BristolUK

From a thread on retirement.
It's always amazed me, the lack of joined up thinking here.

Last year's tax return, for example, will determine how much child benefit is payable this year. Same for GST refunds. Both are Federal. So why not combine the payments? 12 a year instead of 16. (admittedly this is less of an issue with bank deposits than the days of cheques)

These payments mentioned in the quotes are for seniors are linked to receipt of GIS. In NB, it's a fixed amount and in Ontario it varies according to other income.

Joined up thinking applies in Ontario where the senior doesn't have to apply. Accessing tax return details, the government of Ontario will not only identify recipients of GIS but they will calculate how much GAINS is due and automatically make the monthly payments.

Not so in NB. You have to apply. But not only could GNB identify GIS recipients through tax returns, GIS recipients in NB qualify for the seniors annual prescription drug coverage, so GNB already knows who will qualify for the annual payment. But they insist on an application (for something not publicised) before doing it.

And then, instead of a payment to your bank account, they send you a cheque.

I know of other examples but I just wondered if anyone else had any similar examples of joined up thinking (or not) - about anything at all.

These payments for seniors probably exist in other provinces. How do they work where you are?

Siouxie

https://www.ontario.ca/page/guarante...yments-seniors I had never heard of it either!

BristolUK

And you are on the ball with these things too.

It's quite mind boggling how in the UK, every year there's publicity about cold weather payments, heating payments, christmas bonus; they have take-up campaigns; mail shots; in the days of pension books, the back pages contained the information; anything new there's a major advertising campaign etc and over here you're expected to search for information on something you don't know exists. It's like having to look up a word you'd never previously heard of in a dictionary when the first letter isn't pronounced.

scilly

There's usually information on GAIN in the media every yea here,, though I've known about it for years because we had a much older friend who used to get it.

From what she said when living in a seniors apartment block and using a free accountants service, the accountants would always check with her to make sure she was a) claiming, and b) getting it.

BristolUK

Is this by way of an ad or government notice sort of thing or someone mentioning it in a column or news item? The newspapers here carry something that looks like it could be a press release - though it never says so, almost as if the newspaper itself is doing people a favour - regarding winter heating assistance but I've never seen one about this GIS top-up.

See, that's part of what my second post was getting at. That an accountant is involved just doesn't seem right. It should be government, social worker, seniors groups, people like that.

scilly

I've never really taken in how the information is released ..... basically I know about it, and know that OH's private pension rules out any chance of us getting it.

Well, the accountant is a good way of making sure of being told about it ............... every seniors' building, care home etc seems to arrange for a local accountant to visit and help residents do their tax returns for free. Plus the local community centres, neighbourhood houses, etc arrange days when accountants will be on site to provide the free service. The local Accountant's professional association arranges for members go down onto the Downtown Eastside to help those on the street fill in and send in tax returns so they can get whatever they deserve.

I doubt there is any senior here who would benefit from GAIN who does not have access to a free accountant ...... the free services are always fully advertised.

BristolUK

Most seniors aren't in seniors buildings/homes.

I did hear something on local CBC radio about tax clinics for people on low incomes. Perhaps in BC it happens automatically from the tax returns as it does in Ontario.

Wouldn't it be a good idea, though, if the T4s for GIS and/or the tax notices and/or the notices about GST refunds just contained a note to say "As you receive GIS, you may qualify for further support from your Province." That wouldn't take much effort at all.

My MIL has missed out on about $2000 over the last few years, yet the Province renews her seniors drug coverage every year because she gets GIS. How difficult would it be to advise her at the same time or, better still, issue the damn payment automatically like Ontario does?

It's really not very efficient relying on applications when the information is already known and it's a bit hit and miss relying on accountants helping out with tax returns.

But maybe it's just NB not practicing joined up thinking in this respect. Lord knows NB does it in other matters. Anyone from other provinces have anything to share?

Linotype

In Alberta . . .

A few months before you turn 65 you receive a package from the provincial government.
Part of the package includes information for low income seniors and how to apply for provincial benefits.
I don't qualify so I have not read the details on it.
Seniors financial assistance and benefits — Alberta Seniors and Housing

The other part is information on the provincial government extended health and drug plan.
For the health and drug plan you just send in your id for age qualification.
This plan is premium free and not income tested.
Coverage for Seniors benefit: Alberta Health website

You can also defer your property taxes here through a provincial government program. This program is not income tested. A similar plan exists in BC with a better interest rate.
Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program - Alberta Seniors and Housing

A provincal government drug only plan in New Brunswick would cost us $4000 per year
Premiums and Copayments

My wife is from New Brunswick and we looked into moving there in retirement but between higher income tax, drug plan premiums and no similar property tax deferral program it would cost us an additional $11,000 per year.
(I did not include the extra costs of provincial sales tax, which Alberta does not have).

BristolUK

Well done Alberta. Five senior related programs and "Once you are enrolled in the SFA programs (you need only apply once),"
NB has 5 programs too, separate applications for at least 4.

I see the co-payments are 30% to a max of $25. My MIL has no premium and pays only $9, so she's better off in NB than Alberta.

I'm not a senior and in NB my drug premiums are $16 a month and the prescriptions $5 for each three months. I'd be on the hook for several hundred $$ a month otherwise.

Swings and roundabouts sometimes but Alberta is an exception on many things.

scilly

It's so long ago that I turned 65 that I can't remember what was in the package from the BC government ..... I know there were several programmes reminding me about low income etc etc.

We also had to fill in a form for Pharmacare, the BC health and drug plan, which IS income-related in BC. There was no way we will ever get anything from that unless out annual costs top more than $5,000. They do give lots of aid to low income people and low income seniors, they need it more than we do!

We also have the deferral on property taxes and you can start doing it from (I think) age 55, but many financial agents say you have to work it out VERY carefully. It could be useful if you could afford to pay the taxes, take the deferral and put the money into investments. Otherwise, you might just end up with either you or your estate not making any money when the house is sold ........... especially if you end up living in the house for 20 or 30 years (as you could well do if you take the deferral starting at 55).

Of course, we now have the added taxes imposed by the provincial government in an attempt to slow the market to overseas buyers. We used to be able to claim a Homeowner's Grant and then later a Seniors Grant that reduced our property tax by around $600 a year. The cap for claiming either of those now is if your house is worth more than $1.6 million. The average price for a house in Metro Vancouver is around $2 million.

An added tax is added as the value of your house increase ....... a tax of 0.2% on the amount between $3 mil and $4 mil, and then 0.4% on the amount above $4 mil.

Siouxie

Perhaps in BC.. I've never seen a free accountancy service offered in Ontario!

BristolUK

The Property Tax deferral scheme is in NB too. I don't know how it works. If NB does it, I imagine the other provinces do too as NB usually catches up on these things and sometimes overtakes.

I have a vague recollection of seeing mention of the possibility of it on the CRA website once, but not specific about where. Other than on the radio a few weeks ago, that's about it.

What particularly irritated me on the Seniors Low Income top-up was the complete lack of anything about it from the Seniors Coalition here.

A couple of years ago there was a proposal for wealthy seniors to contribute a bit more to their care - what with the province being in financial difficulty and people clamouring for "something to be done" - and it was a moderate proposal, I thought. The first $100,000 of assets would remain untouched and a mere 10% of the excess would go towards nursing care.

So if you're lucky enough to have $100k sitting in the bank it made no difference and if you had $110k, well, you kept $109k of it.
At the same time, less well off seniors would see a reduction in their contribution. What a great idea, I thought. The well off pay a fraction more and the less well off pay less.

But the Seniors Coalition got on their high horse and ran a campaign complaining about the government "raiding seniors' bank accounts" and "seizing their assets" and the government backed down. Nobody represented the less well off who missed out on some relief.

I sent an email to the Coalition asking them where they publicised the seniors low income benefit. They don't. It's apparently not something they do. But they are the Seniors Coalition FFS, they are ideally placed to do it since the government's not interested.

That they have a mass campaign to support the wealthy but don't do a damn thing for the low income seniors really gets my goat.

Linotype

Not quite the same. Only the annual increase can be deferred. Not the total amount. See question 3 of link.

http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/D...SeniorsFAQ.pdf


Some other provinces have limited programs for low income seniors, but nothing as comprehensive as Alberta and BC.

Property taxes: Stop paying if you’re short of cash | Financial Post

https://www.federalretirees.ca/en/My...y-tax-deferral

BristolUK

From what you've posted it appears Alberta does it whether there's low income or not. The government is just generous.

scilly

Yes, any senior here can apply to defer their property taxes no matter how much money they have.

Plus only 1 of the owners has to be over 65 .... so you could have someone over 65 married to a toy boy (or toy girl), and they could claim deferral

Deferral of property taxes is also available to people with disabilities, or widowed.

Plus there is another form of deferral of property tax that is available to families with children under the age of 18, with the interest set at prime.

The interest for the seniors' deferral is currently about half of prime.

However, according to something I just a financial planner say on the radio,. the interest has to be paid every year, not just added to the deferral. You also have to apply every year, and you may be turned down ..... eg, if you do not have sufficient equity in the house, OR the mortgage holder may not allow deferral.