Pension Changes

I have suddenly found myself in the awkward position of having to agree with Harper for the first and last time. One must remember though that this is the first and likely the last time he will have a somewhat intelligent plan...... raise the age limit on pensions.


If and when they do introduce the the bill in the house I hope they have addressed all possible scenarios. 


- First is want. I did not apply for my pension until just prior to my 67th birthday. Why? because I was not forced to retire nor did I want to.


- Then need. Is the applicant in poor health and can no longer be effective in the workplace.


- Abolish the early retirement clause except for those who are in need. The early retirement payout eats up the principal in the CPP fund, especially when the economy tanks and interest rates are low.


When my grandfather retired and applied for his Canada Pension the age requirement was 70. In those days the government had a clause for early retirement at age 65 for those who were unable to work until age 70. In the case of my grandmother, she fell into the latter category. she was required to fill a "means test" form to show why she required an early pension.


Of course times were different back then, it was common for parents to either move in with their children or for one of the children to take over the family home and care for mom and dad. Today kids are too quick to put their parents in a home. Yes life today is moving faster and parents have more on their plate but that my friends is their own doing. They covet their neighbors and try to keep up with them. They put the kids in organized sports, music, dance or other group activities then run all over hell's creation to drop off the the little critters.


My kids were lucky, nanny and grandpa lived with us, they still went to cubs or brownies and played sports but they also had their grandparents at the house to care for them after school and in the summer. To teach them cribbage or to pretend dance and other silly nanny and gramps games.


The state of the OAS fund is not as bad as this government makes it out to be, the problem is today's interest rates are the lowest in history and the principal in the fund is being eaten up.


To compound this problem the Conservatives set up a department to administer the OAS fund however the department has nothing to do at this time and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year while they sit around twiddling their thumbs. And no they are not on the chopping block in the upcoming cutbacks.