There are several upcoming public engagement opportunities for seniors to provide input and feedback about important issues in British Columbia. Join the OSA Council of Advisors The Office of the Seniors Advocate is seeking new members of its Council of Advisors. Council members represent their regions and provide important feedback to the Seniors Advocate about … Read More
The Office of the Seniors Advocate (OSA) is now seeking new members of the Council of Advisors (COA) to provide the office with advice and feedback on the issues facing seniors in British Columbia. The purpose of the volunteer council is to provide the perspective of seniors from diverse backgrounds, ages, geographical areas and cultures. … Read More
March is Fraud Prevention Month, and with reported cases of fraud on the rise, all British Columbians are encouraged to increase their awareness of current scams and learn how they can protect themselves and their loved ones. Every year, people of all ages fall victim to fraud. In fact, 57,055 Canadians reported being targeted by … Read More
The deadline to file taxes is quickly approaching. This year’s tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022. However, if you are self-employed or have a spouse or a common-law partner who is self-employed, the deadline is June 15, 2022. Why should I file my taxes? It is vital to file your taxes on … Read More
In this new report entitled “We Must Do Better: Home Support Services for B.C. Seniors”, the BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie provides a comprehensive review of the province’s home support services and finds they are in need of fundamental restructuring. This second review demonstrates that the program is not keeping pace with the needs of … Read More
Isobel Mackenzie will visit the Sunshine Coast in February to meet with seniors, seniors organizations, advocates, local government representatives, residential care facilities and others to discuss issues affecting older British Columbians. She will be holding town halls in Sechelt on February 6th and Powell River on February 7th to hear from seniors, their loved ones … Read More
We’re surveying every long-term care resident in B.C. and we need your help. Join our team of volunteer surveyors to interview seniors about their quality of life in long-term care. No experience necessary. Apply now online.
The 2022 Monitoring Seniors Services report is now available! This year’s report reinforces the need to scale up B.C. seniors’ services to meet the growing demands of the aging population. Read the report to find out how seniors’ services and supports have performed over the last year and find out where seniors’ needs are being … Read More
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has released its updated long-term care home directory for 2021/22 which also now also includes information on all publicly-funded assisted living facilities in British Columbia. The 2021/22 Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory includes basic information such as room configuration, languages spoken by staff, food preparation and also offers … Read More
Yesterday the BC Seniors Advocate released “BC Seniors: Falling Further Behind”, a new OSA report outlining the income and affordability challenges seniors in our province are facing. The report highlights the impact of rising costs on B.C. seniors who depend on government pensions and ranks B.C. as the lowest in its financial support for seniors … Read More
Heat wave warnings are in effect across the province and rising temperatures may put vulnerable seniors at risk. With higher temperatures expected, it is recommended that seniors take some additional precautions and family, friends and neighbours are encouraged to check in on older people to ensure they are keeping cool and well hydrated. The dual … Read More
The Office of the Seniors Advocate is launching the second province-wide survey of the experiences of residents living in all 294 publicly-subsidized long-term care homes in B.C. and is calling on all interested British Columbians to join the survey team. Members of the survey team will include British Columbians from a wide variety of backgrounds … Read More
Did you know you may be eligible to defer your property taxes? Property tax deferment is a provincial low-interest loan program that helps qualified homeowners pay their annual property taxes on their principal residence. Taxes can be deferred for any year the homeowner lives in the home and continues to qualify for the program. Who … Read More
This year, the CRA has issued T5007 tax slips to SAFER recipients who received more than $500 from the program within the last year. Find out about how this will impact your income tax.
The federal government will provide an automatic, one-time repayment to alleviate the financial hardship of seniors who saw a loss of GIS or Allowance.
The speculation and vacancy tax is an annual tax based on how owners use residential properties in major urban areas in B.C. Over 99% of British Columbians are exempt from the speculation and vacancy tax. Generally, a British Columbian owner is exempt from the tax if the home is their principal residence.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate is undertaking a survey of B.C. seniors living on low incomes to identify challenges and determine if the financial supports available to them meet their needs. The survey will be mailed out to randomly-selected recipients of the B.C. Senior’s Supplement. The survey deadline is April 8, 2022.
Home Support Survey Deadline Extended: March 4, 2022
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has launched the second province-wide survey of Home Support recipients and their families/caregivers. All home support clients and their family/caregivers are invited to participate in this survey.
