A retiree with just $500 for unexpected events

“I like that very much sir. [Justin] Trudeau cares about the elderly. “It doesn't make any sense,” he denied Newspaper A 70-year-old retiree from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu said he could no longer cope with inflation.

“Trudeau doesn't do anything. He gives money there, a million dollars there. He has to think about us. We're here, all the rest of us,” despaired Suzanne Trudel-Page, a retiree from Monteregi, who sighed impatiently at his work. “We're the glue. Let's eat,” she said.

Like her, one in five Quebecers age 55 and older can't afford a $5,000 cushion in the event of an unexpected event, according to a Léger survey – News magazine.

last days, News magazine She was met as she prepared to enter the Société Saint-Vincent de Paul, rue Laurier, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Crowded outside with their folding chairs sheltered from the sun, Suzanne and her friends didn't lose their smiles, even though they had a lot to say about the grocery bills they struggled to pay.

While many hesitate to speak out loud about the impact of inflation on their portfolio, Suzanne Trudel-Page doesn't hesitate to express her thoughts. Newspaper.

Pensions are very low

According to her, the $713.34 pension is too low in the face of inflation, which eats up any room for maneuver. She pleads that we urgently need to provide help to the most vulnerable seniors.

Last summer, the Old Age Security (OAS) pension increased 10% to $784.67 for those 75 and older, but that's not enough for many seniors.

“We don't have holidays anymore. We haven't traveled in eight years,” gasped the woman who was once at the daycare.

Today, there is no question of giving in to treats, or even small pleasures, all of which are too much for her.

“We don't buy extra things to treat ourselves. We don't do that. We are not competent. Just the main thing,” she concluded.