NPF Submission: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of Budget 2026

A snippet of NPF’s written brief submission:
“The National Pensioners Federation (NPF) would like to thank the Department of Finance Canada for the opportunity to provide you with our views on how Budget 2026 can support Canadians through the post pandemic economy so that all segments of Canadian society benefit equally and no-one is left behind.”

As a non-partisan umbrella organization representing one million seniors across Canada, we at NPF believe we are uniquely qualified to comment on the impacts that COVID-19 has had on seniors and their families across Canada and to make recommendations for lasting change that will provide employment for many Canadians willing and able to get involved in improving and enhancing the lives of current and future seniors.”

HoC publishes all briefs submitted to this committee here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/committees/en/FINA/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=13385942

Read National Pensioners’ Federation full submission below:

Summary of Recommendations as Adopted at the NPF Fall 2025 AGM

1. Enhance Seniors Pension Income Programs. Poverty can affect Canadians of any age but among those most negatively affected are low-income seniors and especially women seniors. Poverty in elder age for women is a life course challenge that impacts many in retirement earnings and savings. A comprehensive review of retirement government benefits is necessary to ensure the dignity and welfare of Canadians is met.
   
2. Create Affordable Housing for Seniors and End Homelessness. The lack of affordable seniors subsidized housing has reached crisis proportions and as a result more seniors are becoming homeless or at risk of living in unsuitable and unsafe housing. Statistics show other seniors pay far more than the recommended 30% of their gross income for housing and as a result must curtail spending on other items such as medications or nutritious food. A National Housing Strategy for building thousands of affordable, community, co-operative living models for seniors as subsidized housing must be implemented immediately.
   
3. National Long-Term Care Reforms. Legislate national standards for long-term care as the previous Liberal Government had promised. Provide federal funding with strong accountability measures to ensure provinces and territories meet or exceed these standards. Consult with seniors in a major re-imagining of how care for vulnerable older adults is designed, delivered, and monitored in Canada.
   
4. A National Universal Pharmacare Plan. Canada urgently needs to continue the implementation of a public, universal prescription drug program that would include a comprehensive, evidence-based national formulary.
   
5. Core funding for non-profit community-based seniors centres. The NPF urges the provision of core funding supports for non-profit community-based seniors’ centres be included in the budget.
   
6. Vaccine Investments & Access. NPF urges the provision of core funding supports for vaccine investments and vaccine access for seniors across all Provinces and Territories.