and poverty reduction.
Therefore be it resolved that the Health Officers Council be of the position that: The federal government should restructure OAS to ensure that it is optimized to improve population health outcomes.
and be it further resolved that: The federal government considers phasing out OAS benefits at a threshold similar to other federal income tested benefits to better align funding distribution with population health benefit.
and be it further resolved that: A portion of the savings from this restructuring be used to significantly reduce seniors’ poverty by increasing incomes for seniors below the official poverty measure;
and be it further resolved that: The remaining savings be invested to improve the social determinants of health for younger generations, including through enhanced supports for housing, childcare, postsecondary education, and poverty reduction.
The Health Officers Council of BC represents provincial public health physicians.
Read the full text of the July 2026 Health Officers Council Resolution here.
The quiet bargain our politics increasingly offers my generation is this: lower your expectations so nobody else has to sacrifice. Most Canadians, including many seniors, would reject that bargain if we discussed it honestly.
There is evidence they already do. A large majority of retirees support reducing OAS for higher-income households if the savings help eliminate seniors’ poverty and improve affordability for younger Canadians.
The quiet bargain our politics increasingly offers my generation is this: lower your expectations so nobody else has to sacrifice. Most Canadians, including many seniors, would reject that bargain if we discussed it honestly.
There is evidence they already do. A large majority of retirees support reducing OAS for higher-income households if the savings help eliminate seniors’ poverty and improve affordability for younger Canadians.
If we're serious about building Canada Strong, we need to fix OAS
Ipolitics, September 21, 2026
Our social spending heavily favours older people at the expense of younger generations… [OAS and GIS] are an important part of our social welfare but they were designed for a different time.
OAS, which is funded entirely from general taxpayer revenue, is projected to increase from $55 billion in 2024 to over $90 billion by 2030 – a 64% increase in just six years. This rapid growth is happening while the very generations expected to fund these payments are facing unprecedented economic challenges.
Our social spending heavily favours older people at the expense of younger generations… [OAS and GIS] are an important part of our social welfare but they were designed for a different time.
OAS, which is funded entirely from general taxpayer revenue, is projected to increase from $55 billion in 2024 to over $90 billion by 2030 – a 64% increase in just six years. This rapid growth is happening while the very generations expected to fund these payments are facing unprecedented economic challenges.
Brighter Futures: Giving Every Child a Head-Start Fund. March 10, 2025
While Old Age Security (OAS) has become more generous over the last 50 years, government transfers to younger Canadians remain unchanged.
Canada is overdue for a broader debate on intergenerational fairness and how our taxes and benefits support — and exclude —different age groups. We continue to live with programs designed by baby boomers to provide security to seniors — even if they are well off. Yet young adults in our country face challenges entering the labour market, securing stable employment and saving to build some measure of economic security in the face of rising costs in almost every sector.
While Old Age Security (OAS) has become more generous over the last 50 years, government transfers to younger Canadians remain unchanged.
Canada is overdue for a broader debate on intergenerational fairness and how our taxes and benefits support — and exclude —different age groups. We continue to live with programs designed by baby boomers to provide security to seniors — even if they are well off. Yet young adults in our country face challenges entering the labour market, securing stable employment and saving to build some measure of economic security in the face of rising costs in almost every sector.
A youth employment supplement could rebalance Canada’s generational divide
Kiran Gill and Matthew Mendelsohn, February 12, 2026
Youth have not been a sufficiently high priority for federal spending. For example, while Old Age Security (OAS) is projected to see a $28 billion annual spending increase by 2029, youth unemployment funding is expected to increase by less than $1 billion. Fourteen billion dollars is currently spent on OAS subsidies to high-income retiree households. Old Age Security could be reformed by slowing the growth of payments to households with six-figure incomes. This would free up $7–$8 billion annually. A portion of these funds could be redirected to investments in post-secondary education, housing, or other youth unemployment-related policies.
Youth have not been a sufficiently high priority for federal spending. For example, while Old Age Security (OAS) is projected to see a $28 billion annual spending increase by 2029, youth unemployment funding is expected to increase by less than $1 billion. Fourteen billion dollars is currently spent on OAS subsidies to high-income retiree households. Old Age Security could be reformed by slowing the growth of payments to households with six-figure incomes. This would free up $7–$8 billion annually. A portion of these funds could be redirected to investments in post-secondary education, housing, or other youth unemployment-related policies.
We Can't Ignore This: Confronting the Crisis of Youth Unemployment. Report of Roundtable on the Crisis of Youth Unemployment, 2026
Co-Sponsored by Senators Andrew Cardozo, Amina Gerba, Katherine Hay, Danièle Henkel, Marilou McPhedran, Farah Mohamed, Kristopher Wells
Among income security programs in Canada, OAS is unusual in the generosity it shows to wealthier families. The income at which benefits are reduced, coupled with a low reduction rate, means a couple with a combined income exceeding $300,000 could conceivably still receive a small OAS benefit. These funds would be better spent if they were redirected to seniors in greatest need.
Among income security programs in Canada, OAS is unusual in the generosity it shows to wealthier families. The income at which benefits are reduced, coupled with a low reduction rate, means a couple with a combined income exceeding $300,000 could conceivably still receive a small OAS benefit. These funds would be better spent if they were redirected to seniors in greatest need.
There’s a lot of work to do, but some top-line items, OAS is a big one. Essentially, we need to make sure that seniors, of course, stay out of poverty, but we should not be funding their luxury retirements because that’s not the point of these policies, and it’s really hurting younger generations and putting them in a position where they’re going to be paying off this debt for years and years to come. OAS should be cut off at the average income of Canadians of all ages.
There’s a lot of work to do, but some top-line items, OAS is a big one. Essentially, we need to make sure that seniors, of course, stay out of poverty, but we should not be funding their luxury retirements because that’s not the point of these policies, and it’s really hurting younger generations and putting them in a position where they’re going to be paying off this debt for years and years to come. OAS should be cut off at the average income of Canadians of all ages.
Are Boomers Bankrupting the Future?. Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux, The Missing Middle Podcast. November 26, 2026
Old Aged Security… has become a morally unjustifiable upward transfer of wealth from struggling young people to high income seniors. I hope that the @CPC+_HQ will have the courage and integrity to demand similar common sense reforms!
Old Aged Security… has become a morally unjustifiable upward transfer of wealth from struggling young people to high income seniors. I hope that the @CPC+_HQ will have the courage and integrity to demand similar common sense reforms!
Posted on X. September 22, 2026
Canada has been forced to revisit long-standing growth models amidst geopolitical and economic turmoil. But few files show the strain on legacy policy architecture more clearly than those meant to support Canadians as they age.”
OAS is a practical place to begin [reforms] because it was built for a different era and no longer reflects today’s demographic and socioeconomic realities.
Its broad-based structure is increasingly hard to defend as trade-offs across competing priorities— and generations—mount.
Putting redesign on the table should not be about revisiting old ideological fights. It should be framed as an opportunity to give Canadians across the lifecycle a more credible and practical financial foothold in an era of longevity—one they may judge less at the ballot box than in their own pocketbooks.
Canada has been forced to revisit long-standing growth models amidst geopolitical and economic turmoil. But few files show the strain on legacy policy architecture more clearly than those meant to support Canadians as they age.”
OAS is a practical place to begin [reforms] because it was built for a different era and no longer reflects today’s demographic and socioeconomic realities.
Its broad-based structure is increasingly hard to defend as trade-offs across competing priorities— and generations—mount.
Putting redesign on the table should not be about revisiting old ideological fights. It should be framed as an opportunity to give Canadians across the lifecycle a more credible and practical financial foothold in an era of longevity—one they may judge less at the ballot box than in their own pocketbooks.
[Prime Minister] Carney and the boomers can save Canada” by implementing Gen Squeeze’s plan to Fix OAS.
[Prime Minister] Carney and the boomers can save Canada” by implementing Gen Squeeze’s plan to Fix OAS.
How Mark Carney and the baby boomers can save Canada. National Observer, August 18, 2025
...no responsible fiscal plan is possible without reining in the costs of Old Age Security payments. Right now, OAS payments are sent to seniors whose retirement years are amply secure. A couple with an $181,000 household income would together receive annual payments of nearly $18,000, without benefits being clawed back. Taxing poorer, younger Canadians to cut cheques for wealthy retirees is nonsensical at the best of times, and incomprehensible when debt costs are surging.
...no responsible fiscal plan is possible without reining in the costs of Old Age Security payments. Right now, OAS payments are sent to seniors whose retirement years are amply secure. A couple with an $181,000 household income would together receive annual payments of nearly $18,000, without benefits being clawed back. Taxing poorer, younger Canadians to cut cheques for wealthy retirees is nonsensical at the best of times, and incomprehensible when debt costs are surging.
The next steps the Liberals must take to restore Canada’s fiscal stability. The Globe and Mail, November 9, 2025
Old Age Security needs to be reformed — not expanded... The problem is the program’s clawback thresholds are too high... Only seniors earning above $148,000* are entirely ineligible. And because the program does not look at family income, a senior couple who together earn as much as $296,000* could still be eligible for some Old Age Security.
Another worthy reform would be for the government to look at the family income of senior couples when determining eligibility for Old Age Security — a concept the government already applies to various other programs. Family income is considered for the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Dental Care Plan, the GST/HST credit and, indeed, OAS’s sister program, the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The income threshold for many of these programs is far less generous than it is for Old Age Security.
In short, there is much the federal parties could do to make Old Age Security more effective, affordable and fair. Simply increasing payouts to those who are already eligible misses the mark.
* 2026 figures are $186,000 of household income for full eligibility, with partial eligibility up to $304,000 for those ag 65-74 and $314,000 for those age 75+.
Old Age Security needs to be reformed — not expanded... The problem is the program’s clawback thresholds are too high... Only seniors earning above $148,000* are entirely ineligible. And because the program does not look at family income, a senior couple who together earn as much as $296,000* could still be eligible for some Old Age Security.
Another worthy reform would be for the government to look at the family income of senior couples when determining eligibility for Old Age Security — a concept the government already applies to various other programs. Family income is considered for the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Dental Care Plan, the GST/HST credit and, indeed, OAS’s sister program, the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The income threshold for many of these programs is far less generous than it is for Old Age Security.
In short, there is much the federal parties could do to make Old Age Security more effective, affordable and fair. Simply increasing payouts to those who are already eligible misses the mark.
* 2026 figures are $186,000 of household income for full eligibility, with partial eligibility up to $304,000 for those ag 65-74 and $314,000 for those age 75+.
Editorial: Old Age Security must be reformed — not expanded. Canadian Affairs, October 4, 2024
While some programs such as the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provide additional income support to low-income seniors, OAS provides support to many upper middle-income seniors… Increasing OAS payments will cost billions each year while supplementing the income of many seniors who aren’t in need.
While some programs such as the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provide additional income support to low-income seniors, OAS provides support to many upper middle-income seniors… Increasing OAS payments will cost billions each year while supplementing the income of many seniors who aren’t in need.
Canadians should understand costs of expanding Old Age Security. Fraser Institute, October 13, 2024
We can no longer treat staggeringly expensive programs like OAS, along with the broader network of senior-focused supports, as untouchable. If these programs were recalibrated, lower-income seniors could remain protected while affluent ones received less. Those reductions would add billions that could help younger Canadians make ends meet, reduce public debt, and fund transit, clean energy, education and health care.
We can no longer treat staggeringly expensive programs like OAS, along with the broader network of senior-focused supports, as untouchable. If these programs were recalibrated, lower-income seniors could remain protected while affluent ones received less. Those reductions would add billions that could help younger Canadians make ends meet, reduce public debt, and fund transit, clean energy, education and health care.
The Great Generational Rip Off, September 22 2026
Ottawa should not increase OAS benefits because...
"We need to avoid worsening intergenerational frictions in Canada and to conserve needed fiscal room for spending on other priority areas... the public pillars of our current retirement income system provide robust income supports.”
Ottawa should not increase OAS benefits because...
"We need to avoid worsening intergenerational frictions in Canada and to conserve needed fiscal room for spending on other priority areas... the public pillars of our current retirement income system provide robust income supports.”
Ottawa must not bow to the Bloc and boost Old Age Security for younger seniors. Published in the Globe and Mail, September 26, 2024
A married couple receiving OAS with no clawback with a household income of almost $200,000… Seniors are very well looked after in Canada.
For younger Canadians: “even if they’re more trained and more educated, they’re into jobs that are a long long way from a combined household incomes of $200,000.”
A married couple receiving OAS with no clawback with a household income of almost $200,000… Seniors are very well looked after in Canada.
For younger Canadians: “even if they’re more trained and more educated, they’re into jobs that are a long long way from a combined household incomes of $200,000.”
Generational inequality and the West Coast pipeline. The Hub, October 10, 2025
Tightening OAS eligibility is of course a terrible political move for a Prime Minister who owes his win to Boomers who trusted him to preserve their status quo, but it is a necessary move for a Prime Minister – or anyone, frankly – who can recognize that it is patently insane to keep handing out billions of dollars to wealthy seniors in this economic environment. If Mr. Carney is indeed “completely focused on getting our economy back on track,” he will ignore the political noise, and do it.
Tightening OAS eligibility is of course a terrible political move for a Prime Minister who owes his win to Boomers who trusted him to preserve their status quo, but it is a necessary move for a Prime Minister – or anyone, frankly – who can recognize that it is patently insane to keep handing out billions of dollars to wealthy seniors in this economic environment. If Mr. Carney is indeed “completely focused on getting our economy back on track,” he will ignore the political noise, and do it.
Canada needs to rein in spending. How about we stop handing out billions to wealthy seniors?. The Globe and Mail, October 23, 2025
Ottawa’s increasing OAS spending dedicates scarce public resources on the by-and-large much more well-off older generations. Canadians aged 65 and older have a median net worth now above $1 million, compared to Canadians under 35 having a median net worth of only $48,000, according to research conducted by CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs Darrell Bricker. Missing Middle Initiative founding director and Hub contributor Mike Moffatt calculated that, on average, the income of men older than 65 now surpasses the average income of men aged 25 to 34, with seniors making more than $60,000.
Ottawa’s increasing OAS spending dedicates scarce public resources on the by-and-large much more well-off older generations. Canadians aged 65 and older have a median net worth now above $1 million, compared to Canadians under 35 having a median net worth of only $48,000, according to research conducted by CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs Darrell Bricker. Missing Middle Initiative founding director and Hub contributor Mike Moffatt calculated that, on average, the income of men older than 65 now surpasses the average income of men aged 25 to 34, with seniors making more than $60,000.
Federal spending on Old Age Security will outpace child care, housing, and postsecondary education combined. The Hub, November 21, 2025
OAS benefit increases are “really bad policy… Meeting people’s needs, especially the elderly, that’s very important. But understand this is not targeted to those who need it. This is universal. It’s a bad idea. It’s too expensive.”
OAS benefit increases are “really bad policy… Meeting people’s needs, especially the elderly, that’s very important. But understand this is not targeted to those who need it. This is universal. It’s a bad idea. It’s too expensive.”
Intergenerational equity is strained across the advanced world. Social welfare systems designed and enjoyed by previous generations will prove, absent reform, unaffordable for future ones.
Intergenerational equity is strained across the advanced world. Social welfare systems designed and enjoyed by previous generations will prove, absent reform, unaffordable for future ones.
Values: Building a Better World for All, p. 11
When the Conservatives formed government in 2012, Pierre Poilievre supported OAS reform. He argued that by the early 2030s:
"...the number of people on OAS will double, the cost will triple, and the number of taxpayers supporting each retiree will fall by half… We need to think of OAS as a glass of water. Retirees can only drink out of the cup in benefits what workers pour into it in taxes. If Canadians are drinking out of the cup faster than what is poured in, then someone goes thirsty."
When the Conservatives formed government in 2012, Pierre Poilievre supported OAS reform. He argued that by the early 2030s:
"...the number of people on OAS will double, the cost will triple, and the number of taxpayers supporting each retiree will fall by half… We need to think of OAS as a glass of water. Retirees can only drink out of the cup in benefits what workers pour into it in taxes. If Canadians are drinking out of the cup faster than what is poured in, then someone goes thirsty."
House of Commons Hansard, May 7, 2012
