Making its rounds again is an email stating that the Government of Canada is preparing to pass a law decreasing the Old Age Security residency requirements for refugees from ten to three years.

Two Yorkton-Melville constituents recently visited my office to get “the rest of the story.”

The rumour, like most, began with a kernel of truth. In 2009, Ruby Dhalla, a former Liberal M.P., who was defeated in the 2011federal election, introduced Bill C-428, An Act to amend the residency requirement clause in the Old Age Security Act. The bill, brought forward with the intention of assisting impoverished elderly immigrants, was seconded by fellow Liberal M.P. Bob Rae.

However, Bill C-428 never passed second reading and has never been made into law. At the time, Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, stated that the Conservative government would never pass such a bill. She estimated that “reducing the ten-year eligibility requirement to three years would cost over $700 million annually.” Since OAS is funded from general taxes, she noted that this would place too much of a burden on the Canadian taxpayer.

According to Canada’s current Old Age Security Act, the categories of people eligible to receive Old Age Security include:

• Those living outside of Canada, who previously lived in Canada for at least 20 years after age 18, and
• People living in Canada who originate from one of the 53 countries with which Canada has social security agreements.
  (Check: http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/ibfa/summarytoc.shtml for country information.)

By far the largest category of seniors eligible to receive Old Age Security (OAS) are:

• those who have lived in Canada for at least ten years after the age of 18.

Many other countries have a ten-year residency rule. The stipulation strikes a good balance between a citizen’s contributions to community, country and society, and their right to receive a pension.

The email contained more false information: that Canada’s government provides a very generous allowance of over two thousand dollars monthly to single refugees. 

In truth, refugees and refugee claimants receive very limited government assistance. Refugees who are privately sponsored receive the help they need from their sponsors. No government assistance (provincial or federal) is given during the sponsorship period.

To government-assisted refugees who have no financial resources or personal income, Canada’s Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) offers limited help for a maximum of one year. That amount is determined by both family size and social assistance rates. In Ontario, for example, a single person receives $635 per month. Government-assisted refugees are also entitled to a one-time set up allowance to cover basic household needs, to a maximum amount of $905.

If refugee claimants and refugees require more aid, like other residents, they may apply for social assistance.

Circulating this wrong information creates damaging and unwarranted biases against legitimate newcomers to Canada. If you receive that email, please counter it by replying with accurate information.

Verification of the above can be found online at http://openparliament.ca/bills/40-3/C-428/ and at the Canadian Council of Refugees website: http://ccrweb.ca/refassistrebut.html.

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The audio version of Garry's July 18, 2011 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here