Alberta seniors will receive a discount on personal registry services
As the cost of living continues to rise, Alberta seniors will receive some relief in the form of discounts on personal registry services like driver's licences and vehicle registrations.
On Thursday, the government announced a 25 per cent discount for seniors aged 65 and over for a number of personal registry services.
The discount will be put in place starting April 1.
"These are unavoidable expenses, part of life for many Albertans, but seniors are the fastest growing age group in the province and many rely on assistance to meet their basic needs, afford essential supports, and age safely in their homes," said Premier Danielle Smith.
"So it's more urgent than ever to provide them with relief from inflation-caused high cost of living."
Over 178,000 seniors in Alberta rely on income supports just to meet basic needs, according to Dale Nally, the minister of service Alberta and red tape reduction.
"The discount will be applied at the time of payment, so it will be easy and simple," Nally said. "We made certain that the seniors discount will be applied without any burdensome forms or applications."
Currently, Alberta has over 700,000 seniors living in the province, according to Nally. By 2035, that number is expected to be over one million.
"Having and operating a vehicle is something that many of us take for granted, it takes on a whole new meaning in later life," said Sheila Hallett, the executive director of the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council. "I've often heard seniors relate it with quality of life, especially when there are not transportation options in rural and remote areas.
"As older adults consistently express a desire to age in their communities as long as they can, having means to connect often involves transportation, driver licence renewals and vehicle registrations or services that a large percentage of older adults use."
Some of the services included are road tests for several classes of licence, land titles and marriage certificates. A full list of the discounted services is available on the Alberta government website.
The discount is available in-person and online.
Services that will not have the discount applied to them include:
- Corporate and business services;
- Personal property services;
- Commercial vehicle registrations;
- Optional products such as personalized and specialty licence plates;
- Fines;
- Ignition interlock; and
- Restricted licence applications
A seniors' discount for driver medical exams will be implemented later in the year, according to the government.
A discount on camping fees is also planned.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.