The National Institute on Ageing Calls on Political Parties to Let Poor Older Adults Work
As Canadians head into the 2025 federal election, one major issue remains largely overlooked: financial security for low-income older adults. A new policy document from the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), Let Poor Older Adults Work: Policy Recommendations for an Improved GIS, calls on political leaders to act now to protect Canada’s most vulnerable older adults.
The report, led by the National Institute on Ageing’s Senior Fellow John Stapleton, proposes an urgent reform to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): raising the annual earnings exemption to $10,000 and indexing it to inflation. Currently, low-income older adults who work beyond a $5,000 threshold face steep clawbacks, discouraging employment and worsening financial insecurity.
