The issue: Canada’s tax system often treats couples more favourably than seniors who live alone.

The impact: Women are disproportionately affected due to longer life expectancy, caregiving disruptions, widowhood, and lower lifetime earnings.

The solution: BPW Canada supports SSTF’s call for fair, inclusive, and gender-responsive tax policies.

Why This Is a Women’s Equity Issue

Women are significantly more likely than men to age alone due to longer life expectancy, widowhood, caregiving interruptions, wage inequities, and lower lifetime pension accumulation. As a result, tax policies that favour couples disproportionately disadvantage older women and contribute to financial insecurity later in life.

BPW Canada Supports SSTF

At the 2025 BPW Canada Annual General Meeting, members unanimously passed a resolution supporting Single Seniors for Tax Fairness. This advocacy is included in BPW Canada’s 2025 Brief to the Federal Government, opposition parties, and allied organizations.

BPW Canada stands with SSTF and its partners in urging the federal government to implement fair, inclusive, and gender-sensitive tax policies for single and solo seniors.

What SSTF Is Advocating For

• Fairer treatment of single and solo seniors in the federal tax system
• Review of pension income splitting inequities
• Greater equity in non-refundable tax credits
• Recognition of the financial realities facing seniors who age alone
• Gender-responsive tax and retirement policies

Advocacy in Action

Parliamentary & Government Advocacy

• SSTF Director Elizabeth Brown appeared as a witness before the Federal Standing Committee on the Status of Women during its study on the Abuse and Financial Vulnerability of Senior Women.
• SSTF submitted five recommendations to the Standing Committee on Finance as part of the federal government’s pre-budget consultations for Budget 2026.
• MP Judy Sgro presented SSTF’s parliamentary petition in the House of Commons in March 2026.
• More than 126 supporters contacted 75 Members of Parliament during SSTF’s national tax season advocacy campaign.
• At the 2026 Liberal Party Convention in Montreal, SSTF’s policy resolution received the highest number of votes among proposals submitted through the Liberal Party’s Senior Liberal Commission and advanced to the convention floor.

Public Education & Outreach

SSTF continues to expand public awareness through meetings with Members of Parliament, public presentations, media interviews, podcasts, and community events.

• Municipal Retirees District Vancouver
• Rexdale Community Health Centre
• Municipal Retirees Association North Vancouver
• CARP Mississauga
• BPW Caledon/Bramalea
• River Grove Seniors Show

Ongoing Advocacy

SSTF continues to meet with Members of Parliament and government representatives to advocate for fairer treatment of solo seniors within Canada’s tax system.

Global Recognition at the United Nations

At the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), global leaders held the first-ever high-level ministerial dialogue dedicated specifically to the rights, economic security, and well-being of older women.

This discussion highlighted priorities including pension equity, gender-responsive social protection systems, stronger responses to elder abuse, action on social isolation, and improved income security for older women.

For BPW Canada and SSTF, this global recognition strengthens the case for fair, inclusive, and gender-sensitive policies in Canada to support the growing number of women ageing alone.

SSTF in the Media

• CBC Radio – The Current: On February 5, 2026, SSTF was quoted and referenced nationally. Listen here.
• Empowered TV: On November 7, 2025, SSTF Director Elizabeth Brown appeared on Empowered. Watch here.
• Radio Interviews & Podcast Features: Additional interviews and podcast appearances are available through SSTF’s Updates page and social media channels.

Learn More & Take Action

Help advance tax fairness for single and solo seniors by learning more, sharing your story, supporting advocacy, or engaging with your Member of Parliament.