Ahead of the Saturday deadline, a petition by a grass-roots movement to try to help low-income seniors across Canada appears to have more than enough signatures to move to the next step.

The Tin-Cup movement is calling on the Federal Government to provide seniors over 65 a universal livable income, saying many of them are living below the poverty line.

“We have been meeting seniors and their families from all walks of life. We’ve heard so many heart-wrenching stories about what some seniors are facing,” Diane Czyzewski, a volunteer with the group based in Kamloops, said at this week’s City Council meeting.

“People that though they were prepared for retirement, but then something unexpected happened – death, divorce, illness etc. – and now they find themselves trying to survive on a fraction of what they had planned for. As we know price gouging has come into effect too, which doesn’t help.”

Czyzewski says seniors who rely on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security, and Guaranteed Income Supplement make about $7,000 less than the poverty threshold of $25,252.

“Some local seniors are going without prescribed medication as they cannot afford them after paying their rent. Some are having to choose between buying food or paying for hydro or heat. We know of seniors living on the street or those being added to the shelter. The number of seniors frequenting the food bank has been increasing steadily, and there are still seniors that are too proud to ask for help and they suffer in silence,” Czyzewski said.

“This isn’t right.”

As of last check, the online petition had 2,678 signatures, well above the 500 needed for it to be certified. The majority of signatories were from Quebec (1,306) followed by British Columbia (1,041), and Ontario (150).

Once its certified, the petition can be presented in the House of Commons, requiring the government to respond to it.

While the petition is seeking change at the federal level, Czyzewski say the group wants all levels of government to help support seniors.

“At the federal level, we’re looking for increased pensions and housing. At the provincial level housing, seniors shelter, affordability to age in place and medical expenses because as we know if you need any medical care, chances are you’re going to have to go elsewhere and its going to cost you a fortune,” she said.

“At the municipal level, free bus fares, housing, seniors shelters, and affordably to age in place.”

Kamloops organizer Celeste Fummerton told Radio NL in May that if Ottawa does make changes, it was her expectation the top-up to senior’s incomes would be “targeted.”

“I think it will probably have to come through the Guaranteed Income Supplement, because that way people that don’t need it won’t get it,” Fummerton said.

“There are some seniors in B.C. that are doing very, very well, that have good company pensions and whatnot. We’re really trying to really target the seniors that are living below the poverty level.”

The deadline for people to sign the petition is 1:57 p.m. PDT on Saturday, Sept. 14.