Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, for giving me an opportunity to talk about the Government of Canada's pension benefits.

Canada's population is aging, and Canadians are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. This extended longevity is a good thing and should be celebrated, because it leads to more knowledge, expertise, and experience present in our communities.

Canada's population is aging, and Canadians are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. This extended longevity is a good thing and should be celebrated, because it leads to more knowledge, expertise, and experience present in our communities.

This demographic shift creates new possibilities that must be recognized. It also brings about new challenges that we must face.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my colleague that our government took further action to better meet the needs of seniors just this year.

I would remind my hon. colleague that our government has taken further actions to better meet the needs of seniors.

We implemented automatic enrolment for the guaranteed income supplement in December. This means that fewer Canadians have to submit a written request to have access to their old age security benefits from the Government of Canada. The first two phases of automatic enrolment for old age security benefits were implemented in 2013 and 2016.

Thanks to this initiative, half of people turning 65 this year no longer have to fill out this type of administrative paperwork. The government sends them a letter when they turn 64 informing them that they do not need to submit an application and that they will receive their pension automatically the month after they turn 65. If they do not receive this notice, they can download the form online, telephone the department, or visit any one of the 320 Service Canada locations across the country.

Members will be pleased to learn that payment of the guaranteed income supplement benefits, which support low-income seniors, will now also be done through automatic enrolment. As a result, everyone who automatically receives an old age security pension will also automatically be enrolled for the guaranteed income supplement if eligible.

We are well aware that many seniors, including, in particular, many women, depend almost exclusively on old age security and guaranteed income supplement benefits. That is why we are implementing effective measures that help seniors access the benefits to which they are entitled. As well, we have boosted those benefits, lifting close to 90,000 seniors out of poverty in the last year alone.

Adam Vaughan

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Adjournment Proceedings

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