As a result of their deliberations, committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That Employment and Social Development Canada work with Finance Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to review and strengthen existing federal income support programs for vulnerable seniors to ensure they provide adequate income. In strengthening existing programs, the Committee recommends that the government:

• Increase resources to Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency, particularly for telephone and in-person services, as well as public education to ensure that all seniors get the benefits to which they are entitled and within reasonable timeframes.
• Implement a public education campaign and train Service Canada personnel to ensure vulnerable seniors understand the rules related to the Guaranteed Income Supplement and Registered Retirement Savings Plan withdrawals.
• Provide information and education to encourage those who are financially secure to delay receiving Old Age Security.
• Review the indexation of the Guaranteed Income Supplement and Old Age Security to achieve the appropriate balance between price and wage indexation.
• Continuously review and update the Guaranteed Income Supplement benefit to ensure that:
  • a)    vulnerable seniors receive adequate income; and
  • b)   the impact that marital status can have on recipients is assessed and understood.
• Increase the Working Income Tax Benefit to help lower earning individuals fund their Canada Pension Plan.

Recommendation 2

That Finance Canada work with Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to completely and comprehensively review the system of tax measures and incentives related to seniors with a view to increasing transparency and assessing the most efficient, effective and fair means and ways to deliver support.

Recommendation 3

That the federal government, and all responsible departments, work to tighten the rules and regulatory environment which has allowed some employers to under-fund the pensions of their employees, and to ignore their pension obligations under current law and practice.

Recommendation 4

That the federal government review the impact of the Canada Pension Plan expansion with respect to seniors eligibility for and level of benefit from the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Recommendation 5

That the federal government better inform families on their eligibility to claim the Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit.

Recommendation 6

That the Department of Employment and Social Development increase the amount that Guaranteed Income Supplement recipients can earn before the benefit is reduced, include self-employment earnings in this amount, and explore options to have the claw-back phase in more gradually once the earnings threshold is reached.

Recommendation 7

That Employment and Social Development Canada and all relevant departments ensure that the decisions they make for and about seniors, pay special attention to the wishes of seniors – and with particular attention to seniors in the workforce. This includes:

• adopting a seniors lens with respect to growing workplace opportunities for seniors;
• ensuring seniors have accommodating working conditions; and
• ensuring workplaces are compliant with applicable rules.

Recommendation 8

That Employment and Social Development Canada work with Finance Canada, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Canada Revenue Agency to develop specific policies and plans for monitoring and protecting seniors from financial abuse and to measure the effectiveness of such policies and plans.

Recommendation 9

That the federal government direct banks and other financial institutions in Canada to develop a system to recognize and prevent financial abuse of seniors, including increased staff training.

Recommendation 10

That the federal government take a leadership role in its interactions with other levels of government and housing enterprises and strongly encourage all non-profit and for-profit builders, provinces, territories, municipalities, and other organizations to set universal accessibility building standards that meet the accessibility needs of Canadians.

Recommendation 11

That the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provide strong incentives for construction and renovation by both for-profit and non-profit owners and organizations that will increase the number of collective dwellings for seniors that are both accessible and adaptable.

Recommendation 12

That the federal government designate a proportion of funding allocated through the National Housing Strategy, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Affordable Rental Innovation Fund for research on innovative approaches to seniors housing (e.g. co-housing and shared spaces).

Recommendation 13

That Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation expand its data and research programs to include rental housing for seniors and innovative models of accessible housing. Moreover, that the Corporation proactively distribute data and research on promising practices to investors and stakeholders who build and manage housing for seniors across the care continuum.

Recommendation 14

That Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation explore innovative and emerging trends in seniors housing, including co-housing, intergenerational housing, and any other promising models. It should communicate the results of these efforts broadly.

Recommendation 15

That the federal government work with federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for health and responsible for social programs to develop pan-Canadian guidelines for home care services to be provided to seniors, regardless of where they reside in Canada.

Recommendation 16

That Employment and Social Development Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada work with other governments to explore expanding the lessons learned, innovative approaches, and new ideas from the Veterans Independence Program such that they inform other seniors assistance programs throughout Canada.

Recommendation 17

That Employment and Social Development Canada convene provincial, territorial and Indigenous government departments with responsibility for labour and training to develop a certification process and comparable standards for working conditions for home care workers, with a view to increasing the quality and supply of home care workers.

Recommendation 18

That the federal government, through Indigenous Services Canada, the Correctional Service of Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada and any other appropriate federal agencies, model the interdisciplinary approach to providing long-term care, and share promising practices with all stakeholders involved in providing long-term care.

Recommendation 19

That the federal government, recognizing the importance of seniors living on their own, significantly fund research, development and scaling of technology that provides social and health supports to seniors in their homes through the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Strategic Innovation Fund and other research organizations.

Recommendation 20

That the federal government, in its role as an employer, implement model job security protections for employees whose family commitments include long-term caregiving for a family member.

Recommendation 21

That Finance Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency improve awareness of the Canada Caregiver credit and make it refundable.

Recommendation 22

That the federal government in collaboration with other governments support the co-location of housing with seniors health services and other seniors services, particularly in its work on infrastructure and community projects.

Recommendation 23

That Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation study age-friendly communities and zoning practices in conjunction with the provinces/territories and municipalities with an objective of understanding how these policies shape the landscape for age-friendly practices and programs, their impact on seniors, and their long-term effects on land use, co-location of other seniors services, and quality of life.

Recommendation 24

That the federal government continue to support and enhance the New Horizons for Seniors Program, with additional priorities that include: seniors at risk of social isolation, volunteer recognition in Indigenous communities, sustaining existing successful programs and fostering innovation.

Recommendation 25

That the federal government devote resources to Employment and Social Development Canada and the National Seniors Council to develop a pan-Canadian Seniors’ Strategy that includes:

• A vision for aging with dignity;
• Monitoring and disseminating information on promising practices in Canadian and international contexts;
• Promoting partnerships between governments and stakeholders, in areas that include, for example: transportation, access to services and initiatives that address social isolation.

Recommendation 26

That the federal government help address social isolation among seniors through a national volunteer program.

Recommendation 27

That Service Canada review and, where necessary, improve their services to seniors living in rural communities, including education, communications and delivery of benefits.

Recommendation 28

That the federal government review all seniors programs in an effort to reduce duplication of service provision across the federal government, reduce competing programs with provincial/territorial and municipal governments, and look for ways to eliminate duplicative efforts in services.

Recommendation 29

That the federal government direct, and specifically resource, Statistics Canada to develop an agenda to collect data and conduct research on the most pressing seniors data which the federal government does not currently possess, notably data on the most vulnerable seniors, including but not limited to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis; racialized minorities; immigrants; linguistic minorities; and members of the LGBTQ2 community, and consider investing in advanced data models, e.g., LifePaths.