This text is part of the special booklet Living fully
The sustained rise in prices in recent months is creating increasing pressure on the poorest seniors, whose fixed incomes are unable to absorb the shock. And the situation in Europe only adds concern.
“A few days ago, a woman at the grocery store told me that she couldn’t buy the two peppers she needed for her recipe: at $2.50 each, she just took one. Here is a concrete example! Not to mention those who cut their medication in half because they cannot afford this recurring expense. It’s terrible and painful to be there today! exclaims Gisèle Tassé-Goodman, president of Réseau FADOQ.
In Quebec, approximately one-third of seniors live on less than $20,000 a year. And they are often women, left at home to raise children or care for aging parents, finding themselves without a private pension plan or financial cushion. “The two most problematic expenditure items are housing and food,” explains Pierre Lynch, one of the spokespersons for the Coalition for the Dignity of Seniors (CDA). When rents rise, the poorest are no longer able to feed or clothe themselves adequately, or to entertain themselves. So when food prices also go up…”
The situation is causing a lot of concern: the most fragile seniors fear having to cut already very tight budgets, having to move and leaving their familiar environment. Those who own a vehicle are reducing their outings to limit costs. “This will have impacts on mental health, there will be premature deaths, due to stress,” says Pierre Lynch.
However, seniors are doing what they can to compensate for their meager pensions, in particular by returning to the labor market, part-time. But not everyone can afford it, physically or logistically: “Some take full-time care of a non-autonomous spouse, thus compensating for a structural lack of personnel in the field of health. Seniors are doing their part, but governments must also do theirs,” recalls the president of the FADOQ.
Take care of the “builders”
For organizations defending retirees, there is no doubt: the solution rests above all on adequate government financial support, making it possible to cover basic needs. The federal government has announced a 10% improvement in the Old Age Security Pension from July for those over 75, but this assistance is perceived as insufficient, continues Gisèle Tassé-Goodman: “This improvement must be applies from the age of 65; increases in the cost of living affect everyone. And what happened to Mr. Trudeau’s election promise to increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement? It is now that we need it. How many only survive thanks to the support of their family? Go into debt for their current expenses? It is not a luxury to increase these two benefits: we are not talking about financing trips to the Caribbean or buying superfluous food, but simply helping the most vulnerable not to count their pennies. in front of the fruit and vegetable section! »
The same support is expected from the provincial government, whether through an increase in the Quebec Pension Plan, the creation of a new allowance for the most disadvantaged, or a freeze on electricity rates. However, organizations defending retirees regret that they are not sufficiently listened to, as the CDA spokesperson deplores: “Should we have a procession of walkers in the streets for governments to wake up? Create a party specifically dedicated to defending seniors? Why are our demands not being heard, even though the situation is deteriorating even further under the pressure of inflation? Because we are no longer officially active? »
However, many retirees contribute to the proper functioning of today’s society: involvement in boards of directors, volunteering in community organizations, indirect support for the health system through their role as caregivers, mentoring of the youngest… And they also contributed to the creation of a prosperous society over the past decades, recalls the president of the FADOQ: “How many times has Premier Legault repeated, during his press conferences related to the pandemic, that he should we take care of our “builders”? It’s time to walk the talk. »