Thursday August 26, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC
LETTER SUBMITTED TO ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS: by Dede Higgins
Editor’s note:
- GIS is the Guaranteed Income Supplement paid to seniors who are income-challenged.
- CERB is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit as available in 2020.
- CRB is the Canada Recovery Benefit for self-employed and non-EI recipients. | Locally, Alistair MacGregor, MP (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford) told Island Social Trends just before the election that he is “surprised that no one in the government could see this was going to be an issue”.
- Evidently the clawback can only be reversed by legislation, which means it’s not even possible until after the September 20, 2021 election (realistically not even feasible until the 44th Parliament gets up and running, which might not be until October or November 2021).
I am a senior who now has lost the GIS because I received the CERB through the CRA.
Months ago we were told by Mr Trudeau that the CERB did not have to be paid back. Now the CRA is taking advantage of low income seniors by denying us the GIS as a “back door” way of getting the CERB paid back.
I lost $750 a month and can’t pay my September rent.
I hope this plan by the CRA is soon not allowed at all.
Thank you. ~ Dede Higgins, Toronto, Ontario
Letters to the editor may be submitted to letters@islandsocialtrends.com
===== RELATED:
LETTER: Retired & depending on GIS (August 19, 2021)
LETTER: Suddenly losing Guaranteed Income Supplement by receiving CERB (August 10, 2021)
LETTER: Seniors suddenly losing Guaranteed Income Supplement if they took CERB (August 7, 2021)
Seniors who took CERB now losing GIS supplement & other benefits (August 4, 2021)
