The Yukon Health and Social Services department is blaming a “data entry error” for underpaying some seniors eligible for the Yukon seniors’ income supplement, according to the department’s Facebook post on Oct. 31.
At least a handful of seniors were impacted by the changes and brought it to the attention of the governing Yukon Liberal Party and the Yukon NDP, according to the parties.
In the Yukon Legislative Assembly on Oct. 15, Annie Blake, the Yukon NDP MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, asked the health minister why seniors weren’t informed about changes to their income supplement and why the government is “clawing back” money from low-income seniors.
McPhee said program rate changes meant a reduction in the Yukon seniors’ income supplement, which was balanced out with an increase to federal old age security, plus additional funds.
Canadians aged 65 and up are eligible for old age security.
“In addition to old age security, eligible seniors will receive guaranteed income support from the federal government, and the Government of Canada calculates individuals’ monthly Yukon seniors' income supplement based on their guaranteed income supplement amount and notifies the Government of Yukon of the eligibility,” McPhee said.
“When the federal programs increased old age security payments, it impacted the guaranteed income supplement.”
Most Yukon seniors' income supplement recipients’ payments went down by $76.81 in October, but federal old age security payments went up in October, which works out to an increase of about $118 between September and October, per McPhee.
“We’re implementing measures to alert recipients when these changes will happen in the future, and I look forward to supporting seniors as we have done,” McPhee said.
As noted in the Facebook post, the Yukon government has identified and confirmed the issue and calculated the additional amounts owed to each recipient, processed an automated, one-time payment and ensured payments will be made “as soon as possible.”
When the topic came up again in the legislature on Oct. 30, McPhee reiterated that the feds make the calculations.
“We are working closely with our finance team and the Government of Canada to review the formulas and our procedures and how that played out in the pockets of seniors. We are very supportive of making sure that no senior has had an adverse impact as a result of these changes,” McPhee said.
“Our government will do everything in our power to make sure that no Yukon senior is adversely impacted by this change with respect to the federal government.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
