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LETTER: senior who still needs temp work lost GIS

Changes to GIS could be done by Cabinet Order, ahead of House of Commons starting again Nov 22.

Island Social Trends

November 3, 2021

seniors, finance — Some seniors who collected CERB are now losing their Guaranteed Income Supplement.

BC 2024 Provincial Election news analysis

Wednesday November 3, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC

Editor’s note:

On November 3, 2021 the NDP has taken a next-step to pushing the federal government to reinstate the GIS payments that have been clawed back from seniors who took CERB and CRB.
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”. On October 21, CRB was cancelled by the Liberal Government effective October 23, 2021.
The clawback can be reversed by an Order in Cabinet, or by legislation.
The new federal Cabinet was announced October 26, 2021 and the House of Commons will resume November 22, 2021.

LETTER SUBMITTED TO ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS

What a great article from August 5, 2021 (on GIS). I just googled the problem and this article came up.

I live in Vancouver, am a Senior who picks up temp work to supplement my income. So I applied to CERB, CRB and then in August received a letter that my GIS would be cut from July 2021-22.

Now that my CRB has been cut as well, I receive less than $1,000 a month. It’s ridiculous and from your article I’m made aware that if I had applied for the benefits from Service Canada, I would still be receiving my GIS. Is that correct? What to do?

These were extraordinary times and we had no indication that these benefits would compromise our pension in any way. The government needs to continue our GIS asap.

~ Kathryn Harris, Vancouver

Editor’s Note: Canada Revenue Agency says that only people who have paid into the Employment Insurance (EI) program could have applied for the CERB/CRB through Service Canada (gig workers and self-employed were not able to apply through Service Canada). Temporary workers who receive a pay stub showing EI contributions may be able to appeal or reapply through Service Canada (a form can be requested from CRA). Meanwhile, the CRB program ended October 23, 2021.

Letters to the editor may be submitted to letters@islandsocialtrends.com