Seniors 75+ can use $500 gov’t payment to promote peace
People who receive the Old Age Security (OAS) benefit are in for a welcome surprise this week. The Government of Canada will deliver a $500 one-time payment to seniors 75+, announced in Budget 2021, during the week of August 16, 2021. The $500 will be deposited into their bank account automatically.
For many people, this will provide a much-needed boost as the cost-of-living creeps higher and higher.
But for some, it could be an opportunity to use the windfall to support organizations working for important issues.
PeaceQuest’s regular survey of supporters shows that our readers are very generous. Fully 64% of nearly 1000 people surveyed say that they have made a donation to an organization within the last year.
If you are in a position to do so, you might consider using your special one-time $500 benefit from the federal government to help promote peace, or whatever issue you are passionate about.
Donations to PeaceQuest’s peace education and youth leadership work are tax deductible, and can be made safely and securely using our online donation form.
Many charitable groups have suffered greatly during the pandemic. Your support is crucial at this challenging time – follow your conscience and donate to your favourite group, if it is affordable for you.
While it’s great that the federal government is issuing $500 cheques to seniors over the age of 75, why is this benefit limited to that age threshold? There are plenty of seniors aged 65 and up who need financial help too. A more fair way to distribute aid would be to target seniors who receive the GIS, or who are on disability pensions. One suspects that giving the benefit to the 75+ age group, with no means test to determine who most needs it, could be seen as a ploy to sway voters who would normally not vote for the Liberals. I have several friends who are under 75 years, who are living below the poverty line, with medical issues, who could really benefit from this one-time “gift”.
All part of the government’s cynical plan to use the taxpayers’ money to buy our votes and give them even more power. Our regular donations to other issues will continue, but anything extra like this will be directed toward achieving electoral reform/proportional representation (as promised during the last federal campaign and not delivered!) and the politicians and parties who will demand it.