Entente Education Canada Applauds Refundable Canada Caregiver Credit In Budget 2026, Calls For More Frequent OAS And GIS Payments As Next Step

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entente Education Canada commends the federal government for making the Canada Caregiver Credit refundable, a change expected to benefit 585,000 caregivers, who could receive up to $1,260 annually starting in 2027. This will extend meaningful financial support to caregivers with low or no income tax liability, who previously received little or no benefit from the credit.
The organization has long advocated for this measure. In a recent letter to the Minister of Finance, Entente Education Canada, the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and others urged the government to make the credit refundable and caregiver benefits non-taxable.
“We are pleased the government heard caregivers and the many organizations, including ours, to make the Canada Caregiver Credit refundable,” said John Cappelletti, chair of the board of Entente Education Canada.“We have been talking with MPs and their staff in Ottawa, including the office of the Secretary of State for Seniors, about a further low-cost step: paying seniors' benefits more often. We look forward to working with the government on it.”
Budget 2026 also introduces measures to help older Canadians with everyday expenses:

• The government proposes to eliminate the requirement to convert RRSPs into RRIFs at age 71, while keeping minimum withdrawal requirements.
• The government will provide a one-time 50 per cent increase to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit for the 2026-27 benefit year.

Entente Education Canada continues to advocate for biweekly rather than monthly Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) payments. This change would benefit 7.7 million OAS recipients, including 2.5 million GIS recipients, by providing more regular access to income to manage everyday expenses. With the vast majority of recipients already receiving payments by direct deposit and program administration accounting for approximately 0.35 per cent of total OAS and GIS expenditures, this is a practical, relatively low-cost measure.

The organization also urges the federal government to:

• Make caregiver benefits non-taxable, so caregivers keep the full value of the assistance they receive.
• Introduce a targeted Single Seniors' Tax Credit that gives additional tax relief to single older adults, including those who are widowed.

Entente Education Canada details these recommendations in its pre-budget submission to the Minister of Finance.

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Entente Education Canada is a national social enterprise, providing non-profit group insurance designed primarily for people who work in or have retired from the education sector. With more than 88,000 members and 100,000 plan participants across Canada, Entente offers leading group health insurance, meaningful opportunities for community engagement, and advocacy focused on healthy aging and environmental stewardship. Entente is a dynamic, bilingual, member-engaged organization.

Attachments

• Entente Education Canada applauds refundable Canada Caregiver Credit in Budget 2026, calls for more frequent OAS and GIS payments as next step
• Entente calls for more frequent OAS and GIS payments

CONTACT: Natasha Mistry Entente Education Canada 647-521-6129...

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