THREE WINS FROM FIXING OLD AGE SECURITY

By giving a little less taxpayer cash to 1 in 5 relatively well-off retirees, we could:

• Eliminate poverty for ALL seniors
• Support younger Canadians with affordable housing, child care, and education
• Move Canada closer to a balanced budget

This election, join us in calling on all parties to offer voters to a positive, financially responsible approach to OAS that will better position Canada to respond to US economic threats.

Support our win-win-win plan

We have a win-win-win plan to ensure that the big investments Canadians make in retirees achieve goals we all want:

• Eliminate seniors’ poverty
• Make sure young people have access to affordable homes, education and child care
• Set the federal budget on track for balance, so we don’t live beyond our means

Their voices reinforce what we’ve heard across Canada. Three quarters of Canadians (and three quarters of seniors) support asking retiree households with incomes above $100k to accept smaller OAS payments that would reduce their taxable income by about $3,200. Check out full poll results here.

OUR WIN-WIN-WIN PLAN

Our number crunching shows an obvious and affordable path forward — one that most Canadians support. This is one of those rare occasions when a win-win-win is squarely within reach!

The answer is to better align OAS payments with Canadians' values about who needs taxpayer support. This means asking the 1 in 5 retirees with  household incomes over $100k to take about $3,200 less from the public purse. This one change would save $36 billion over five years.

Here's what we accomplish with these dollars:

• Lift all seniors out of poverty — just under a half-million people. Price tag: $12 billion
• Deliver extra financial support to low-income seniors. Price tag: $4 billion
• Double proposed spending increased for affordable housing. Price tag: $6 billion
• Double proposed spending increased on postsecondary education. Price tag: $5 billion
• Add 50% to investments in affordable child care. Price tag: $5 billion
• Start paying down the deficit. Price tag: $4 billion

Three quarters of Canadians approve — including seniors. Even Canada’s main seniors’ lobby (the Canadian Association of Retired Persons) is on the record saying that it’s time for a rethink of OAS thresholds. 

SUPPORT THIS PLAN

Convinced? Join us in telling federal leaders that it’s time to act on this bold vision.

Add your voice

Want to do more?

Check out our toolkit key messages, social media content, and advice on op-ed and letter writing.

Share our graphics and videos with your friends, family and colleagues — and your political reps.

Reach out to election candidates from all parties. Now’s a good time to make sure they’re listening, as the clock ticks down to the April 28 federal election.