Question Period Note: Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) – Yearly Renewal

What is Service Canada doing to ensure that eligible seniors continue receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement to which they are entitled?

• Service Canada is committed to supporting seniors and ensuring they receive the benefits to which they are entitled, including the GIS for low-income seniors.
• To ensure the timely renewal of their GIS, seniors should file an individual Income Tax and Benefit return with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• Service Canada mails letters to GIS recipients for whom no income information was received.
• Service Canada continues its efforts to strengthen the annual GIS reassessment process and improve communications with clients to minimize any suspensions.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provides financial assistance to seniors who have little or no income other than the OAS pension. Currently, the program provides up to $995.99 per month for a single, widowed, or divorced OAS pensioner (July to September 2022).

Currently, a person with a spouse/common-law partner could receive up to $599.53 per month of GIS if the spouse/common-law partner receives the full OAS pension or Allowance, and up to $995.99 if the spouse/common-law partner does not receive an OAS pension (July to September 2022).

GIS is reviewed every year based on the individual’s net income from the previous calendar year, or the combined net income in the case of a couple. GIS payments can increase, decrease or even cease according to reported changes in annual net income.

In order for the GIS benefit to be renewed each July, seniors should file an individual Income Tax and Benefit return with the Canada Revenue Agency. Alternatively, individuals can provide their income information directly to Service Canada by mail or in-person.

Key steps taken for the July 2022 GIS reassessment include:
• Inclusion of an insert with tax slips to remind of the importance to file taxes on time;
• A proactive mail out to GIS clients;
• Collaboration between Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure seniors have their income tax return is processed in a timely manner; and
• Outreach activities for Members of Parliament and staff across Canada to provide information on the GIS.

Seniors informed that their benefits were suspended are also:
• Informed that they can call Service Canada to provide information to reinstate their benefit in a timely manner; and
• Sent a form to complete reinstate benefits.

By the end of August 2022, over 97% of GIS recipients had been reassessed. Service Canada continues to prioritize the reassessment as income information becomes available. For the remaining clients, most of them will have provided the missing income information by May 2023 and will be back into pay with no loss of benefits, given the 11-month retroactive provisions of the legislation.

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