Hello from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG).
Today, Auditor General of Canada Karen Hogan released an audit report on Programs to Assist Seniors. Overall, Employment and Social Development Canada is not using available information to determine if programs are meeting seniors’ needs.
We can all agree that it is critical that programs are in place to provide seniors with the necessary economic, health, and social supports and that this is relevant to your core business. As such, we are sharing our key findings in hopes that it will help generate momentum to spur government‑wide improvements, in the best interests of Canada.
Key facts and findings
- In 2023, Statistics Canada indicated that there were 7.5 million people in Canada aged 65 and older and that for the first time, there were more people in that age bracket than under age 18.
- Over 20 federal organizations provide programs, services, or initiatives that support seniors’ needs.
- Employment and Social Development Canada delivers the Old Age Security Program and the New Horizons for Seniors Program. The department did not know whether the objectives of these programs were being met.
- Under the New Horizons for Seniors Program, value-for-money concerns were noted in 44% of the projects that were funded from March 2022 to March 2024. Some projects were not completed by the recipients, while others had indicated that some funding had been used on ineligible activities.
- Information in the New Horizons for Seniors Program project files often did not allow Employment and Social Development Canada to determine how many seniors benefitted from the program.
What you can do
- Re-share our recently published social media posts about the report findings: Facebook EN / FR | Instagram EN / FR | X EN / FR | LinkedIn EN / FR
- Share our report and recommendations with your membership.
- Share factual material about the topic on social media, and link it to findings from our report.
More information
- News release
- Auditor General’s opening statement to the news conference
- Recording of the news conference
Who is the OAG?
The OAG audits how the government departments and agencies manage programs and services on behalf of Canadians and spend public money. We are an agent of Parliament that is independent of government. One of our values is to nurture collaborative and respectful relationships, rooted in transparency and accountability.
We report on important issues that affect Canadians. Our reports are based on evidence collected according to our policies and professional auditing standards. We bring a non-partisan, objective, and fair approach to our work.
Our reports, including recommendations for improvement, are delivered directly to Parliament. They generate a lot of attention not only from elected officials, but also from the public, the media, non-governmental organizations, academics, and special interest groups, among others.
The OAG strives to bring together people, expertise, and technology for a better Canada, one audit at a time. Visit our website to learn more about our work.