More Vaughan seniors need ‘Meals on Wheels,’ others burdened with taxes
Seniors don't want Canada's deficit to balloon, but they urgently need better pensions and services
Yorkregion.com
July 3, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb
Sixty-four-year-old Josie Lucia from Vaughan is still working, but before leaving her job to finally retire, she needs to make sure that her pension is enough.
“I want to have a raise in our pensions. We need to make ends meet, especially if one of us passes away, we are done,” Lucia told York Region Media, in reference to her and her husband's income.
Lucia, who was among the 800 who attended the Senior Summit in Vaughan on June 21, has five children, and so far her economic situation is “OK,” as she is still working.
Liberal and Conservative MPs and MPPs at the summit didn’t roll out their final electoral platforms for this increasing demographic. But for Gerry O’Connor, chair for the Seniors Association of Vaughan Initiative behind the summit, he recounted the story of Joseph.
Who is Joseph?
Joseph is a father who worked hard for 25 years to support his family. With an average income of $1,200 to $1,500 per month, he waited three years to qualify for subsidized housing.
“Even then only a few hundred dollars remain for food and living expenses after rent is paid, “O’Connor said.
With two of his children unemployed and another child with a lifelong disability, “he has no means of assisting them,” nor can they assist him.
“He’s now living below the poverty line. His pension isn’t enough to cover the basics. This is Joseph’s reality. It’s a harsh reality.”
For Liberal MP Deb Schulte, “The story that you mentioned there is all too familiar.” And Billy Pang, Conservative MPP for Markham-Unionville, isn’t surprised either, recalling a similar story of a “hardworking” gentleman with a “number of health issues,” who “can’t buy a loaf of bread unless it’s half price.”
O’Connor explained how all seniors -- poor or rich -- have some financial concerns ranging from the need to put “food on the table” to keeping up with rising costs.
“The priority for the poor ones is to increase CPP (Canada Pension Plan) and OAS (Old Age Security) so they can afford to live and put food on the table,” O’Connor told York Region Media. “We have a number of people in Woodbridge who are receiving CPP and OAS and they have to access Meals on Wheels.”
O’Connor explained how these pensions are not sufficient income as costs including “non-covered medical expenses” are all “rising faster than the inflation rate.”
From Statistics Canada, data shows the current average CPP retirement pension is only $8,303 per year. The maximum OAS pension is $7,075 annually. The 2016 Survey of Household Spending found average expenditures per household for those age 65 and older was $58,121, including income tax.
However, “the more wealthy seniors, they are all focused on looking after their children, trying to preserve their estates and (passing their wealth on to help their) children get started.”
For seniors whose income exceeds the threshold amount of $74,788, they have to repay part or their entire OAS pension. For those with incomes of $121,070 and up, there will be no money received from OAS.
With an increased need for government support or at least reducing tax burdens, “Seniors recognize that the federal and provincial governments are facing massive deficits,” said O’Connor.
However, at the summit, the seniors passionately applauded over the suggestion to allow free bus use, a proposal that York Region didn’t find appealing before.
In 2036, seniors could represent between 23 per cent and 25 per cent of the total population.
