Social Policy in Ontario

Ontario report calls for boost to pensions

Posted on October 29, 2010 in Social Security Debates

Source: Globe & Mail — Authors: Janet McFarland

TheGlobeandMail.com – Report on Business
Published Friday, Oct. 29, 2010.   Janet McFarland

Ontario’s recipe for improving Canada’s pension retirement system includes both modest improvements to the Canada Pension Plan and new pension innovations from the private sector, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan says in a new report.

The province issued a consultation paper Friday, asking for public input on proposals to improve pensions for Ontarians as part of a national initiative to find solutions to boost retirement incomes across Canada.

In a letter accompanying the report, Mr. Duncan continued to support a proposal he endorsed at a national finance minister’s meeting in June calling for an expansion of CPP benefits for Canadians. The proposal has faced opposition from Alberta and is expected to be debated again at a finance minister’s meeting in December.

“A modest enhancement to the CPP now would provide a significant benefit to these workers when they retire,” Mr. Duncan said. “I believe such an enhancement is affordable if contribution rates are phased in gradually, particularly in light of the over $8-billion in annual tax relief Ontario will be providing to businesses as part of its tax plan.”

The report does not back any specific model for achieving that goal, however, only outlining different options and asking for comment on the choices.

Currently, CPP benefits are structured to replace 25 per cent of an individual’s career average earnings up to an annual limit currently set at $47,200, although most retirees do not qualify for the maximum amount.

One reform option is to increase the maximum income replacement rate from 25 per cent currently to a higher rate, such as 35 per cent, the report said. Another option is to increase the maximum earnings ceiling, the report said, noting that a 50 per cent or 100 per cent increase would move it from $47,200 a year to $70,800 or $94,400.

The report also asks for comments on potential implementation issues with expanding the CPP, including how to phase in the increases and how extra money in the fund should be managed. It also questions whether an increase would have an impact on other retirement savings by inducing employers to reduce their pension benefits or inducing individuals to save less on their own.

Mr. Duncan also said governments should make regulatory changes that will provide better private-sector pension options.

In his letter accompanying the report, he said current rules only allow pension plans to be offered by an employer to an employee. This limits options for people who are self-employed or who work for small companies that cannot afford to offer a pension plan.

The report asks for input on proposals to allow financial institutions to offer pension plans with participation from multiple employers, allowing more companies to offer retirement benefits to workers and reducing administration costs by creating large pools of funds.

The report said one goal of such plans would be to allow individuals to hold their own accounts in the pension plans, so they could transfer them if they switch jobs. The money would also be portable nationally, the report suggested.

“By changing these laws, we can expand the range of institutions that can set up pension plans, and the range of people who can access them,” Mr. Duncan said.

The report also asked for comments for reforms to make it easier for companies to offer “target” benefit plans, which are similar to traditional defined benefit plans, but allow the employer to reduce payouts if the pension plan does not have sufficient assets to maintain coverage.

Employers and pension experts have argued such plans would be more flexible for sponsors and could be a solution to declining pension coverage in the private sector, where many traditional plans are being abandoned.

< http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ontario-report-calls-for-boost-to-pensions/article1778032/ >

Tags: pensions, standard of living

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