Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of Bill to Exclude Prisoners from Old Age Pension

The Library of Parliament has published its legislative summary of Bill C-31: An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act:

"The Old Age Security Act (OASA) provides that a low-income Canadian resident who has retired may receive the old age security pension and the guaranteed income supplement. At present, under the OASA, the pension and other benefits are granted to any person who meets the eligibility criteria. The fact that a pensioner is serving a sentence of imprisonment does not affect the eligibility criteria for the pension."

"Bill C-31 provides that the old age security pension, the guaranteed income supplement and the allowance provided for in the OASA will not be paid to anyone incarcerated in a federal institution (where inmates are generally serving a sentence of at least two years) or in a provincial or territorial institution if the sentence of imprisonment is more than 90 days. Payment of the pension or other benefit will not resume until the pensioner informs the Minister in writing of his or her release. However, the allowance to the spouse or common-law partner will continue to be paid based on the individual income of the spouse or common-law partner, rather than on the couple's income."

It is possible to follow progress of the bill on the LEGISinfo website.