Poor and dependent seniors in Canada

The economic status and problems of seniors, People aged 55-64 years, have been neglected, particularly those of women. Following a summary of government policy in Canada regarding income transfers, this paper reports upon an analysis of data from the 1993 national Survey of labour and Income Dynamics. Attention is given to relative poverty and financial dependence within households, as types of economic constraint. Both are higher among seniors than either the middle aged or the elderly. Senior women are the most likely to be dependent. The implications of these findings for future fiscal policy are discussed. It is concluded that more attention in gerontology needs to be given to this age group.