Archive for the ‘Social Security Debates’ Category
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Child poverty on the decline
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015
Campaign 2000 is crudely measuring income inequality, not poverty. Statistics Canada explicitly considers LIM a measure of low income and not poverty… A more telling measure examines the ability of a household to afford basic needs such as food and housing… referred to as the basic needs poverty line (BNL)… the BNL shows that the child poverty rate has actually dropped by a third — down from 8.3 per cent in 1986
Tags: featured, ideology, poverty, youth
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Finance ministers keep options open for CPP reforms
Monday, December 21st, 2015
Ottawa and the provinces agreed that officials will start working right away on various options and the ministers will review that work early in the new year. A more formal meeting would take place in June to review the work again, which would set the stage for potential decisions when the finance ministers hold their annual December meeting… Reforming the CPP requires the support of Ottawa plus seven of the 10 provinces representing two thirds of the Canadian population.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
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Seniors need income security
Friday, December 11th, 2015
Some 45-plus years after our group was launched out of a concern for senior citizens, there are still older adults who face poverty or are already living in poverty. Most of them are single and most of them are women… The CPP average amount as of July 2015 for new beneficiaries is $640.23; OAS maximum is $569.95 and GIS maximum for a single individual is $772.83. Total monthly income: $1,983.01. Or if one never paid into CPP… then the amount would be $1,342.78.
Tags: budget, pensions, poverty, standard of living, women
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Fine sentiments but no progress on child poverty
Thursday, November 26th, 2015
Every autumn for the past 30 years, the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC) has sent a delegation to Queen’s Park to ask the province’s political leaders to eliminate — not reduce — poverty. Two generations of legislators have nodded politely and done little… Matthews unveiled her government’s poverty reduction strategy seven years ago. Since then Ontario’s child poverty has climbed to 20 per cent from 15.2 per cent.
Tags: budget, featured, housing, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Poverty reduction needs more than food banks
Thursday, November 19th, 2015
… less than proud of the fact that 850,000 people need to access their services each and every month… HungerCount puts forward four broad policy recommendations: Create a basic income to replace provincial social assistance programs; Increase the availability of affordable housing; Invest in skills training for Canadians most at risk of failing in the labour market; Increase access to traditional foods and reduce the cost of store-bought foods in northern communities.
Tags: Health, housing, ideology, mental Health, poverty, standard of living
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The economic case for tackling poverty
Tuesday, November 10th, 2015
… there would be higher consumer spending. Simply put, fewer low-income individuals would boost the GDP… fewer Canadians ensnared in poverty would free up scarce public resources for more productive purposes… [It would] liberate an untapped source of labour… [provide] social and economic stability… But finally, the best reason to eradicate poverty is simply because it is the right thing to do. Economists don’t need to prove this with a fancy cost-benefit model.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
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What the Liberal victory could mean for your pension plan
Sunday, October 25th, 2015
The Liberals have promised to restore the future eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement from 67 to 65… The question remains whether to continue with increased benefits for those who defer collecting OAS to later ages. The Liberals have also promised to raise GIS benefits for single low-income seniors. This move can be expected to lift some of our most vulnerable seniors out of poverty… The most challenging element facing the Liberals involves the Canada Pension Plan…
Tags: ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
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New hope for a Canada pension fix
Friday, October 16th, 2015
Although Wynne had been planning to bring in an Ontario Retirement Pension Plan in 2017, she is prepared to put it on hold if CPP reform is back on the table after Oct. 19… An enhanced CPP ought to be the preferred option. And Wynne has an ally in New Democratic Leader Tom Mulcair as well… The plan locks in contributions over the long haul, providing a safe, reliable retirement income. But the CPP covers earnings of up to only $53,600, and pays out just $12,780 at most.
Tags: economy, ideology, pensions, standard of living
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Toronto should not be tops in child poverty
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
… of 14 major cities, Toronto has the highest percentage of children – a stunning 28.6 per cent – living below the poverty line… of the city’s 140 neighbourhoods, 18 have child poverty rates above 40 per cent, while in Regent Park it’s 63 per cent. And it isn’t getting better. The report notes the poverty rate for children is “stuck” at the 2007 level, and has been getting worse since 2010… it’s because of the high number of newcomers… in the most racialized and diverse neighbourhoods… And partly it’s the trend toward precarious and part-time employment
Tags: budget, economy, housing, ideology, immigration, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Social Policy: National Post View
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
Overall, the Conservatives’ offerings on social policy, while slim, strike us as providing Canadians with the greatest flexibility, allowing them to decide for themselves how to care for their children or save for their retirement, at the lowest cost in additional taxes. As such they best fulfill the doctrine to which doctors adhere, but which policy makers would do well to follow: first do no harm.
Tags: budget, child care, featured, ideology, pensions, poverty, standard of living, tax
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