73.8 The Old Age Security Pension
Whereas, The additional tax exemption for recipients of the Old Age Security pension provides a larger benefit to higher income recipients than to lower income recipients, and is therefore of least help to those who need help most;
and,
Whereas, The basic Old Age Security pension is low in relation to the present cost of living, and receipt of the Guaranteed Income Supplement is dependent on need, which tends to penalize the spirit of independence and thrift and to invoke the stigma of charity which used to be associated with the means test; and,
Whereas, Savings which once appeared to be adequate have been robbed of their buying power through inflation, especially in the last ten years; therefore,
RESOLVED, That the National Council of Women of Canada request the Government of Canada to bring into effect the following change in regard to the Old Age Security pension:
“That the basic Old Age Security Pension be increased to $150.00 a month and that it increase in accordance with the actual cost of living as reported by Statistics Canada, in order to protect it from further erosion by inflation.”