Some Canadian seniors will soon be receiving a special one-time COVID-19 payment.
According to the federal government, seniors who already receive old-age security benefits will receive $300, while those who are on the guaranteed income supplement will receive an additional $200.
Roughly 8.2 million eligible seniors are expected to receive the pandemic-related top-up, which will come in the form of a direct deposit for the week of July 6.
The Liberal government first promised the extra help in mid-May, but Seniors Minister Deb Schulte said Thursday that the delay in getting the money into the hands of those who need it was because the government had to create a new, effective delivery system that didn’t involve seniors having to apply for the extra benefit.
“We want to ensure accuracy and we want to make sure seniors are not vulnerable, or not exposed to any fraud or the kind of things we’ve been seeing as people are applying,” Schulte said.
