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Are men or women more likely to receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement?
The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a social transfer to Old Age Security recipients with little or no income from other sources—the higher the proportion of seniors receiving the GIS, the lower the proportion that can meet their basic needs from other sources of income.
Chart - Men and women aged 65 and over receiving Guaranteed Income Supplement
Source: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Income Security and Social Development, Canada Pension Plan/Old Age Security Information, Analysis and Liaison Division.
The rate of GIS receipt is 3 to 4 percentage points higher for women than for men as they enter their senior years (data not shown). The rate of receipt among 65 to 69 year-olds was stable through the late 1990s, edged upwards through 2004 and has since fallen to new lows for both men and women.
The picture is quite different when looking at the entire 65 and over population. The rate of GIS receipt among women is much higher than it is for men—10 to 12 percentage points in the past few years. This indicates that women's incomes decline more in old age than men's. The greater longevity of women is undoubtedly a factor, since it means that they are more likely to outlive their spouses and their registered savings.
Table - Men and women aged 65 and over receiving Guaranteed Income Supplement
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