Canada offering one-off payments between $300 and $500 to seniors for coronavirus expenses

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Canada is offering senior citizens a one-off payment of between $300 (£174) and $500 (£290) for pandemic expenses, amid the coronavirus crisis.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced the scheme, that is planned to help the group most affected by the pandemic in the country.

The Prime Minister said that “the last few weeks have been particularly tough for our seniors and their families”.

He added that “our parents and our grandparents are most at risk of catching the Covid-19 virus and of suffering the most serious consequences right across the country”.

The scheme will provide $300 to six million senior citizens, and an extra $200 will be be given to just over two million who receive guaranteed income support.

The one-off payment is not in place of any other payments that those on guaranteed income support receive, and has been introduced as short-term help during the outbreak.

Mr Trudeau said that although the country is aiming to get back to normal as soon as possible, certain communities need financial support right now.

“We want to get through this, we want to get through this quickly, but we know that we need to support people right now as we get through and that’s what this extra help for seniors will help with,” he said.

“There’s no question that Covid-19 has been taking its toll on seniors both emotionally and financially ... our government is taking action to alleviate some of the stress they may be feeling,” the prime minister added.

In addition to the financial support, the government will be adding $20m (£11.58m) worth of funding to the The New Horizons for Seniors Program, according to ipolitics.

The initiative helps support organisations that tackle loneliness and attempt to build communities and support systems for seniors in Canada.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 72,124 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 5,248.