For Immediate Release
March 30, 2012
With Budget 2012-13 the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) was hopeful that the Harper Government would use the opportunity to do more than the small steps taken last budget in support of seniors. However, the announcement of extending eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67 by 2029 will only serve to increase the number of seniors living in poverty and dependant on social assistance from provincial jurisdictions.
“Canada should be striving to move forward rather than accepting steps backward in support of seniors to live with dignity and respect in retirement” states Fred Phelps, CASW Executive Director. “The crisis in supporting seniors in poverty is manufactured; we have capacity now and are choosing not to support low income seniors through increases in Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and OAS.”
The Minister, in his Budget speech, noted that Canadians have every reason to be confident and that we are free to choose our future. However, underlying assumptions in the changes to OAS are that most people have opportunity in their lifetimes to save for retirement and this is simply not the lived reality of most Canadians. In fact, the changes to OAS will disproportionately affect widows, divorced and single women since, unlike the CPP, OAS does not depend on prior earnings.
Beyond the change to OAS, CASW was hopeful that the Budget would provide leadership for accountability of the Canada Social Transfer (CST) further than the already announced 3% escalator.
“The CST is largely an unaccountable transfer to the provinces that has led to inconsistencies across the federation on how social services are experienced by Canadians” states Phelps.
The Budget also announced accountability measures for charities and non-profits that seek to bring more answerability to targets and measurable outcomes. CASW is concerned that with the passing of Bill C-10, the renewal of the CST at 3%, and the new era of targeted tax expenditures with no evidence of their effectiveness, that the Harper Government is intentionally downloading to the provinces and territories without developing any corresponding accountability systems.
Lastly, and most immediately alarming to CASW, is the direct attack on the charitable sector regarding political activities.
“CASW is profoundly concerned of the deep chill the Harper Government has placed on charities to step into line politically” states Phelps. “This type of overt suppression of civil society is what Canada has always stood against on the global stage.”
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For more information:
Fred Phelps, MSW, RSW
casw@casw-acts.ca
