The government says it will allocate that $ 20 million over two years, starting in fiscal year 2022-2023, to expand the New Horizons for Seniors Program to improve the quality of community participation for seniors.
The initiative is a federal program of grants and contributions that provides funding for community projects that aim to make a difference in the lives of older people, such as volunteering and mentoring.
With the budget focused on making life more affordable, the federal government says it will continue to evaluate any further increases in the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and consider expanding other retirement benefit plans.
Since 2016, the federal government has restored the age-appropriate GIS and Elderly Safety (OAS) to 65 from 67 and has implemented a 10 percent increase in the maximum GIS benefit for unmarried seniors.
The government says it will also implement a 10 percent increase in the OAK pension for seniors aged 75 and over from July.  According to the budget, this will provide additional benefits over $ 766 to full-time retirees in the first year.
In addition, the federal government says it will set up a team of experts to study the idea of ​​a home-based aging allowance.  The panel will report to the Minister of the Elderly and the Minister of Health, with more details on the panel to be made public.
As Canada’s older population ages, many may want to stay home longer.  With that in mind, the 2022 federal budget proposes doubling the eligibility threshold for a home accessibility tax credit to $ 20,000 for 2022 and the following tax years.
The budget notes that this will create a tax credit of up to $ 3,000, an increase of up to $ 1,500, for seniors who want to make accessibility renovations to their homes so they can stay home safely longer.
One of the big elements of the budget is a proposal for the creation of a national dental care plan, which the Liberals had already agreed to prioritize after the signing of their trust and offer agreement with the NDP.
The government has allocated $ 5.3 billion to Health Canada over the next five years to oversee the implementation of the dental plan, which will be expanded to include the elderly in 2023.