BC’s senior poverty rate is the highest in Canada according to a new report.
The Social Planning and Research Council of BC and The United Way released the BC Poverty Report Card which highlighted the rate has more than doubled between 2000 and 2015. The report also shows 8 per cent of seniors living in poverty in BC, with the national average sitting at 6 per cent.
Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson says he’s not surprised that the senior poverty rate is so high in the province.
“I’m pleased to see this report come out because I think it gives us a better insight a group of folks that lots of people don’t look at so much as being poor because we know there are a number of seniors who have assets but very little income.”
“I think it’s reflective of income for seniors, particularly seniors living on pension, that those numbers have stayed pretty static until 2015, yet we know cost have costs have continued to increase in a variety of areas,” added Simpson.
The federal government is planning to release their own poverty reduction plan in the coming weeks, something Simpson says he’s looking forward to seeing and how they plan to help tackle this issue.
Out of 11,550 seniors in Prince George, 520 were poor.