I'm not sure I understand how you came up with that figure- I'm pretty sure I'm getting the max. on O.A.P. and pretty close to the max. on Canada Pension (I forfeited a $few by taking it at age 60) and I'm getting $14796 annually right now.
Governments spend too much on Seniors
- Thread starter tibear
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I'm not sure I understand how you came up with that figure- I'm pretty sure I'm getting the max. on O.A.P. and pretty close to the max. on Canada Pension (I forfeited a $few by taking it at age 60) and I'm getting $14796 annually right now.
So why in your infinite wisdom should a high income canadian be expected to support a low income canadian? If they should why should seniors be treated diferently?
You're right that OAS was instituted to help the senior that was having trouble surviving, NOT to pay for their extras in life.
I've never said that we throw the poor senior to the wolves, simply treat ALL canadians similarly. If you need money to help you live, so be it. I don't care if your 2 hours old or 102 years old, sick because of disease or sick because of smoking 50 years. Our social programs should be based on need NOT anything else.
That makes sense to me too, but there are many ways in which our taxation and benefit systems are set up to treat people differently. I don't think we're going to get away from that.
Yup, after Droopy's coments, I'm convinced some of you have no clue of the differences between OAS and CPP.
Hey, no name calling ..eh
I never mentioned CPP in any of my Posts!!
You obviously never learned to read!!
One of the big areas relates to the actual revenues via income vs the hard asset base that exists
To be fair, senior age and retirement to most people are so far away that they don't really pay attention. If a thread like this has any benefit, it's a way for some to learn more about how the system works. It's not like it's ever shoved in your face when you're young, working and don't have a lot of inclination to look 30-40 years down the road.
You as well have to learn to read.
I was not taking issue with what seniors should get, I was only commenting on the way of the distribution of OAS..
Droppy is name calling? It's a term of endearment. If I wanted to inslult you I'd go far beyond calling you Droopy.
You didn't have to when you think the two are one in the same.
Excellent point.
And THAT's the problem. Seniors like yourself don't want to talk about fairness because you know that you will lose that discussion.
Again, why shouldn't ALL social programs in Canada be based on income, period. How would you like it if all people with university degrees got an extra $500 a month simply "because they worked hard for it."?
OAS is federal welfare for those who didn't contribute to CPP or a private product.
If someone has been forced to contribute into a dedicated pension plan, there is no reason that they should be barred from collecting on regardless of whether they need it or not.
Again, the threat you use regarding the "senior voting block" is the reason why politicians won't do anything, because the politicians are no different than many of the seniors, they want to get as much as they can for themselves.
We keep on hearing about the wisdom of the seniors and how they know what to do to help our society, well in this regard, I saddened to say that it seems that the wisdom of the seniors is rather selfish.
It is rather sad when there is a smaller and smaller workforce yet seniors have no problems making that smaller workforce pay higher and higher taxes to pay for their luxuries.
Can you please explain your thinking as to why someone who doesn't need OAS to live should receive it?
Let me reiterate that OAS is a social program and as such I believe that ALL social programs should be based on income, nothing else. If you believe that OAS should be exempt from the income restriction, do you also believe that everyone should receive social assistance with a clawback for individuals that make more than $70K per year?
Let's see, $6K a year pays for a month vacation down south every year, golf for an entire summer, movies for an year for you and your entire family, getting your hair and nails done on a weekly basis, pays a good chunk of rent or mortgage payment, etc.
If you can afford to do any of these activities, then you don't need OAS.
I think tibear has a point. My former boss was a multimillionaire...was it really necessary for him to be collecting Old Age Security? No, he had secured himself millions of dollars. His pensions went straight to charity which was good, better than some politician's pocket.
But what if once one is earning a great income they don't get anything else unless they need it? Why is that terrible. Especially in this economic climate? There isn't that much money to go around. What is wrong with setting it up by need. Then those who need could get more?
But what if once one is earning a great income they don't get anything else unless they need it? Why is that terrible. Especially in this economic climate? There isn't that much money to go around. What is wrong with setting it up by need. Then those who need could get more?
Do you mean CPP which the senior bought like any other retirement savings product that is considered taxable income?