Joined up thinking...or not
May 25th 2018, 11:44 am
#17
Oscar nominated
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,832
Re: Joined up thinking...or not
So, trying to get back onto the theme of joined up thinking...or not, rather than simply what benefits are available - as useful as that is.
Every year here the newspaper carries a brief report about home heating assistance (something they don't do for the GIS related payment as mentioned earlier) and you have to apply if income is below whatever the amount is.
Something similar happens regarding a property tax reduction for low income. I've noticed the defined low income is a different figure to the one used for the heating payment. But the government wants a separate application for each payment when one would do. For anyone qualifying for one but not the other they could simply tick one of the options with others ticking both.
As noted before, though, for those on GIS, they will definitely qualify so those could be done without an application - just a one time record of the fact they are a property tax payer. The Province already knows that.
The only applications they "need" to be made would be non seniors (because there's no GIS) below whatever threshold they decide.
This province, together with Blue Cross, makes drug coverage available, premiums and co-pays determined by income. So many of those applying for property tax reductions or the heating payment, their income is already known, just as it's already known about GIS. They could remove the need for those to apply too.
On everyone's tax return there's a question about about province low income tax exemption. Why can't that be adapted to cover all these other bits and bobs that are linked to the same damn information?
Every year here the newspaper carries a brief report about home heating assistance (something they don't do for the GIS related payment as mentioned earlier) and you have to apply if income is below whatever the amount is.
Something similar happens regarding a property tax reduction for low income. I've noticed the defined low income is a different figure to the one used for the heating payment. But the government wants a separate application for each payment when one would do. For anyone qualifying for one but not the other they could simply tick one of the options with others ticking both.
As noted before, though, for those on GIS, they will definitely qualify so those could be done without an application - just a one time record of the fact they are a property tax payer. The Province already knows that.
The only applications they "need" to be made would be non seniors (because there's no GIS) below whatever threshold they decide.
This province, together with Blue Cross, makes drug coverage available, premiums and co-pays determined by income. So many of those applying for property tax reductions or the heating payment, their income is already known, just as it's already known about GIS. They could remove the need for those to apply too.
On everyone's tax return there's a question about about province low income tax exemption. Why can't that be adapted to cover all these other bits and bobs that are linked to the same damn information?
