The total dollar value of Old Age Security (OAS) payments sent to retired Canadians living abroad — which has increased steadily over the past ten years — dropped slightly during the pandemic, when global travel restrictions slammed the brakes on international travel.
The total sum of OAS payments to retirees abroad dropped by 0.17 per cent between 2020 and 2021. The sum then spiked by 9.7 per cent between 2021 and 2022 to hit a ten-year high.
The office of Seniors Minister Seamus O’Regan told CBC News that while the pandemic’s effects led to the increase, the percentage of seniors receiving OAS while living abroad has remained constant