The impact of retirement income programs on health and health equity among Canadian seniors

In Canada, basic pension plans (Old Age Security program) are intended to alleviate poverty among seniors, while mandatory and voluntary retirement plans (Canadian/Quebec Pension Plan, employer pension plans, and private savings) are intended to maintain living standards throughout retirement. Canada's retirement system has been the subject of heated policy debate, as the rapid aging of the population poses significant fiscal challenges to the system's sustainability. Although increasing the eligibility age for retirement income programs (e.g., the Harper government's proposal to increase the eligibility age for the Old Age Security benefit from 65 to 67) may ease financial pressure on the system, it is essential to consider how existing retirement income programs impact health and inequalities in health among Canadian seniors prior to implementing such changes. Therefore, this project examines the impact of retirement income programs on the health of and health equity among Canadian seniors. This project has three main objectives: first, to evaluate how Canada's basic retirement income programs affect the health (health status, health behaviour, and healthcare use) of low-income seniors; second, to measure how retirement impacts the health of the former employed workers; and third, to investigate how the income redistribution facilitated by the Canadian retirement system affects income-related health inequalities among senior citizens. This comprehensive analysis of the retirement system will provide evidence relating to the effectiveness of the current programs, which can aid in the development of effective strategies for improving health and health equity among Canada's rapidly aging population.