Archive for the ‘Social Security’ Category
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New poll shows surprising support for anti-poverty plan
Saturday, December 14th, 2013
Is it really possible to have a poverty-free Canada? For many experts, the answer is a clear yes, and the best way to reach that goal is through a guaranteed annual income… The survey showed more Canadians like the idea than oppose it… it’s the first time a national poll has ever asked Canadians what they think of the idea of providing everyone with a guaranteed income… a single, cash payment that would replace all current social programs, such as welfare and employment insurance.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living, tax
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Disabled in Ontario increasingly forced onto welfare
Saturday, December 14th, 2013
From its origins in the 1960s as the disability benefit of last resort, the Ontario Disability Support Program has become the only financial assistance available for a growing number of Ontarians… Due to the rise of part-time, contract and other forms of non-standard work, more and more Ontarians who become sick, injured or disabled no longer qualify for Employment Insurance sickness benefits, workers’ compensation or workplace disability benefits…
Tags: disabilities, economy, featured, globalization, ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
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Stop Stephen Harper’s destruction of our social safety net
Friday, December 13th, 2013
Social programs that took generations to build are being insidiously eroded by Conservatives obsessed with creating a leaner government at the expense of Canadians in need… Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s penchant for secrecy, disdain for Parliament, his quashing of dissent, and a ruthless strategy of pursuing a thousand small cuts rather than one big one, have allowed him to loot treasured programs without rousing the ire of Canadians.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
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A simple, feasible way to expand CPP
Thursday, December 12th, 2013
An expansion of the earnings cap is both feasible and simple to administer. Only employees with above average wages would be subject to the higher contribution rates, limiting the impact on small business… employees and employers can negotiate changes to wages or workplace pensions to incorporate the new CPP structure… this kind of CPP reform could alleviate some of the financing pressures faced by workplace pension plans.
Tags: economy, ideology, pensions, standard of living
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Canadians, not governments, should make pension decisions
Tuesday, December 10th, 2013
First, 23 per cent of Canadian households are ill-prepared for retirement, most of them wealthier households. A portion of the middle class is also in the same situation, as well as many young people who have not yet saved much at all. Second, Canadians with the lowest incomes are those whose financial situations in retirement are best protected by current programs. This explains why of all age groups, those aged 65 and over have the lowest poverty rates…
Tags: economy, ideology, pensions, standard of living
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Poverty reduction key to fairer, more prosperous Ontario
Wednesday, December 4th, 2013
While it appears Ontario will fall short of its “25 in 5” target, the province has made some progress and laid three critical building blocks that should provide the foundation for its next five-year strategy, expected in early 2014… fighting poverty is required to grow our economy… investments in policies like the new Ontario Child Benefit, refundable tax credits for low income people, and minimum wage hikes show that smart social policy works.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Blaming the poor for their problems a cheap excuse not to be part of the solution
Wednesday, December 4th, 2013
We need better poor people. They can’t be angry or troublesome. They should be pious, polite and grateful… I’m being sarcastic… “The shame of poverty is that we allow it to exist,” says Mary Gordon… “To say that these people (mired in poverty) are somehow derelict . . . is so unjust. That position is forged in ignorance.”… And if we fail to support an idea like that, then we deserve the dysfunctional — and yes, difficult — community we get.
Tags: ideology, poverty, standard of living, women
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Disability in December
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013
The Caledon Institute has proposed a new Basic Income for persons with severe disabilities that would replace welfare with an adequate federally delivered benefit… provincial and territorial savings would be reinvested in a wide range of disability supports… Ottawa could… create a fund that would allocate monies to the provinces and territories to encourage investment in a comprehensive system of supports. These goods and services provide essential assistance not just to persons with disabilities but also to the entire population.
Tags: disabilities, Health, ideology, mental Health, pensions, standard of living
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Canada fails in its promise to end child poverty
Thursday, November 28th, 2013
… non-profit groups, and generous donors, can’t end poverty alone… a practical, nation-wide strategy to finally eliminate poverty… would need to include an affordable housing plan… boosting the minimum wage, increasing the Ontario Child Benefit, and delivering a much-needed $100-a-month increase for singles on welfare.
Tags: budget, child care, featured, housing, philanthropy, poverty, standard of living
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Strengthening the Canada Pension Plan: Take it to the public
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
The Caledon Institute has proposed a ‘1.5 solution’ to CPP expansion that would increase the earnings replacement rate by 1.5 times from its current 25 percent to 37.5 percent of Yearly Maximum Pensionable Earnings. We also would raise the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings by one-half, from $50,100 to $75,150 in 2013. This option would be of particular assistance to… those… unlikely to enjoy coverage of employer-provided pension plans.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, pensions, standard of living
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