Q: I received some mail from the federal government, and I don’t really understand it. It’s about my Guaranteed Income Supplement. I’m not sure why it says I’m not going to be getting it this year.
A: We can definitely help people interpret and make sense of mail they receive from the government. In fact, we do it more often than you might think!
It can be frustrating and overwhelming to receive any kind of official letter and feel unclear on what it means, why it was sent, or how to get answers about it.
In your case, we’d encourage you to call the government phone number listed on the mail you received, even if it means braving a wait time. This way you can get information from the source. If it is not clear which number you should call, we are here to help you google-search. If you have limited minutes on your phone plan, and can’t commit to a long wait time, we can help you find a solution. If the mail is related to a recent assessment of your income, like in your case you mention your GIS, our tax volunteers are sometimes able to shine a little light on what is going on as well.
The short answer is: If you get mail from the government you don’t understand, our staff and volunteers at the Resource Centre are absolutely willing to have a look and make sense of it with you.
Call us at 604-885-4088 to book an appointment, or to reach us during our office hours. Leave a message in our confidential voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Appointments are recommended, drop-ins are welcome Our hours are 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday. Our address is 107A-5710 Teredo St. (in Teredo Square, just next to the Scotiabank).
Angie Theilmann is an information and referral specialist at the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, your community information hub. Do you have a question? Just Ask Angie! Email: angie@resourcecentre.ca
