Après la crise des passeports et le chaos à l’Agence du revenu du Canada (ARC), la machine fédérale connaît des ratés du côté des pensions de vieillesse. Serge Côté a déposé une demande en mai, lors de son 67e anniversaire, et il attend encore son premier chèque.
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En se rendant en personne au bureau de Service Canada à Saint-Hyacinthe, le retraité n’aurait jamais pu imaginer qu’il fêterait Noël et l’arrivée du Nouvel An avant d’avoir obtenu sa pension d’Ottawa.
On l’avait prévenu que le délai de traitement de sa demande serait de 150 jours, soit 5 mois.C’était déjà très long, mais clairement sous-estimé : dans quelques jours, il en sera à son 8e mois d’attente.
« Serge Côté, c’est quasiment un nom commun. Alors je me suis dit qu’un autre Serge
By default, Old Age Security (OAS) is paid automatically starting at age 65. Those who choose to defer it must inform Ottawa and submit an submission when they finally decide to receive it.
This is the path Serge Côté followed on the recommendation of his financial advisor. As each month of waiting, between 65 and 70 years old, increases the amount by 0.6%. A full year therefore increases the pension by 7.2%, up to a maximum of 36%. This increased and cost-of-living-indexed monthly amount will be paid until death.
Fortunately, Serge Côté doesn’t wait for his Ottawa pension to pay his bills. But the couple is annoyed that the money due in 2025 will arrive all at once in 2026. “It will have an impact on the tax return.”
The cause of these delays remains enigmatic. After a week and a half of waiting, Employment and Social Growth Canada finally sent me an email… which explains nothing.
It is indeed specified that the current average processing time as the beginning of the 2025 fiscal year is 218 days, but there is no data for applicants over 65 years of age.
I was also told the obvious, namely that the ministry does not always have the “facts” needed.
Bureaucracy Bloat: canadian Civil Service Expansion Fails to Improve Citizen Services
A rapid expansion of the Canadian civil service over the past decade has not translated into improved service for citizens, according to recent observations. The growth in federal public sector employees has outpaced any demonstrable gains in efficiency or public satisfaction.
While specific figures regarding the increase in federal employees are currently being compiled for a full report expected in February 2026, preliminary data indicates a significant rise.critics point to a lack of clear performance metrics and accountability as key factors contributing to the disconnect between bureaucratic growth and service delivery.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in personnel, but citizens aren’t necessarily seeing a corresponding betterment in the services they receive,” stated Dr.Emily Carter, a public administration expert at the University of Toronto, in a January 24, 2026 interview. “The focus needs to shift from simply adding bodies to streamlining processes and empowering frontline staff.”
Concerns are also being raised about the cost of the expanding bureaucracy. Taxpayers are bearing the financial burden of increased salaries and benefits, with limited evidence of a return on investment in terms of better public services.
The federal government has announced plans to conduct a complete review of the civil service in early 2026, aiming to identify areas for improvement and ensure that public funds are being used effectively. The review will focus on streamlining operations,reducing redundancies,and enhancing accountability.
