Pension pains
Delay in monthly benefits a big concern for Island seniors
Some Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada pension payments have been delayed almost a week, leaving Islanders who depend on them scrambling.
Beverley McGinley, 79, of Cornwall says she lives from cheque to cheque. The delay in receiving both of these payments has left her in a frantic state.
“I need groceries,’’ she says.
“My medication is a priority.’’ McGinley says her heart medication needs to be renewed. Her rent was due at the end of June.
She has no reserve to draw from.
“I don’t have savings at all,’’ she says.
“I’m just so upset. They shouldn’t do this to seniors.’’
McGinley says the post office in Cornwall was “going crazy with calls’’ from people asking if the cheques are in.
Public Services and Procurement Canada reports the latest payment delivery for Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan benefits were to begin on June 27.
McGinley and others are having difficulty making ends meet with days passing from the expected arrival date of their cheques.
The OAS pension is a monthly payment available to seniors aged 65 and older, who meet the Canadian legal status and residence requirements.
The Canada Pension Plan or CPP is a deferred income retirement vehicle that serves as a complement to Old Age Security.
A spokeswoman says Public Services and Procurement Canada is trying to determine the cause of the delay as well as the number of people affected.