BPW Canada Advocacy
Millions of Single and Solo Seniors Face Unfair Tax Burdens
BPW Canada supports fair, inclusive and gender-responsive tax policies for seniors who live alone.
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 Single Seniors for Tax Fairness in calling for fair, inclusive and gender-responsive tax policies.
Tax Fairness for Seniors Who Live Alone
Across Canada, millions of seniors who live alone face disproportionately higher tax burdens than married or common-law couples. Because women are more likely to age alone, these inequities have a significant gendered impact.
Terminology:
“Single seniors” and “solo seniors” are used interchangeably on this page. Single Seniors for Tax Fairness retains its official name while increasingly using “solo seniors” to reflect people who are widowed, divorced, separated or never married.
“BPW Canada has a long history of advocating for women’s economic, social and political rights. Tax inequities for single
seniors are a pressing concern, disproportionately affecting women due to their greater numbers, income disparities,
caregiving responsibilities and longer life expectancy.”
Why This Matters
Solo seniors often carry similar household costs to couples while having access to fewer tax advantages.
of seniors living alone are women
of Canadian seniors are single
more likely to live in poverty than couples
- Women often live longer than men, increasing financial strain over time.
- Current tax rules favour couples through provisions such as pension income splitting, non-refundable tax credits and RRSP or RRIF inheritance treatment.
Twice as many single seniors are women compared with men, and unfair tax policies affect more than two million single senior women every year.
Sources identified by SSTF include Statistics Canada, the National Institute on Ageing and Single Seniors for Tax Fairness research.
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.
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 - A 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 and Government Advocacy
- SSTF Director Elizabeth Brown appeared before the
House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of
Women during its study of the abuse and financial
vulnerability of senior women. - SSTF submitted five recommendations to the Standing
Committee on Finance through the federal pre-budget
consultation process 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 Senior
Liberal Commission and advanced to the convention
floor.
Public Education and 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.
International Context
Global Recognition at the United Nations
At the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, global leaders held the first high-level ministerial dialogue dedicated specifically to the rights, economic security and well-being of older women.
The 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 Canadian policies that 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 to The Current - Empowered TV:
On November 7, 2025, SSTF Director Elizabeth Brown appeared on Empowered.
Visit Empowered TV - Radio interviews and podcast features:
Additional interviews and appearances are available through SSTF’s updates and social media channels.
Learn More and 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.
What You Can Do
Learn more
Explore research, submissions and updates from SSTF.
Share your story
Personal experiences help policymakers understand the
real effects of unfair tax policies.
Support advocacy
Add your voice to petitions and public consultations
calling for fair tax treatment.
Engage with government
Write to your Member of Parliament and ask them to
support tax equity for solo seniors.
Suggest outreach opportunities
Help SSTF connect with community groups, seniors’
organizations and advocacy networks.
Connect with Single Seniors for Tax Fairness
Follow SSTF for advocacy updates, public education and
opportunities to participate.