NDP secures government support for Canadian seniors and people living with disabilities facing financial hardship amid COVID-19

OTTAWA - Yesterday, the NDP secured a firm commitment for government support for seniors and people living with disabilities. Since the beginning of the pandemic shut down, seniors and people living with disabilities have been struggling to make ends meet with extra costs.

"I am happy to see that the government is moving in the right direction and I will continue to work with the Minister to deliver the help seniors need to afford the increasing cost of living during this pandemic," said NDP Critic for Seniors, Scott Duvall (Hamilton Mountain). "The NDP won't stop fighting to make life more affordable for seniors. No one should be left behind in this time of crisis."

The NDP’s bid to have the government immediately examine the best way to deliver help to seniors and people living with disabilities during the pandemic was incorporated into the all-party motion passed during Wednesday's emergency sitting of the House of Commons. This includes looking at Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement as potential ways to get the job done. The motion specifies that action must be taken without delay.

“Instead of adopting a universal approach to help Canadians through the pandemic, Liberals chose to launch a complicated series of programs that left seniors and people living with disabilities behind,” said NDP Critic for Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona). “It took a lot of work to get them to admit there was a problem and we’ll keep working hard until seniors and people living with disabilities receive tangible financial relief.”​