Impacts of 10 Year Residency Requirement on Income Security of Immigrant Seniors in Toronto

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1 Impacts of 10 Year Residency Requirement on Income Security of Immigrant Seniors in Toronto African Canadian Social Development Council Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter Council of Agencies Serving South Asians Hispanic Development Council Rick Sin, McMaster University A. Ka Tat Tsang, University of Toronto Commentator: Miu Chung Yan, UBC

2 Community Planning Process (Community Based Research) (Engaging Community & Forming Steering Committee) With this research, we hope to tell our government what they need to do to improve the situation.

3 Expected Outcome: The Dynamic Trinity Effecting Policy Changes Producing Community-Based Knowledge Enhancing Community Capacity

4 Who Could Get Old Age Security? Residency Requirement 40 years or more Full Pension % 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% What are the major Impacts on Immigrant Seniors? What should be done?

5 Research Questions 1. Existing Policies and the Gap of Policy Data 2. What the immigrant seniors have to say? 3. What the MPs have to say? 4. Implications for Community Planning & Policy Advocacy

6 The Impact of the 10 Year Residence Requirement on Immigrant Seniors: Consequences and Directions for Change Duberlis W. Ramos (Hispanic Development Council) Martha Viveros Viramontes (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education)

7 Alternative Planning Group (APG) African Continental Social Development Council (ACSDC) Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (CCNCTO) Hispanic Development Council (HDC) Council for Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

8 The Project Bill C-362 The Alternative Planning Group and the Immigrant Seniors Advocacy Network

9 Overview of Seniors million seniors in Canada. 20,006 people immigrated to Canada in 2006 were categorized as parents or grandparents (CIC). How many of them are sponsored?

10 Old Age Security (OAS): The Basics It is not based on any personal financial contribution People aged 65 can apply 10 year residence requirement in order to qualify

11 Old Age Security (OAS): The Basics (Cont.) In order to receive the maximum amount, a person must have lived in Canada for 40 years after age 18. Partial pensions are calculated at 1/40 of the full amount per year of life in Canada after age ,000 seniors who are eligible for OAS do not apply. This represents an income loss of $ 250 million a year.

12 Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS): Who Benefits? GIS is for people whose only/main source of income is OAS. To qualify for GIS, a person must be receiving OAS. Non-sponsored immigrants who have been living in Canada for less than 10 years and qualify for OAS benefits under reciprocal international agreements will have GIS benefits gradually over 10 years. Recipients must re-apply annually.

13 GIS: Barriers to Access 14% of the seniors that were eligible for GIS in 2000 failed to apply. Reasons may range from lack of knowledge of the system and language limitations to some level of cognitive impairment. Cost for community/ethnic communities?

14 Social Security Agreements With Other Countries Canada has agreements with 50 countries, including United States, Australia, New Zealand, 20 Western European nations, Mexico, Chile, Philippines, Japan, Israel, Turkey and 9 Caribbean nations.

15 Immigrant-Sending Countries (2006) In 2006, permanent residents came mainly from: Asia Pacific (50.1%); Africa and Middle East (20.6%) Latin America (9 %) Europe and U.K. (15.1%) Most countries in these parts of the world have no pension agreements with Canada.

16 Community Voices The question now is why doesn t Canada have these agreements with all countries in the world? It s not fair. This is how some people get $ 1,100 even before the 10 year requirement. The only other way to have a higher income is in a couple, it is hard to be a widower in this country. Hispanic community research participant

17 Available Statistical Data: Estimates and Gaps Immigrant seniors, how many? From where? How many sponsorships are broken before the 10 year period? How do the formerly sponsored seniors get by?

18 How Much Would It Cost? In 1996, out of 3, 527, 845 seniors in Canada, 16,998 did not receive OAS. More than half the people in this group received social assistance instead. Government could compensate for this amount and give OAS to all Canadians 65+.

19 Interruption of Sponsorship A particular concern Force major a principle that should be implemented in alleviating the critical economic conditions of sponsored seniors facing sponsorship break down.

20 Political Riddle Indexing of 1996 info regarding costs of the program. (numbers)

21 Gaps in information Absence of data Priorities Conversation with Stats Canada

22 Focus Group Results

23 Alternative Planning Group partner agencies conducted focus groups in their own communities: Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (9) Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (9) African Canadian Social Development Council (9) Hispanic Development Council (7)

24 The impact of the 10 year residency requirement on you? What our policy makers/general public should know about the 10 year waiting period? If we could make changes what issues should come first? What roles do you want to play in this study? How could we reach out to more members of your community?

25 Economic impacts of immigration Psychological impacts of immigration and poverty on quality of life Inadequate housing Access to transportation Policy Recommendations by Seniors Seniors Role in Advocacy

26 Resettlement costs Exchange rates can decimate savings or pensions from other countries Children who are settling in Canada are struggling (barriers to employment and cost of childcare)

27 In China you can get a pension at 50 years old, but it is relatively low. Get here negligible. This pension is not enough to live on, and now our sons and daughters are in Canada... our children are our security Chinese Senior You don t have money to go out, to do anything even if that thing costs 50 cents you don t have it so the pressure is transferred to whoever sponsored you. African Senior

28 Role reversal within family, as seniors become dependent on their children Language barriers Social isolation related to access to activities they are familiar with or feel comfortable participating in Adapting to living in poverty Sense of belonging in Canada

29 We rely on our sons and daughters to eat. We and they live together. Psychologically we depend on our own ability to adjust. If we do not, then we cannot survive. We have no eyes, no ear, no legs, no mouth. How can we live like this? Chinese senior

30 You don t have money to spend and you go out everyday looking desperate or happy and you don t want to be a beggar... Many seniors are going around with less than $5, $3 in their pockets and you need to have some money in your pocket to lead a normal and reasonable life African Senior

31 If you can become a Canadian after 3 years of landing, why should you have to wait another 7 years before you can enjoy what other Canadians are enjoying are we differentiating the category of Canadians? African Senior Some seniors do not want to become Canadian Citizens, because in their mind they are not guaranteed any benefits Chinese Senior

32 Overcrowding Old, poorly maintained buildings Family tensions exacerbated by living arrangements

33 Having no income means living with your children for a long time. This is a tense relation, some people who have been here longer can live separately from their children and this tension does not exist Chinese Senior

34 ...after some years [seniors] often get into disagreements between the sponsor of the family and that is making it difficult for seniors... If you don t have money where are you going to go? You can t move out. You have to continue to live in that sad and unfortunate environment. African Senior

35 Social isolation is exacerbated by the high cost of public transportation Language barriers Access to information about (cultural) social activities

36 For two people to attend an activity it costs almost $10 return. We could save this money to buy10 pounds of meat. Chinese Senior Seniors, they need to visit each other because they can not live lonely... Seniors, they can not pay everyday the fares for the bus and street car so they have a big difficulty to meet each other, to go to friends, to go to families to visit because they have no money African Senior

37 Seniors discuss different strategies for providing support to immigrant seniors Willingness to negotiate with politicians and policy makers Understand Canadian context for creating policy and passing laws.

38 Important thing is, that is 10 year [residency requirement] if not eradicated completely, to go down to 3 years. African Senior Do not let us wait that long... for instance, [the payments] could be 50% to start.. with an additional 5% per year. Chinese Senior

39 Mobilization and public education within their own communities Use of ethnic and mainstream media for public education Willingness to speak to elected officials about this issue

40 What do our MPs have to say? Parliamentary Debates During 2 nd Reading October 23 & November 26, 2007

41 Imagining Generous Canadians All Canadians believe that the elimination of poverty, especially among those most vulnerable in our society, should be the top concern of the Government of Canada. I have no doubt for a second that all members of the House recognize in their hearts and minds that the bill deserves our full support. It is my sincere hope we will set aside partisan concerns and work together to improve the well-being of a great many seniors, families and communities all across Canada (Colleen Beaumier). The bill is a very simple one, so I do not understand why the Conservative Party is against it. How could they possibly oppose it? When the Conservative Party says that the government has been very generous toward seniors, I have to wonder what it is talking about (Raymond Gravel)

42 Universal Citizenship or Reward for Contribution The Old Age Security Act was tabled in the House of Commons in 1951 it was introduced principally as a matter of social justice and was motivated by a genuine concern for the needs and welfare of Canadian senior citizens, whatever their contribution may or may not have been to society In other words, old age security is not a reward for service rendered...the net result is that the 10 year residency requirement for old age security treats a whole group of Canadians as second class citizens. This, as I am sure we can all agree, is unacceptable (Colleen Beaumier). When a person becomes a citizen in this country it means something. I go to citizenship swearing-ins on a regular basis and I see the great pride and excitement on the faces of people who are becoming citizens They are proud and they want to contribute to their communities for what they see as a privilege and an honour of becoming Canadian citizens (Penny Pridy).

43 Optic Illusion: There re services but are they Served Unlike the previous government, which largely ignored seniors issues during the last 13 years in power, this government has taken swift and decisive action on the seniors file.we have created a Secretary of State for Seniors. We have established a National Seniors Council to advise the government on issues of importance to older Canadians. We have committed an additional $10 million per year to the new horizons for seniors program to encourage seniors to continue their valuable contributions to their communities (Lynne Yelich).

44 Are they Social Deficit/Capital: Immigrant Seniors as Victims or Agents Bill C-362 also deserves the support.. because of the immeasurable contribution made by seniors across Canada to our families, our communities and our country each and every day. Seniors, thanks to their lifetime of experience, provide immeasurable support and guidance to us all There is, for example, no better child care than that provided by a loving grandparent (Colleen Beaumier). The immigrants in the community in which I live take very seriously the responsibility part of citizenship. In no way do they take citizenship for granted. In point of fact, in my community of Surrey North and in the city of Surrey, immigrants do many things that other people would actually need to be paid to do (Penny Pridy). Ten years is a long time. We require only three years for someone to become a full citizen of the country When the government decided real child care was not a priority, many families had to scramble and rely upon extended relatives as caregivers. However, these caregivers, our grandmothers and grandfather (Sukh Dhaliwah).

45 Costing Out / Crossing Out : Economic Cost vs. Social cost Has this been costed out? What would this cost the treasury? (Laurie Hawn) First, has she costed this out? That would be important to understand. I am sure she has, so I would like to know what the specific numbers are (Mike Lake). It is no secret that seniors constitute the fastest growing segment of Canada's population. With baby boomers poised to retire in record numbers, our pension costs will skyrocket in years to come. In the next 25 years nearly one in four Canadians will be a senior. With our rapidly aging population, relaxing the residence rule for old age security could have significant fiscal implications to Canada and the public pension program (Lynne Yelich).

46 Party Politics: Politicizing Politics The hon. Member (Beaumier)'s party was in government for 13 long years. I am curious about why it did not do anything about this in those 13 years (Mike Lake). Clearly the bill was proposed in the spirit of trying to win votes rather than sincerely of Canada. It is also surprising to hear my colleagues from across the aisle stand up today be the protectors of seniors and new Canadians when their record speaks otherwise (Gary Breitbreuz).

47 Implications: Community Planning &Policy Advocacy 1. How to move from financial accounting to social accounting? How to measure their contribution and suffering? 2. How to help immigrant communities move beyond Partisan Politics? How to mobilize beyond party affiliation? 3. How to monitor policy changes and map out their differential Impacts? 4. How to bringing voices of the immigrant seniors to the decision-making tables?

48 For further information, please feel free to contact Rick Sin: Presenters: Karen Sun, Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter Neethan Shan, Council of Agencies Serving South Asians Duberlis Ramos & Martha Viveros, Hispanic Development Council Rick Sin, McMaster University Commentator: Miu Chung Yan, UBC