Québec solidaire says it intends to propose a bill in February to abolish the penalty imposed on the retirement pensions of disabled seniors, the day after the tabling of a petition with more than 5,500 signatures on this subject in the National Assembly .
“This is an unspeakable scandal, what we are putting doubly marginalized people through,” protested solidarity MP Haroun Bouazzi.
People who became disabled before the normal retirement age experience a drastic drop in their income from the age of 65. They cannot receive the full pension to which they contributed during their working life, penalized by a provision of the Act respecting the Quebec Pension Plan.
“We are going to request a work session, following this petition, with Minister Girard to ask him to correct this systemic injustice which has lasted for a quarter of a century. He has the opportunity to correct this error,” said Mr. Bouazzi.
Already a request for oppositions
The three opposition parties have already rallied this fall to demand changes from the CAQ government.
Liberal MP Linda Caron had also presented a bill aimed at putting an end to what was recognized this summer as discrimination by the Administrative Tribunal of Quebec. But the government, which has chosen to contest this decision, does not seem to be showing any openness at the moment.
Mme Caron emphasizes, however, that his bill did not die on the order paper, but rather awaits additional action by the government. “I keep this hope alive, because I cannot believe that he will not see the light and that he will not face the facts that we cannot cut the income of disabled people by 24%” , said the official opposition spokesperson for seniors and caregivers and home care.
“A clause that has come into force since January 2024 means that it cannot be the same bill, the same mechanisms that we bring in,” Mr. Bouazzi, for his part, clarified. Mme Caron believes, however, that his bill can be modified to respond to the new legislative reality.
Several groups of disabled people are very involved in this issue. The Confederation of Organizations of Disabled People of Quebec notably filed a complaint with the United Nations last week.