Starting next week, Alberta seniors will receive a discount on a number of personal registry services.
Beginning April 1, Albertans 65 years and older will receive a 25 per cent discount on things like driver’s licence renewals, vehicle registration, standard licence plates, marriage licences and parking placards.
The discount will be applied at the time of purchase, according to Minster of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally. Seniors purchasing these services online will also have access to the discount.
“Over the past few years, rising prices have made it difficult for many seniors to make ends meet,” Nally said Thursday. “The discount will provide some modest relief for seniors, many of whom are on a fixed income, and make life more affordable.”
There are currently more than 700,000 people aged 65 and older living in Alberta. More than 178,000 of those people access income supports.
“Every dollar Alberta seniors save through this measure is another dollar back in their pockets that they can better spend on other priorities,” Smith said.
The executive director of the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council said it’s nice to see the cost of a service discounted, rather than increased.
“The compounding effects of inflation have forced seniors to make difficult decisions to make ends meet,” Susan Hallett said. “Implementing a seniors’ discount on licence renewals and registration fees is a concrete action that will provide much-needed relief to their pocketbooks.”
The discount announced Thursday does not apply to corporate or business services, personal property services, commercial vehicle registrations, or optional products like personalized and specialty licence plates.
This is something the Alberta UCP promised in its election campaign last year, along with other discounts for seniors which Premier Danielle Smith said will be announced soon.
Nally said one of the upcoming announcements will be a discount for seniors on camping fees.
The province estimates that by 2035, there will be more than one million seniors living in Alberta.
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