Ontario Helping Low-Income Seniors with proposed expansion of the GAINS program

By extending the Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) program to approximately 100,000 additional seniors and indexing it annually to inflation, Ontario is supporting seniors with low incomes.

Included in the budget for 2023: The proposed expanded GAINS program, Building a Strong Ontario, would begin in July 2024.

Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy stated, “Our government is working for the Ontario seniors who have built this province so they can live comfortably and with dignity.” We ensure that when their costs rise as a result of inflation, our support also increases by expanding the GAINS program and indexing it annually. This allows us to provide financial assistance to seniors with lower incomes who are more at risk.

The Seniors Safety Line will also be expanded with close to $1 million in funding from the provincial government spread out over three years. Seniors who are experiencing or are at risk of elder abuse can get connected to trained counselors who can support and assist them through this province-wide resource, which is available around the clock.

“Our administration is really buckling down for Ontario’s seniors. They have the right to have consistent and solid projects, administrations and pay upholds now and into what was to come,” said Raymond Cho, Ontario Priest for Seniors and Availability. ” Our seniors who are most at risk are helped by increasing our investment in the GAINS program. They merit pride and regard, and this shows that our administration treats the prosperity of seniors exceptionally in a serious way.”

The government’s plan is taking significant steps to Build Ontario by accelerating the construction of crucial infrastructure projects, attracting new investments and jobs, and supporting seniors. The government is building a strong Ontario that works for seniors, families, and businesses by working for workers, keeping costs low, and improving services.