Canadian Social Research Links

Seniors

Sites de recherche sociale au Canada

Personnes âgées

Updated January 29, 2012
Page révisée le 29 janvier 2012


[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]
Links to international sites (jump directly to the bottom of this page)


Quicklinks to seniors' websites:

* Canada's Retirement Income System
(Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan, private pensions/savings)

*Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security
--- Old Age Security (OAS) Program

- incl. information about benefits, payments and taxation
--- Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
- incl. information about benefits, payments and taxation

Source:
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

---

* Canadian Retirement Income Calculator
* Retirement Planning
* Seniors’ section of Canada Benefits
Note: To access the information, you must select a province or territory.



* Seniors Canada
* Government of Canada news for Seniors
* New Horizons for Seniors
* Federal Budget

---

* Division of Aging and Seniors (Public Health Agency of Canada)
* CARP (Canada) - formerly the Canadian Association of Retired Persons
* Fifty-Plus.com



Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Undersubscription

200,000 seniors eligible for but not receiving GIS
?
This link takes you further down on the page you're now reading
[Updated to September 2010]
For links to information on Canadian retirement pension reforms,
see the Retirement Pension Reforms page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pensions.htm



NEW

New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

January 23, 2012
Profile of seniors’ transportation habits
By Martin Turcotte
HTML version
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2012001/article/11619-eng.htm
PDF version (148K, 16 pages)
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2012001/article/11619-eng.pdf

This article examines various issues related to seniors’ access to transportation and to a vehicle. The first part focuses on determining which seniors have a driver’s licence and drive a car, including those with the weakest visual, auditory, motor and cognitive faculties. The second part of the article describes seniors’ main forms of transportation other than driving a car. The last part examines the impact of seniors’ main form of transportation on their level of social participation.

Source:
Canadian Social Trends - Product main page*
This publication discusses the social, economic, and demographic changes affecting the lives of Canadians
[ * Click "View" for the latest issue of this periodical;
click "Chronological index" for earlier editions. ]

Faces of Aging

The Institute for Research on Public Policy has recently released the following series of three studies on seniors’ care issues under IRPP's Faces of Aging research project. Harvey Lazar's study, released today (Nov. 17), focuses on the strategic role that the federal government must play in the area of care for seniors. The study released earlier this week by Janice Keefe looks at current and future caregiving needs in an aging Canada and presents the policy implications. Neena Chappell’s study, released last month, provides a timely overview of the main health and social policy challenges presented by population aging in three areas: informal care, formal care and prevention.

Many Degrees of Policy Freedom:
The Federal Government’s Role in Care for Seniors
(PDF - 325K, 76 pages)
By Harvey Lazar
November 17, 2011
(...) Lazar points out that the next opportunity to make meaningful policy decisions on aging and care will be during the upcoming renegotiation of the health and social transfers due for renewal in 2014. In his view the onus is on the federal government to provide projections of seniors’ care needs nationally and to articulate what future role it sees for itself, taking full account of how its interventions might influence the success of provincial care programs.

News Release (PDF)
November 17, 2011
Ottawa has at its disposal a full range of sound policy options that would help address the growing and underfunded care needs of seniors without undermining the leadership role of the provinces and territories in this area.

Summary
--- HTML
--- PDF

Interview (Podcast)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Supporting Caregivers and
Caregiving in an Aging Canada
(PDF - 402K, 40 pages)
By Janice Keefe
November 15, 2011
This IRPP study is an overview of caregiving in Canada today, including the costs incurred by caregivers and the type and extent of public support they receive.
Table of contents:
* Summary * Care in the Community: An Overview * Future Demand for and Supply of Caregivers: Projection to 2031 * Planning for the Short Term: Reinforcing Support for Caregivers * Planning for the Longer Term: Enhancing the Labour Force to Support Care in the Community * Conclusion * Appendix: Eligibility for Federal Tax Benefits * Notes and References * Other Related IRPP Publications * About This Study

News Release (PDF)
Author Janice Keefe presents projections of future care needs and examines potential improvements in policy for income security programs, labour market regulation and human resource management in health and home care.

Summary
--- HTML

--- PDF

Interview (Podcast)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Population Aging and the Evolving Care Needs
of Older Canadians: An Overview of the Policy Challenges

By Neena Chappell
October 19, 2011
As the first members of Canada’s baby boom generation turn 65, the official age of retirement, this study by gerontologist Neena Chappell provides a timely overview of the main health and social policy challenges presented by population aging in three areas: informal care, formal care, and prevention.

News Release (PDF)
Canadian governments need to plan how they will address the increasing care
needs of an aging population, particularly as they prepare to renew the federal provincial health
accord in 2014

Summary
--- HTML
--- PDF

Interview (Podcast)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source:
Faces of Aging<=== incl. links to related reports
[
Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) ]
Founded in 1972, the Institute for Research on Public Policy is an independent, national, bilingual, nonprofit organization. The IRPP seeks to improve public policy in Canada by generating research, providing insight and sparking debate on current and emerging policy issues facing Canadians and their governments.

Just the facts - Seniors (PDF - 262K, 2 pages)
September 30, 2011
[ Version française ]
October 1st is Seniors Day in Canada.
It is generally accepted that in a decade, Canada’s seniors will outnumber children. Seniors are the fastest growing age group in Canada. The social, economic, political and environmental impacts of population aging on Canadians and their families are varied and complex. To better understand some of these changes, let’s begin with what we currently know about Canada’s seniors...
Source:
Vanier Institute of the Family (VIF)
The Vision of the VIF is to make families as important to the life of Canadian society as they are to the lives of individual Canadians.

New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

June 22, 2011
The Income Management Strategies of Older Couples in Canada
Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series
By Christine Laporte and Grant Schellenberg
Abstract
Executive summary
Main article
Tables
Appendices
User information
PDF version

Source:
The Income Management Strategies of Older Couples in Canada - main product page*
In this study, the income management strategies of Canadian couples are examined using data from the 2007 General Social Survey. The extent to which "older" couples, in which at least one spouse or partner is aged 45 or older, employ an allocative, pooled, or separate strategy is explored. Results show that the income management strategies used by these couples are correlated with relationship characteristics, such as common-law status, duration of relationship, and the presence of children. As well, the likelihood of using a separate approach is positively correlated with levels of educational attainment and with the amount of income received by wives or female partners.

---
* On the product main page, click "View" to see the latest issue
of this report online; click "Chronological index" for earlier issues of Analytical Studies Branch papers.

---

Study: How personal bankruptcy affects retirement plans, 2007
April 2011
According to the 2007 General Social Survey, almost 8% of non-retired Canadians aged 45 to 64, or more than 480,000 people, had experienced at least one bankruptcy during their adulthood. On average, they were 40 years old at the time. Those who had experienced bankruptcy had lower levels of education and were more likely to have a history of changing jobs more frequently than those who had no history of bankruptcy.

Complete article:
HTML version
PDF version
(128K, 11 pages)

Related subjects:
* Seniors
* Housing and living arrangements
* Work and retirement

Source:
Canadian Social Trends - Product main page*
This publication discusses the social, economic, and demographic changes affecting the lives of Canadians
[ * Click "View" for the latest issue of this periodical;
click "Chronological index" for earlier editions. ]

Seniors and low-income families suffer tax hit
The combination of taxes and GIS clawbacks mean
the effective tax rates for seniors can reach 100% for seniors, the C.D. Howe Institute says.
By Jonathan Chevreau
April 28, 2011
Despite a decade of falling personal income tax rates, low income families and seniors face effective tax rates of 50% or more if they supplement government benefits with work, a C.D. Howe brief released Wednesday says. As soon as families start earning money or seniors withdraw money from retirement funds, benefits may be taxed or "clawed back." The Marginal Effective Tax Rate or METR is one of those odd concepts that views reductions in government benefits as a sort of additional tax. The classic case is poor seniors losing the Guaranteed Income Supplement as their dubious "reward" for saving in RRSPs. These ultimately become forced taxable withdrawals from RRIFs. The combination of taxes and GIS clawbacks can reach 100% for seniors, the institute says.
[Tax Free Savings Accounts to the rescue!]
Source:
Financial Post

Related link:
C.D. Howe Institute
NOTE: the C.D. Howe brief mentioned in the article above wasn't on the Institute's site as at 4pm April 29.
Check their website to see if the new link is posted...

The Remaining Light - A CCPA documentary film about how we care for seniors
February 8, 2011
Announcing the release of our first documentary film!
The Remaining Light journeys through an often invisible part of Canada's health care system -- the community-based services that provide care to seniors as they age and die. The film features the stories of seniors and their families, and explores themes of dignity, preventing illness and social isolation, and keeping health care costs under control as the boomer generation ages.

The Remaining Light is set in British Columbia, where the province's Ombudsperson is carrying out an investigation into a fragmented and underfunded system of seniors care. But the film's themes and stories will resonate with people across Canada who worry that we are not providing seniors with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Financial Literacy and the Take-up of Government Benefits
Research paper prepared for the
Task Force on Financial Literacy
By Richard Shillington
File dated February 4, 2011
- includes detailed information on the utilization of government benefits for saving, child-rearing, education and retirement in Canada
(Old Age Security - Guaranteed Income Supplement - Canada Pension Plan - Disability Benefits - Student Loans - more...)

Source:
Task Force on Financial Literacy in Canada
In the 2009 budget, the Minister of Finance announced his intention to establish a national task force dedicated to the issue of financial literacy. Appointed in June 2009, the Task Force on Financial Literacy is comprised of 13 members, drawn from the business and education sectors, community organizations and academia.
- incl. links to : * Home * About the Task Force * Report of the Task Force * Consulting with Canadians* Media * Contact Us * Links

-------------------------

Related articles
in the media:

Ottawa must honour millions in unclaimed pension benefits
February 11, 2011
When Canadians are neglecting to collect benefits to which they are entitled, governments should take that as a sign that there is a financial literacy gap and make an effort to close it. That means they should be doing more to contact the 150,000 people who qualify for, but are not receiving, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which is only available to the lowestincome seniors. They need to find out why another 160,000 eligible seniors are not collecting their Old Age Security benefits.
Source:
Vancouver Sun

---

Evidence of financial illiteracy?
Thousands fail to collect government benefits

By Jonathan Chevreau
February 9, 2011
After 18 months, the Task Force on Financial Literacy has delivered a 106-page report (86 if you don’t count appendixes) to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. (...) There are 30 main recommendations, beginning with the call to appoint a national Financial Literacy Leader reporting to Mr. Flaherty. It wants to make financial literacy an “essential skill” in the government’s Essential Skills Framework and wants all the provinces and school boards to jump aboard. (...) It also urges the creation of a “single source website for financial literacy” and recommends that financial firms and regulators intensify their efforts to combat fraud. (...)
Low take-up of government benefits
The report shows some interesting stats on the need for financial literacy when it comes to taking up government benefits. It says 160,000 eligible seniors don’t get Old Age Security ($1 billion worth); 150,000 don’t get the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and 55,000 aren’t getting the Canada Pension Plan. Also, the take up for the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) is just 40% while the median RRSP contribution represents only 6% of total eligible room. That’s my definition of being financially illiterate — failing to take free money when it’s available.
Source:
Financial Post

---

Billions in government benefits
unclaimed by Canadians: task force
(dead link)
By Andrew Duffy
February 9, 2011
Billions of dollars worth of government benefits are going unclaimed by Canadians, according to a federal task force on financial literacy. The task force, which reported Wednesday, said the government should simplify its programs and application forms to ensure more Canadians benefit from the financial support to which they're entitled. (...) A research report prepared for the task force examined why some government programs have such poor "take-up" rates. Those rates are considered an important measure of financial literacy. The report concluded that language and poverty often present barriers, particularly when the programs or application forms are complex. "Lower-income Canadians face distinct financial literacy challenges in being aware of and accessing the very government programs that are targeted to them," concluded researcher Richard Shillington.
Source:
Vancouver Sun

Selected content from
The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

Study: How personal bankruptcy affects retirement plans, 2007
April 2011
According to the 2007 General Social Survey, almost 8% of non-retired Canadians aged 45 to 64, or more than 480,000 people, had experienced at least one bankruptcy during their adulthood. On average, they were 40 years old at the time. Those who had experienced bankruptcy had lower levels of education and were more likely to have a history of changing jobs more frequently than those who had no history of bankruptcy.

Complete article:
HTML version
PDF version
(128K, 11 pages)

Related subjects:
* Seniors
* Housing and living arrangements
* Work and retirement

Source:
Canadian Social Trends - Product main page*
This publication discusses the social, economic, and demographic changes affecting the lives of Canadians
[ * Click "View" for the latest issue of this periodical;
click "Chronological index" for earlier editions. ]

---

January 31, 2011
Two articles from
Perspectives on Labour and Income - January 2011 issue:

1. Retirement, health and employment among those 55 plus

Study: Retirement, health and employment among older Canadians, 2009
Older workers end their employment careers in different ways and for a variety of reasons. Many stay on the job past the point when others retire; others opt for partial retirement, while some who have retired subsequently re-enter the workforce. And, of course, many will fully retire from the world of work. Using data from the 2009 Healthy Aging cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey, this study examined Canadians age 55 and over who had fully retired, those who had partially retired, those who had retired and returned to work, and those who had never retired. Each of the four groups faces different circumstances.

Highlights

Full article:
* HTML
* PDF
(242K, 14 pages)

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2. Seniors' self-employment
A substantial proportion of working seniors are self-employed. This article uses census data to study self-employment among senior men and women. Trends in self-employment rates and categories are presented, along with occupational and industrial profiles. In addition, 2006 data are used to study factors associated with self-employment.

Highlights

Full article:
* HTML
* PDF
(272K, 14 pages)
Abstract: A substantial proportion of working seniors are self-employed. This article uses census data to study self-employment among senior men and women. Trends in self-employment rates and categories are presented, along with occupational and industrial profiles. In addition, 2006 data are used to study factors associated with self-employment.

---

Source:
Perspectives on Labour and Income - product main page*
This publication brings together and analyzes a wide range of labour and income data. Topics include youth in the labour market, pensions and retirement, work arrangements, education and training, and trends in family income.
* On the product main page, click "View" to see the latest issue of this report online; click "Chronological index" for earlier issues

Related subjects:
* Health
* Lifestyle and social conditions
* Population and demography
* Population aging
* Seniors
* Health and disability among seniors

---

November 12, 2010
Pension Satellite Account, 2009
After a steep decline in 2008, the total value of pension assets rebounded in 2009 to $2.1 trillion at year end, reflecting the strong performance of global equity markets that began in March 2009. This rebound (+15.5%) brought pension assets close to their 2007 level. The recovery in wealth accumulation during 2009 was relatively evenly distributed across the three pension tiers. Individual registered saving plans led the way, up 20.5% to $750.9 billion. Social security and employer-based pension plans were up 13.3% and 12.8%, respectively.

Related link:

Guide to the Canadian Pension Satellite Account
[Use the links in the left margin to navigate this report,
or download the PDF version - 153K, 19 pages)
This guide presents an overview of the scope and structure of the Pension Satellite Account as well as the methodology used to derive its stocks and flows estimates.

Source:
The Daily
[Statistics Canada]

Are you affected by the changes being made to the
Canada Pension Plan retirement pension starting January 2011?

These changes will affect you if you are:
* an employee who contributes to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), whether you are just starting your career or you are planning to retire soon;
* a self-employed person who contributes to the CPP;
* between the ages of 60 and 70 and you work while receiving your CPP retirement pension; or
* an employer who contributes to the CPP on behalf of your employees.
You will not be affected by these changes if you started receiving a CPP retirement pension before December 31, 2010, and you stay out of the work force.
Click the link above to see how the upcoming changes can affect YOUR retirement pension.

For more details on how these changes may affect you, check the following:

* Information for CPP retirement pension recipients
* Information for CPP contributors (employed, self-employed)
* Information for employers
* Information for financial advisors

Tools and resources:
* Canadian Retirement Income Calculator
* Retirement Planning
* Seniors’ section of Canada Benefits
Note: To access the information, you must select a province or territory.
* Seniors Canada
* Government of Canada news for Seniors
* New Horizons for Seniors
* Federal Budget

Atlas of productive ageing
20 September 2010
The Atlas provides statistics on the population, health, finance, housing and activity of older Australians. The data are available by state and regional areas.
Source:
Australian Policy Online (APO)
APO is a news service and library specialising in Australian public policy reports and articles from academic research centres, think tanks, government and non-government organisations

Canadians support increase in Canada Pension Plan benefits
October 15, 2010
More than three quarters of Canadians support increasing Canada Pension Plan benefits, according to a new national survey released today. Eighty percent of Canadians also support increasing federal payments to senior citizens and half of the survey respondents believe the government is moving too slow in reforming Canada’s pension system. The Future of Pensions poll was completed by Environics Research Group in late August for the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Public Service Alliance of Canada. It surveyed 2,020 Canadians and has a margin of error of +/-2.2 per cent 19 times out of 20. (...) T
he survey asked Canadians their views on saving and their expectations for retirement. While many Canadians have set up a Retirement Savings Plan or a Tax-Free Savings Account, four in 10 acknowledge that they are not saving for retirement—mostly because they cannot afford to. (...) Poll respondents also overwhelmingly support increasing Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplements for those living below the poverty line. OAS and GIS payments amount to only $11,000 per year.

Detailed Poll Highlights

Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Together, CUPE and PSAC represent more than 800,000 public sector workers across Canada. Both organizations have been advocating for retirement security for all Canadians.

Selected content from
The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

July 29, 2010
Replacing Family Income During the
Retirement Years: How Are Canadians Doing?

By S. LaRochelle-Côté, J. Myles and G. Picot
Analytical Studies Branch
1. Abstract
2. Executive summary
3. Main article
4. Tables
5. Charts
6. Appendices
7. User information
8. PDF version (538K, 23 pages)

[ earlier studies by the Analytical Studies Branch ]

---

July 26, 2010
Study: Impact of home equity on
incomes of retirement-age households, 2006

The equity that homeowners have built up through a lifetime of investment in their homes makes an important contribution to household finances as they enter retirement.

---

May 25, 2010
Pension plans in Canada, as of January 1, 2009
Membership in registered pension plans (RPPs) increased 1.7% in 2008 to just over 6.0 million, the first time the number of active participants has surpassed that level. The number of registered pension plans as of January 1, 2009 remained virtually unchanged at 19,200.
- incl. table: Registered pension plan membership by sector and type of plan.

Related subjects:
* Business, consumer and property services
* Professional, scientific and technical services
* Seniors
* Income, pensions and wealth

---

March 26, 2010
Participation in private retirement savings plans, 2008
Just over 8.9 million employed Canadian tax filers participated in a private retirement savings plan in 2008, about 50% of all tax filers. This proportion was down from 54% in 1997. There was a decrease in the share of employed tax filers who contributed to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) during the decade. In 1997, 41% of employed tax filers participated in an RRSP; by 2008, this proportion had declined to 34%.

The report:

Participation in private retirement savings plans, 1997 - 2008
March 2010
HTML version - table of contents (links are in the left-hand margin) + Abstract, Intro and Highlights
PDF version (285K, 35 pages)

Related subjects:
* Income, pensions, spending and wealth
* Pension plans and funds and other retirement income programs
* Seniors
* Income, pensions and wealth

Source:
The Daily
[Statistics Canada]

---

Public consultation on ensuring the ongoing
strength of Canada's retirement income system
March 24 - May 14, 2010

Ensuring the Ongoing Strength
of Canada’s Retirement Income System
*
- provides background information on Canada's retirement income system;
- provides an overview of research on retirement income adequacy;
- describes a variety of proposals in the public domain relating to Canada's retirement income system; and
- solicits views of Canadians on Canada's retirement income system and how to ensure its ongoing strength.

* NOTE: Recommended reading - includes over a dozen links to related and contextual information in areas such as:
- Canada's Government Supported Retirement Income System
- Research on Retirement Income Adequacy
- Considerations for Evaluating Retirement Income System Issues
- Range of Proposals in the Public Domain
- Summary of Questions

This public consultation took place from March 24 to May 14, 2010.

Related link:

News Release
March 24, 2010
The federal government today announced the launch of online consultations and a series of cross-country roundtable discussions, speaking engagements and town hall meetings to gather input from Canadians on ensuring the ongoing strength of Canada’s retirement income system. The consultations will inform discussions at the next meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance in May, where the retirement income system will be a key agenda item.
Source:
Department of Finance Canada

The Care Guide
http://www.thecareguide.com/home.aspx

* World Population Ageing 2009 (PDF - 894K, 82 pages) - February 2010
This report provides a description of global trends in population ageing and includes a series of indicators of the ageing process by development regions, major areas, regions and countries. This new edition includes new features on ageing in rural and urban areas, the coverage of pension systems and the impact of the 2007-2008 financial crisis on pension systems. The report is intended to provide a solid demographic foundation for the follow-up activities of the Second World Assembly on Ageing.

Source:
United Nations Department
of Economic and Social Affairs
- DESA
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides support services to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the principal body coordinating the economic and social work of the United Nations and its operational arms.

[ UN Economic and Social Council - ECOSOC
ECOSOC was established under the United Nations Charter as the principal organ to coordinate economic, social, and related work of the 14 UN specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions.]

CARP E-VOICE:
One Très Cool Advocacy Tool!

Want to send an email message to your federal or provincial elected officials?
Click the link above to access the complete list of federal Members of Parliament by name, by province/territory or by riding.
Click "Switch to Provincial Representatives (MPP's)" near the bottom of that page for the complete list of provincial/territorial elected officials.
Clicking on the name of an MP or an MPP opens a new page with a form that's pre-addressed from you to that individual and a text box where you can record your message.
Then hit the SEND button and your email is on its way.
Simple.
Powerful.
NOTE: the blurb on the CARP E-VOICE page suggests that you can use CARP E-VOICE to support CARP initiatives, but I'm sure the nice folks at CARP wouldn't mind if Canadian social justice groups used this excellent tool for communicating with their elected officials...
Source:
CARP

Old Age Security system needs strengthening: report
Press Release
November 25, 2009
OTTAWA—Canada’s Old Age Security system needs improvement in order to help ensure the economic security and dignity of Canadians in retirement, says a new report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The report, by pension expert and CCPA Research Associate Monica Townson, reviews OAS and its associated programs of the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the Allowance and discusses measures that could be taken to strengthen this part of Canada’s pension system.

Complete report:

A Stronger Foundation: Pension Reform and Old Age Security (PDF - 146K, 7 pages)
By Monica Townson
November 2009

Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices in public policy debates.

Also from CCPA:

Pension system needs urgent attention: report
Press Release
October 8, 2009
OTTAWA— Canada’s pension system needs urgent attention, says a new report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The report, by CCPA Research Associate and pension expert Monica Townson, outlines some of the problems with Canada’s pension system and examines some of the options that have been proposed to deal with them.

Complete report:

What Can We Do About Pensions? (PDF - 147K, 9 pages)
By Monica Townson
October 2009

Minister of Finance Modernizes Federal Pension Framework
October 27, 2009
News Release
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released an important reform plan for the federal private pension legislative and regulatory framework. (...) Today’s announcement comes out of extensive consultations with Canadians, beginning with the January release of a discussion paper, Strengthening the Legislative and Regulatory Framework for Private Pension Plans Subject to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985, and including online consultations. (...)
The package includes measures to:
* Enhance protections for plan members.
* Reduce funding volatility for defined benefit plans.
* Make it easier for participants to negotiate changes to their pension arrangements.
* Improve the framework for defined contribution plans and for negotiated contribution plans.
* Modernize the rules for investments made by pension funds.

Backgrounder - detailed information on each of the five measures

Source:
Finance Canada

NEW


From The Globe and Mail:

Retirement Lost (seven-part series - October 16-24, 2009)
Canada's retirement dreams are under siege, weakened by underfunding and hobbled by the global recession.
It's a national crisis with no easy answers.

* Part one: The crisis
--- Retirement dreams under siege

By Jacquie McNish
October 16, 2009
- incl. links to: * Article * Video * Photos * Pension scenarios * Comments (198)
What you need to know:
--- 84% of public service workers have pensions.
--- 78% of these plans are gold plated defined benefit pensions
--- 25% of private sector workers have a pension plan
--- 16% of these plans are gold plated defined benefit pensions
--- 11 million workers, or 60 per cent, of Canada’s workers have no pension at all
--- 8 million or 45 per cent, have no pensions or registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs)

* Part Two: Manufacturing's wreckage
--- Bankrupt companies, pension promises destroyed
By Greg Keenan
October 18, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions (recommended by Gilles!) * Comments (124)
What you need to know:
--- 17.6 million: Number of people in the Canadian work force.
--- 11 million: Number of Canadian workers without pension plans.
--- 4 million: Number of those workers with registered retirement savings plans.
--- 10,000: Number of pension plans in Canada.
---- 4.5 million: Workers with pension plans who have defined benefit plans that guarantee the pension income of retirees until they die.
--- 55 per cent: Amount of those plans held by public sector employees.
--- $25,000: Average pension per year.

* Part three: Death of the traditional plan
--- Hybrid pension plans: a hard sell
By Janet McFarland
October 19, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions * Comments (36)
As companies weigh alternatives for the future, a crucial choice comes down to a pair of innocuously simple-looking bits of shorthand: Will the future be DB (Defined Benefit) or DC (Defined Contribution)? Traditional pension plans are DB, defined benefit. A retiree covered by the plan is guaranteed a given level of income. If the plan falls short, the employer is on the hook. The new model, increasingly favoured by employers, is DC, defined contribution. In this approach, the employer’s responsibility is limited to making a certain (“defined”) contribution to the employees’ pension plan. Contributions made by both the employer and employee go into an individual account for the employee, who makes his or her own investment choices. If the plan falls short, the employee is on the hook.

* Part four: Conflicts of interest
--- Financial planning: Whom should you trust?
By Rob Carrick
October 20, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions * Comments (78)
As pensions become unreliable, more Canadians are being forced to plan for retirement themselves. But whom do you turn to for help? The experience of one couple who relied on a financial adviser is a cautionary tale.

* Part five: Underfunded dreams
--- No pension safety net for self-employed
By Andrew Willis
October 21, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions * Comments (59)
Meet the next generation of retirees: middle-class workers without pensions who are left to their own devices and facing an uncertain financial future. As formal pension plans become increasingly less common, many Canadians face a savings burden that many are unwilling – or unable – to shoulder.

* Part six: Steps to financial freedom
--- Freedom 55? Couple couldn’t wait that long for retirement
By John Heinzl
October 22, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions * Comments (84)
In a society that encourages consumers to borrow and spend, in which the pressure to upgrade homes, cars and gadgets never stops, living within one’s means and staying out of debt is a challenge. But for people who make a middle-class salary, the “boring” approach may be the surest route to building wealth and achieving financial security, say those who have done it.

* Part seven: Reforming a broken system
--- Canada's gathering pension storm
By Konrad Yakabuski
October 23, 2009
- incl. links to : * Article * Video * Photos * The history of pensions * Comments (36)
Italy may be one of the worst off, but all developed countries, along with China, will experience unprecedented economic and social pressure in coming decades as their populations grey. Few, if any, have prepared for the demographic tsunami that will hit them as the baby boom generation heads into its golden years. By comparison, Canadians have some reason to feel fiscally smug, with a public pension system considered one of the world’s most financially sustainable. There’s only one catch: That system pays among the least generous government-sponsored benefits in the developed world.

Source:
The Globe and Mail


For links to information on Canadian
retirement pension reforms,
see the Retirement Pension Reforms page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pensions.htm



Seniors Canada Online

Great site for seniors - includes links to info about : HEALTH (Alternative Medicine,  Nutrition, Women's Health) - MONEY (Pensions,  Taxes,  RRSP) - EMPLOYMENT (Education,  Programs,  Volunteer) - HOME AND HOUSING (Adaptation,  Long-Term Care, Residences) - FAMILY (Injury,  Medical History, Medication) - LEGAL (Advice for Seniors, Consumer Protection,  Travel) - EDUCATION (Courses) - SAFETY AND SECURITY - TRAVEL
- includes a link to the Guide to Government of Canada Services for Seniors



National Seniors Council

The National Seniors Council was established to advise the Government of Canada on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors.



Federal, Provincial and Territorial Finance Ministers
to Discuss Economy and Retirement Income Adequacy at December Meeting

August 5, 2009
News Release
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced that he will meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts December 17-18, 2009, in Whitehorse, to discuss continuing progress in strengthening Canada’s economy and to receive the report of the Research Working Group on Retirement Income Adequacy. (...) At their last meeting on May 25, 2009, federal, provincial and territorial finance ministers agreed to create the Research Working Group on Retirement Income Adequacy to expand the knowledge base underpinning the subject of retirement income adequacy. This group, chaired by Ted Menzies, parliamentary secretary to Minister Flaherty, and supported by research director Jack Mintz and finance ministers from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, is to report to finance ministers and ministers responsible for pensions by the end of 2009. The first meeting of this group was held on July 22, 2009, in Calgary and participants agreed to a work plan, which will culminate in a report to ministers.
Source:
Finance Canada




Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

What's new in June 2009 from
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada:

* The Office for Disability Issues, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, is leading consultations with Canadians on the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. To participate in the online consultation, please visit the Public Consultations page.
This consultation ends July 31.

* A national Elder Abuse Awareness campaign and a federal Elder Abuse Initiative Call for Proposals under the New Horizons for Seniors program launched on June 15, 2009.

* The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills has developed a number of tools to help employers, learners and practitioners address Literacy and Essential Skills challenges.
Visit the Literacy and Essential Skills Toolkit to access 17 new tools and much more.

* New Horizons for Seniors Program — The calls for proposals for Community Participation and Leadership Funding and Capital Assistance Funding are now open in Quebec until September 11, 2009.
NOTE: this last item was actually in the May What's New update for HRSDC

May 2008
Investing in Seniors
- Highlights recent Government of Canada measures that benefit seniors
HTML version
PDF version
(62K, 2 pages)
- incl. * Tax Relief * Improving Old Age Security * Investing In Canada's Future * Supporting Caregivers *
Engaging Seniors, Strengthening Communities

Related link:

Seniors Canada
Seniors Info

Income Security Programs

Canada's Retirement Income System
- guide for people approaching retirement - includes info about the Old Age Security (OAS) program, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Private Pension Plans



Reforming retirement-income systems : Lessons from recent experiences of OECD countries
(PDF - 336K, 27 pages)
J. P. Martin and E. Whitehouse
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
, Paris
OECD social, employment and migration working papers, n° 66
June 2008
(INCLUDES CANADA)
Summary:
Reforming pensions looms large over the policy agenda of OECD countries. This is hardly surprising since public spending on pensions accounted on average for 7 per cent of OECD GDP in 2005; and this pension spending effort is set to increase significantly over the coming decades in response to population ageing. Pension policy is indeed challenging and controversial because it involves long-term decisions in the face of numerous short-term political pressures. However, the status quo does not always win out so far as pension reform in concerned: public finance crises and the looming threat of ageing populations have proved effective spurs for reform. As a result, much has been done since the early 1990s to make pension systems fit for the future. Nearly all the 30 OECD countries have made at least some changes to their pension systems in that period. In 16 of them, there have been major reforms that will significantly affect future benefits. However, the status quo does not always win out so far as pension reform in concerned: public finance crises and the looming threat of ageing populations have proved effective spurs for reform. As a result, much has been done since the early 1990s to make pension systems fit for the future. Nearly all the 30 OECD countries have made at least some changes to their pension systems in that period. In 16 of them, there have been major reforms that will significantly affect future benefits.
Found in:
CERC Bulletin N°158 - July 21, 2008
[NOTE: click the bulletin link to access more studies and reports]
From the Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion - Paris


Human Resources and Social Development Canada Public Consultations Website
"
Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) is committed to consulting with Canadians on the issues that affect their daily lives. Through consultations, the department gains a greater understanding of the perspectives of a wide range of citizens, stakeholders and experts and therefore develops better, more informed and more effective policies and programs for Canadians.
Your opinion matters (bolding added). We invite you to visit this site regularly to learn more about our consultation activities and how you can get involved."
Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)

<begin rant>

HEY, HRSDC - QUIT DELETING CONTENT FROM YOUR SITE!
If my opinion matters, as per the intro to your consultations website, at least you could have the decency to leave links to completed consultations on your website.
In the summer of 2005, Social Development Canada (as HRSDC was known at that time) launched a public consultations website [ http://sdc-dsc.dialoguecircles.com/ ].
During the course of that summer and fall, SDC also launched three separate consultations (see below) - for persons with disabilities, seniors and caregivers.
All three consultations have vanished from the HRSDC website. You can't even find them using the HRSDC site search.
I understand that (a) the consultation period is long past, (b) that Steve Harper's Tories (Canada's Old New Government) took over the reigns of power early in 2006, and (c) that new governments like to build new websites.
Oh wait - never mind.
That explains it : New Government, new website, dump the old stuff, eh...

Internet Archive to the rescue!
Click the link in the previous line, then copy and paste this URL [ http://sdc-dsc.dialoguecircles.com ] into the box called "The Wayback Machine" in the centre of the page.
The results page is a collection of a dozen links to snapshots of the complete SDC consultations website; the latest link (Feb. 2007) appears below.

Here's a link to the (HR)SDC Public Consultation site
as it existed in February of 2007

Click the link above; on the next page that appears, click the links in left-hand margin of the page to go to the main consultation page for any one of the three missing consultations.

HINT: the "Resource Area" for each consultation contains links to some excellent related online resources, including: General Documents - Outcome Documents from Roundtables - Information on Government of Canada Programs - Government of Canada Publications - Government of Canada Seniors-Related Web Sites

------------------------------------------------------------------

Persons with Disabilities Consultation Internet Archive version (02/07)
"In a world of 'full participation', persons with disabilities would have equal access to the physical environments in which we work, live and play. Media and information would be equally available to those with sight, hearing, dexterity or mental disabilities..."

Resource Area - Internet Archive version (02/07)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Seniors Consultation - Internet Archive version (02/07)
While Canadian seniors today enjoy more supports and services than ever before, many still face important challenges in areas such as health, financial security, public safety, housing, and social participation. Not surprisingly, the thought of living as a senior holds promise for some, and uncertainty for others. (...)

Resource Area - Internet Archive version (02/07)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Caregivers Consultation - Internet Archive version (02/07)
Across the country, Canadians are caring for members of their families, their neighbours and their friends. Each caregiving situation is unique, and each caregiving relationship is different.

Resource Area - Internet Archive version (02/07)

</end rant>

Related Links:

For a list of consultations currently underway in other federal departments, please visit the
Government of Canada’s Consulting with Canadians website
* Consultations in progress


Canada Pension Plan
General information - Did You Know? * Canada's Retirement Income System - "What's in it for you?" * Your CPP Statement of Contributions o Request a CPP Statement of Contributions * General Information About the Canada Pension Plan * 1998 Changes to the Canada Pension Plan * Important Information for Common-law Partners * CPP Annual Reports * Quebec Pension Plan
Benefit information - Retirement Pension * Disability Benefits * Survivor Benefits (death, survivor & children's benefits) * Children's Benefits for Students aged 18 to 25 * Forms Payment information - Canada Pension Plan Payment Rates * Payment Dates * Direct Deposit * OAS and CPP T4/NR4 Income Statements o Obtain your Tax Information Slips online
o File your taxes by phone or online using Telefile service for seniors or Netfile * Canceling benefits following the death of a pensioner / beneficiary
Fact sheets - Sharing your pension for possible tax savings * Credit Splitting Upon Divorce or Separation * Facts about the Child Rearing Drop-out Provision * Reassessing Eligibility for Disability Benefits * Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program * Non-Resident Tax on Canadian Pensions * Facts about Changes to CPP Disability * Avoid owing tax on filing - CPP/EI voluntary deductions at source

Income Security Program Information Card (Rate Card)
- updated quarterly, includes the maximum monthly rates for Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan benefits, as well as other selected figures.
- contains links to quarterly rates back to Oct.-Dec. 2003


Related Link

A Tale of Two Pension Plans: The Differing Fortunes of the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans (PDF file - 192K, 46 pages)
Ed Tamagno
January 2008
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) are headed towards an historical crossroads. The most recent actuarial valuation of the CPP shows that the federal scheme is sound in its financing and should remain financially sound for the foreseeable future, without the need for any increase in its contribution rate over the next 75 years. Not entirely so, however, for the QPP. Although the Quebec plan is in no imminent financial difficulty, its most recent actuarial valuation indicates that changes to the QPP’s financing or benefits must be made well before 2050 or the scheme will be unable to meet its commitments fully after that year. This paper examines the reasons for the divergence in the financial projections of the Canada and the Quebec Pension Plans and proposes ways in which the parallelism of the two schemes, which has been a mainstay of federal and provincial policy for over four decades, can be maintained.
Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy


Old Age Security
General information * Overview of the Old Age Security Program * Important Information for Common-law Partners * Canada's Retirement Income System - "What's in it for you?"
Benefit information * Old Age Security Pension * Guaranteed Income Supplement * Allowance * Allowance for the survivor * Forms
Payment information * Old Age Security Payment Rates * Payment Dates * Direct Deposit * OAS and CPP T4/NR4 Income Statements o Obtain your Tax Information Slips online
o File your taxes by phone or online using Telefile service for seniors or Netfile* Canceling benefits following the death of a pensioner / beneficiary
Fact sheets * The Repayment of Old Age Security Pension Benefits (Deductions for higher-income seniors) * The Old Age Security Recovery Tax * Non-Resident Tax on Canadian Pensions * The Old Age Security Appeals Process


Related Links

Income Security Program Information Card (Rate Card)
- updated quarterly, includes the maximum monthly rates for Old Age Security, Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan benefits, as well as other selected figures.
- contains links to quarterly rates back to Oct.-Dec. 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------

Strengthening the Foundations of Canada’s Pension System:
A Review of the Old Age Security Program

By Ed Tamagno
November 2007
Abstract
Complete report (PDF file - 424K, 38 pages)
The Old Age Security (OAS) program, which is the cornerstone of Canada’s pension system, is fundamentally sound. However, some changes need to be made to the program to improve its fairness and to strengthen the income security of Canadian seniors. This study examines five aspects of the OAS program and makes recommendations on each:
· The OAS clawback and persons living outside Canada.
· The clawback and couples.
· The Guaranteed Income Supplement and immigrants to Canada.
· The Allowance and single persons aged 60-64.
· Work incentives.
(Excerpt from the Absract)

Source:
Caledon Institute of Social Policy

Guaranteed Income Supplement - "The Guaranteed Income Supplement provides additional money, on top of the Old Age Security pension, to low-income seniors living in Canada. To be eligible for the GIS benefit, you must be receiving the Old Age Security pension and meet the income requirements"
- incl. links to : About the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Applying for the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Renewing your benefits * Eligibility Requirements
* Receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement * Filing your income tax return * Appealing a decision * Protecting information about you * Other benefits * More Information

The Allowance - for people 60 to 64 years of age
The Allowance for the Survivor - for people 60 to 64 years of age whose spouse/partner has deceased

International Benefits
If you have lived or worked in another country, or you are the survivor of someone who has lived or worked in another country, you may be eligible for benefits from Canada or abroad. A social security agreement may help you qualify for a pension from Canada or from one of the countries listed in the drop-down menu.
This page also includes links to:
* Infosheets - Quickly find information on international social security agreements Canada has signed with other countries.
* Status of Canada's Social Security Agreements
* Social Security Web Sites Around the World
* Benefits Paid Outside Canada to Countries with which Canada has concluded a Social Security Agreement



Income Security Statistics

Includes links to the following Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan stats:
- ISP Information Card (Rate Card) -
updated quarterly,gives the maximum monthly rates for Canada Pension Plan, Quebec Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits, as well as other selected figures.
-
Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Statistical Bulletin - a monthly publication that provides detailed information such as the number of benefits in pay, the amounts paid, and the distribution of various benefits by age and sex.
-
Canada Pension Plan Contributors Report - an annual publication with detailed statistics on the number of contributors and the amount of contributions to the Canada Pension Plan. Although the publication is annual, the data are 2 years in arrears.
- Canada Pension Plan Benefit Rates - maximum monthly rates for new CPP benefits from 1967 to date, as well as historical data related to the calculation of CPP contributions and benefits. This publication also contains historical tables on pension index and escalation factors.
-
ISP Stats Book - annual publication, serves as a reference for Income Security Programs. It contains historical data on CPP and OAS monthly averages of benefits, new benefits and net payments in calendar years or fiscal years. Other data included in this publication are QPP, Average Weekly Wages and Consumer Prince Index data Average Weekly Wages and Statistics Canada's Low Income Cut-off levels.
-
Social Security Agreements: Canadian Benefits Paid - data on Canadian Benefits paid (under Social Security Agreements) to people who have lived or worked in another country
- Tables of Rates for Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement and the Allowance


Old Age Security Tribunal Summaries Online
The Office of the Commissioner of Review Tribunals (CPP/OAS) has added a database Old Age Security case summaries, conditions of personal information disclosure, general public information on legal assistance and links to recent publications.
OAS Decision Summaries Database


Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)
"The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) is the primary regulator of federally chartered financial institutions and federally administered pension plans."
Actuarial Reports
- read actuarial reports on the following subjects: Canada Pension Plan - Old Age Security - Canada Student Loans Program - Canadian Forces - Federally Appointed Judges - Members of Parliament - Public Service of Canada.


2006 November Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Matters of Special Importance—2006
An Overview of the Federal Government's Expenditure Management System
Chapter 1—Expenditure Management System at the Government Centre
Chapter 2—Expenditure Management System in Departments
Chapter 3—Large Information Technology Projects
Chapter 4—Proper Conduct of Public Business—Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Agencies
Chapter 5—Relocating Members of the Canadian Forces, RCMP, and Federal Public Service
Chapter 6 : Old Age Security - Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Service Canada
"(...)Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Service Canada have improved seniors' access to program benefits by simplifying the application process and by implementing initiatives to increase the take-up of GIS. However, the organizations lack adequate information on these and other aspects of their service to clients, and do not give Parliament a complete picture of program performance.

Source:
Office of the Auditor-General of Canada



New Horizons for Seniors Program

Across Canada, the New Horizons for Seniors Program helps to ensure that seniors are able to benefit from and contribute to the quality of life in their community through their social participation and active living.

The Program offers three types of funding to non-profit organizations:
* Capital Assistance Funding * Elder Abuse Awareness Funding * Community Participation and Leadership Funding

Addressing the challenges and opportunities of aging in Canada - July 2007
This report, prepared for the UN Commission for Social Development, focuses on new federal action taken and the further development of existing programs around seniors and population ageing.

Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)


What's new on the Human Resources and Social Development Canada website in July 2008:

Supporting and Engaging Older Workers in the New Economy
This report by the Expert Panel on Older Workers is undated.
(Posted to the HRSDC site in July 2008;
PDF file created February 12, 2008)
Executive Summary (see excerpt below)
Complete report:
HTML version
- table of contents and links to each chapter and appendix in the report
PDF version (874K, 110 pages)
Excerpt from the executive summary:
"(...) The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada established the Expert Panel on Older Workers on January 23, 2007. The Panel members were selected for their experience in studying policy issues. (...)The Panel's task was to consider the current situation and future prospects of older workers, and to make recommendations to the government."

Source:
Human Resources and Social Development Canada

HRSDC Minister Monte Solberg's response
to the report by the Expert Panel on Older Workers:

New Approaches and Partnerships to Meet the Labour Market Challenges of Today and Tomorrow
Speaking Notes for The Honourable Monte Solberg
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
at
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER)
18th Annual Summit
“New approaches to meet the labour market challenges of today and tomorrow”
Vancouver, British Columbia
July 23, 2008


Public pension consultations/reforms
March/April 2009

A brief history of pensions.
Pay attention because you may be about to lose yours

August 1, 2009
By Thomas Walkom
The drive to dismantle the welfare state has a new target. Governments have already gutted unemployment insurance and social assistance. Out-of-date labour laws make it tough to organize unions in the new, decentralized, service-based economy. Now, thanks in large part to the dynamics of the recession, pensions are under attack. (...) Even before this recession hit, it was clear that pensions were under the gun. Good retirement benefits, like good wages, interfere with what economists call labour market flexibility – that is, the willingness of workers to take low-wage jobs.
Source:
The Toronto Star

---

From the
Toronto Star
:

$7M bonus as CPP loses $24B
May 29, 2009
OTTAWA–Four top executives of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board pocketed nearly $7 million in bonuses this year despite losing $24 billion of taxpayers' money in bad investments, according to the board's annual report released yesterday.

---

Reform pensions now, expert says
Canada should admit millions of its citizens will never get the retirement
May 29, 2009

---

Patchy pensions leave too many exposed
May 27, 2009
By Carol Goar
(...) Today, Canada has a half-built pension system. It serves a fortunate minority relatively well, but leaves many workers facing a bleak retirement. No one is utterly destitute. All seniors are entitled to a monthly old age security payment. And those who belonged to the workforce receive a Canada Pension Plan. But these public programs are designed to provide a modest base on which to build a private retirement income. And millions of workers simply can't. The lucky ones – 38.5 per cent of working Canadians – have a company pension. But their luck is running out...

[ more columns by Carol Goar ]
Source:
Toronto Star

---

From Finance Canada:

Finance Ministers Indicate Canada Pension Plan is Financially Sound
May 25, 2009
Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Finance, as joint stewards of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), today announced the results of the program's triennial review at the close of their annual spring meetings at Meech Lake. The review confirms that the CPP, a key pillar of Canada's retirement income system, remains on a sound financial footing. "The CPP is well positioned to weather the current market turbulence," said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance. "Canadians can count on an affordable CPP today and for the future." The CPP provides over 3.6 million retired Canadians with benefits of up to $909 per month.

Related document:

Information Paper: Proposed Changes
to the Canada Pension Plan
Proposed by Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Finance
Ottawa, May 25, 2009
(...) The proposed changes will provide greater flexibility for older workers to combine pension and work income if they so wish; modestly expand pension coverage; and improve fairness in the Plan’s flexible retirement provisions.
(...) The proposed changes will begin to come into force in 2011 following approval by the Parliament of Canada and provincial governments.

< COMMENT:
I think it's wonderful that one of the proposed changes to CPP will allow people to continue working while receiving their CPP benefits. But the economic downturn is happening NOW, not in 2011, when the CPP changes will "begin" to come into force. Any change to the CPP requires the support of two-thirds of the provinces and territories, so if all Canadian ministers of Finance support the changes, they can fast-track the process of changing the CPP much more expeditiously.
... and I don't think that most of them *wish* to keep combining pension and work income, by the way --- they have to.>

Related links:

Consultation on pensions in Canada
"Strengthening the Legislative and Regulatory Framework for Private Pension Plans
Subject to the Pension Benefit Standards Act, 1985
"
- launched January 2009
- closing date for input: May 31, 2009
- incl. links to two consultation documents from the Department of Finance

Responses/Submissions from the public
- links to dozens of responses (to the consultations documents) submitted to the consultation
by union representatives, pension plan representatives and employer pension representatives.

---

A real world solution for public pensions
By Mark Sutcliffe
March 7, 2009
"(...) What's good for the PS is good for Ottawa. But it's fair to ask whether a cherished benefit awarded to members of the public service should last forever. While the federal government begins looking at how to clean up the mess that has become of many private-sector pension funds, legislators at all levels may want to also consider this difficult question: Should we consider phasing out the defined-benefit, fully indexed pensions that are standard for government employees? (...) There's not much that can or should be done about existing public employees, who are contractually guaranteed their benefits. But could governments move toward establishing a defined-contribution plan, like those at most private-sector employers, for new public servants? Someday, should government workers carry as much of the burden for saving for their own retirement as everyone else? Thanks to union agreements, it won't be an easy process. But it's worth considering. Some may tremble at any element of uncertainty being introduced into public-sector pensions. Others would respond, welcome to the real world.
Source:
The Ottawa Citizen

---

Department of Finance Releases Schedule for Pension Consultations
News Release
March 4 2009
The Department of Finance announced further details on the public consultations across Canada on the legislative and regulatory framework for federally regulated private pension plans, which are scheduled to begin March 13. The Government released a discussion paper seeking views from Canadians on this issue on January 9. It followed up by announcing in Budget 2009: Canada's Economic Action Plan that the national consultations will be chaired by Ted Menzies, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.
- click the news release link above to access the scheduled dates and locations for the consultations.
- consultations will be held in :
Ottawa (March 13) - Halifax (March 17) - Montréal (March 18) - Toronto (March 20) - Vancouver (April 14) - Whitehorse (April 15) - Edmonton (April 16) - Winnipeg (April 17)

The federal government regulates private pension plans that are subject to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985. These plans cover areas of employment under federal jurisdiction, including banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation. These plans currently represent 7 per cent of all private pension plans in Canada, accounting for approximately 12 per cent of pension assets. Canadians who wish to attend these consultations or send submissions on the discussion paper are invited to submit an e-mail to this address: pensions@fin.gc.ca

---

Minister of Finance Launches National Consultations on Private Pensions
February 23, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced the Government will begin scheduled public consultations across Canada on the legislative and regulatory framework for federally regulated private pension plans. (...) The Government released a discussion paper seeking views from Canadians on this issue on January 9. It followed up by announcing in Budget 2009: Canada’s Economic Action Plan that the national consultations will be chaired by Ted Menzies, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

The public consultations will run from March 13 to April 17; click the link above for the schedule of sessions in eight cities across Canada. Canadians who wish to attend these consultations or send submissions on the discussion paper are invited to submit an e-mail to this address: pensions@fin.gc.ca

Related links:

Minister of Finance Releases Discussion Paper on Private Pensions
News Release
January 9, 2009
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released a discussion paper on improving the framework for federally regulated private pension plans. “The Government acted in the Economic and Fiscal Statement to provide temporary solvency relief to federally regulated pension plans that have been affected by the substantial declines in equity markets,” said Minister Flaherty. “The purpose of this paper is to get the views of Canadians on issues related to the legislative framework for federally regulated defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans with the objective of making permanent changes in 2009.”

The federal Government regulates private pension plans that are subject to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985. These plans cover areas of employment under federal jurisdiction, including banking, telecommunications and inter-provincial transportation.

Complete discussion paper:

Strengthening the Legislative and Regulatory Framework
for Private Pension Plans Subject to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985

[ PDF version - 107K, 23 pages ]
January 2009
These consultations are open to anybody interested in participating.
- incl. contact information for anyone wishing to submit any comments on the discussion paper

The closing date for these consultations was April 17, 2009.009)

Source:
Department of Finance Canada


Improvements to Life Income Funds Give Canadians More Financial Flexibility
News Release
May 8, 2008
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced regulatory changes are now in effect allowing Canadians to take advantage of Budget 2008 improvements to the administration of Life Income Funds (LIFs).

- includes links to the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement, Regulatory Changes Related to Federally Regulated Life Income Funds and Locked-in Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Effective May 8,2008, Questions and Answers and Regulations Amending the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985.

October 4, 2006
More Flexibility to Seniors in the Management of Their Life Income Funds
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced that the regulations to immediately remove the requirement to convert federally regulated life income funds (LIFs) to life annuities at age 80 have now come into force. The regulations were published in the Canada Gazette. Seniors have asked for a greater degree of control over their retirement savings and this initiative will help give it to them," stated Minister Flaherty. A LIF is a special registered retirement income fund into which funds from pension plans or other locked-in retirement funds can be transferred.
Source:
Department of Finance Canada


National Conference on Caregiving promotes pan-Canadian dialogue
News Release
GATINEAU, QUEBEC - October 18, 2005
"Initiatives to better support unpaid caregivers were discussed at this week's National Conference on Caregiving. The conference was hosted by Minister of State Tony Ianno, with the support of the Canadian Caregiver Coalition. 'The Government of Canada recognizes the vital contributions unpaid caregivers are making to Canadian society,' said Minister of State (Families and Caregivers) the Honourable Tony Ianno. 'We also know about the challenges they face. That is why we decided to hold this conference. I am committed to sharing ideas with members of the caregiving community to identify the best ways to better support our caregivers.'"
- includes a backgrounder with more info on unpaid caregiving in Canada
Source:
Social Development Canada



Statistics Canada

What's New from The Daily - Statistics Canada :

[Selected content concerning seniors]

Pathways into the GIS
August 2009
* Highlights
* Full article: HTML | PDF
(212K, 10 pages)
The article Pathways into the GIS examines the strong correlation of Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) receipt with people's income levels at younger ages, particularly one's 40s. Negative labour market and health occurrences, having a low income and the receipt of social assistance benefits increased the probability of GIS receipt, while having an employer pension plan or a registered retirement savings plan decreased it.

Related link:
Income Security and Stability
During Retirement in Canada
(PDF - 486K, 59 pages)
March 2008

March 12, 2009
Employer pension plans (trusteed pension funds), Third quarter 2008
The market value of assets held in employer-sponsored pension funds fell by 8.7% during the third quarter to $869.0 billion, the largest quarterly decline in a decade.The decline, equivalent to $82.7 billion, was the result of a significant drop in stock prices and foreign investments. The third-quarter level was well below the peak of $954.6 billion reached at the end of 2007.
- includes two tables :
* Trusteed pension funds, market value of assets by type
* Trusteed pension funds: Revenue and expenditures


Year of the Veteran - 2005
January 27, 2005
"The Government of Canada has declared 2005 the Year of the Veteran. Throughout the year, Canadians will celebrate, honour, remember, and teach our youth about the contributions and sacrifice of our veterans. Every year is an important year to honour veterans and their service and 2005 is especially meaningful because it marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War; and the Government of Canada is developing a new Veterans Charter that will better support releasing Canadian Forces members and their families who are re-entering civilian life."
Source:
Veterans Affairs Canada


Negative Economic Impact of Aging Exaggerated, Says New IRPP Study
"March 11, 2002 - Many assessments of the effects of an aging population on the standard of living of Canadians and our public finances are too pessimistic. Population aging can also have positive consequences, says Marcel Mérette, economics professor at the University of Ottawa, in a new study published today by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)."

Study
Source : Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)



GIS Undersubscription:

The Guaranteed Income Supplement Saga

During the summer of 2001, Richard Shillington and the Toronto Star stirred up a hornet's nest when they criticized the federal government for not trying to reach several hundred thousand seniors who were eligible for, but had not applied for, the income-tested Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) under the Old Age Security program. Here's an update on that situation.

THE GOOD NEWS:
In 2001, the number of Canadians over 65 who were eligible for GIS but never applied for it was over 380,000. In 2006, that number was just over 200,000. That's a drop of almost 50% in five years.

THE BAD NEWS:
In 2006, the number of Canadians over 65 who were eligible for GIS but never applied for it was just over 200,000.
That's 200,000 Canadian seniors too many.
Moreover, the data is four years old, so it doesn't take into account the effect of the 2008-2009 recession on GIS take-up. The recession may in fact have increased the GIS take-up rate, if low-income seniors were motivated/driven by their difficult circumstances to avail themselves of all sources of support.

From Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)
Federal department responsible for Old Age Security and
the Guaranteed Income Supplement (among other mandates):

Evaluation of the Guaranteed Income Supplement
Take-up Measures and Outreach
February 2010
HTML version - Table of contents + links to each section of the report
PDF version (1MB, 76 pages)
Table of contents:
* Title Page
* List of abbreviations
* Executive Summary
* Management Response:
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Evaluation Methodology
- 3. Evaluation Findings
- 4. Overall Conclusions

This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) Take-up Measures and Outreach, which assesses the measures undertaken by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and Service Canada (SC) since 2002 to increase take-up of the GIS. The objective of the study* is to examine the profile of eligible non-recipients, the barriers to GIS take-up, the appropriateness of the design of HRSDC/SC activities, given these barriers, and the results of activities to increase GIS take-up.
Source:
Excerpt from the
Executive Summary

*The evaluation team collected and reviewed information mainly
from January to August 2008 but data examined concerns the years 2001 to 2006.

< Begin One-semi-sorta-bouquet-and-one-brickbat
for-the-Human-Resources-and-Skills-Development-Canada-website rant
. >

1. The Bouquet:
The HRSDC website search engine has improved significantly in the past few years in terms of relevance of results, so that now, when I search for "Canada Pension Plan Annual Report" (without the quote marks), the first result is the CPP Annual Report --- for 2005-06. This is followed by links to CPP annual reports for 2006-07 and then 1998-99, and then almost 300 links to reports that have very little to do with my search. The #1 result of a search for Canada Pension Plan Annual Report should be the page where all CPP annual reports are located on the HRSDC website. But at least now the search engine can return correct titles. Also, the results would be so much easier to follow if they were in chronological order, with the most recent entry at the top, rather than the pell-mell presentation of the HRSDC search engine results page.
So much for the bouquet --- Until the HRSDC site search engine starts offering better results, I'll continue to recommend Google.ca to anyone looking for HRSDC reports.

2. The Brickbat:
One richly-deserved Bronx Cheer for the web team at HRSDC.
Although the cover of the report on GIS take-up is dated February 2010,
it was posted to the HRSDC website sometime this summer (because the PDF file is dated August 2010).
It doesn't appear anywhere on the HRSDC What's New - 2010 page.

Why?

The home page of the Department's website does have a link to Publications and Resources --- where the visitor quickly realizes that (s)he must click EIGHT separate links to view all of HRSDC's publications. That's because the reports are organized under eight headings : * Departmental Reports * Public Opinion Research Reports * Research Studies * Audit Reports * Evaluation Reports (where I stumbled upon the GIS take-up report by accident)* Social Policy * Labour Market Policy * Learning Policy. Most of those selections will take you to a collection of links to reports dating back to the early 1990s, in some cases, but precious little from recent years, likely due to departmental reorganizations and a narrowing down of the role of HRSDC.

That sucks.

HRSDC, please use the What's New page of your
departmental website to announce what's new on your website.
And please make your publications page less frustrating...

< / End One-semi-sorta-bouquet-and-one-brickbat
for-the-Human-Resources-and-Skills-Development-Canada-website rant. >

-------------------------------

Link to departmental
program information:

Old Age Security and Guaranteed
Income Supplement program information
- including the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Allowance (formerly Spouse's Allowance) and International Agreements
Source:
Human Resources
and Social Development Canada
(HRSDC)

-------------------------------

How it all came about...

The Guaranteed Income Supplement Saga
How 300,000 lost out on GIS and then some/most got their benefits

By Richard Shillington
June 2002
Source:
Tristat Resources - Richard Shillington's website
Detailed account with over a dozen links to related information.

---

From Statistics Canada:

Study: Guaranteed Income Supplement update, 2006
July 2009
More seniors who are eligible for Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits are actually receiving them, as both take-up rates and application rates have improved. The GIS was established in 1967 as an additional benefit for low-income seniors receiving the Old Age Security pension. (...) Increases in both the GIS take-up rate and application rate between 2000 and 2006 coincided with a number of reforms by the federal government to simplify the application process. Since 2007, seniors have needed to apply only once to receive GIS payments for all years of eligibility, provided they file tax returns. This marks a significant change from the study period, when eligible seniors were required to re-apply if they lost eligibility during one or more years because of an increase in income. [ More... ]

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) update
July 2009
By May Juong
* Highlights
* Full article:
--- HTML version
--- PDF version
(141K, 9 pages)

Related StatCan subjects:
o Income, pensions, spending and wealth
o Household, family and personal income
o Low income and inequality
o Seniors
o Income, pensions and wealth

Source:
Statistics Canada

New Poverty Traps: Means-Testing and Modest-Income Seniors (PDF file - 148K, 13 pages)
April 2003
Richard Shillington
C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder
"Millions of Canadians accept the homogenous advice of governments and the financial community and put billions into RRSPs. However, for many lower-income Canadians RRSPs are a terrible investment. They are victims of a fraud, however unintentional. Only when more Canadians are aware of the perverse treatment of lower-income citizens’ savings will Ottawa be forced to develop measures that reward, rather than punish, their savings efforts."
Source:
Tristat Resources

(Richard Shillington's website)

Retirement Planning for the "Rest of Us"
Introduction
"This web-site is designed to give Retirement Planning advice for those Canadians, half the population, who do not have an employer pension plan and will not save hundreds of thousands of dollars in their RRSP. Only about 40% of the labour force have an employer pension plan. Jobs with pension plan coverage usually come with benefits like health benefits, maternity benefits etc. By retirement about half of families have no employer pension plan to speak of and must rely on public plans (OAS, GIS & CPP) and a modest retirement savings, mostly RRSP (on average about $40,000). This web-site is designed for those without an employer pension plan or large RRSP. This web-site is about retirement planning for the "Rest of Us."

Retirement Planning Resources
for the "Rest of Us"
- includes links to the following useful resources:
* Why listen to me? * What is wrong with most Financial Advice * Recommended Reading for the "Rest of Us" * Are you GIS Destined? * What you need to know about GIS and Spouses and Widows Allowance * RRSPs don't work well for you * Why you should probably take early CPP * Early CPP: Individual Calculator * Credit Cards * Home Ownership * Your income at retirement

NOTE: Richard is the person who helped the federal government to find a few hundred thousand seniors who were entitled to, but not receiving, the Guaranteed Income Supplement under the Old Age Security Program.

Source:
Tristat Resources
Richard Shillington


CARP* calls on government to honour Canada’s
pension promise and releases Universal Pension Plan
October 21, 2009
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia: Canada is not honouring its promise to keep Canadians out of poverty in retirement says CARP which calls for immediate pension reform to help Canadians now at risk as well as to prevent such insecurity for future generations. At a public meeting organized by CARP’s Halifax Chapter on retirement security, CARP released its position papers calling for comprehensive pension reform
[* CARP was formerly known as the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.]

Time for a Universal Pension Plan (PDF - 111K, 11 pages)
September 2009
- CARP Position Paper on its proposal for a Universal Pension Plan

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance
Pre-budget consultations
(PDF - 43K, 5 pages)
August 14, 2009
CARP’s pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance

Source:
CARP
A New Vision of Aging for Canada: A society in which
everyone can live active, independent, purposeful lives as they age.

Related links:

CARP (Canada)
CARP (originally the Canadian Association of Retired Persons,
now billed as Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus) is a Canadian
organization advocating for the rights of those fifty years of age or older.
Source:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

---

An earlier kick at the can:

CARP poll find members overwhelmingly support a new Universal Pension Plan
April 21, 2009
By Jonathan_Chevreau
The over-50 lobby group known as CARP today told the government it should consider establishing a Universal Pension Plan modelled on the CPP, with mandatory enrolment, a payroll deduction mechanism and a performance-oriented mandate that is independent from government or any single employer.
Source:
The National Post


Division of Aging and Seniors (Public Health Agency of Canada)
The Division of Aging and Seniors, Public Health Agency of Canada, provides federal leadership on health issues related to aging and seniors. The Division serves as a focal point for information and centre of expertise in this area.

Web Links - a large list of links to sites of interest for seniors or seniors' groups

Provincial government links - links to home pages of governments and special groups representing the interests of seniors

Publications
- large collection of links organized under the following categories:
Age Related/Chronic Diseases - Archives - Caring for Seniors - The Canadian Health Care System - General - Healthy Aging - Injury Prevention - Life Events - Living Environments - Medication Use - Mental Health - Seniors Protection - Statistics - Technology

--------------------------------------------------------------

National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA)*
The National Advisory Council on Aging was created on May 1, 1980, to assist and advise the Minister of Health on all matters related to the aging of the Canadian population and the quality of life of seniors.

* NOTE: (April 12, 2007)
It's gone.
As of March 5, 2007, when Canada's New Government announced the creation of a new
National Seniors Council. affiliated with the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the NACA was quietly subsumed by the new Council.

Canadian Senior Years
Canadian Senior Years is designed for all Canadian seniors over 50 with a special focus on the Grey Bruce area of Ontario. The site features up-to-date news feeds on subjects of interest to Canadian seniors, hundreds of mostly Canadian site links, games, discussion boards, email pals section, a memorial listing, articles and much more.

Improving Seniors Quality of Life
Centre for Health Promotion
University of Toronto
In April, 1999, the Seniors Quality of Life Project began its two year program of research into the quality of life of seniors in 8 cities across Canada. Seniors groups in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina, Whitehorse and Vancouver are organizing and carrying out a series of public consultations on issues and factors affecting the quality of life and well-being of seniors.
On the main page, you'll find links to the report from Toronto (see below)  - Toronto discussions - Survey results - Vancouver discussions and as well as information about the Quality of Life Project.
A City for All Ages: fact or fiction?
Effects of Government Policy Decisions on the Quality of Life of Toronto Seniors
The Toronto Project
September 2000 Report
Don't miss the excellent Links to Seniors' Resources


BC Ministry of Community Development
- Seniors
BC Seniors' Guide - 8th edition
(2006)
HTML - click on links in the left column: Health Services * Housing * Transportation * Finances * Lifestyles * Personal Security * Other Services * Directory
PDF (1.8MB, 120 pages)


Prince Edward Island Seniors' Guide (PDF - 9.6MB, 99 pages)
Published August 3, 2009
The Prince Edward Island Seniors’ Guide includes information about programs and services provided to seniors by the federal and provincial governments, community organizations and service providers

Supports for Seniors
Several departments of the Government of Prince Edward Island provide programs and services that are designed to assist seniors.
This page provides links to supports organized under the following headings:
* Health and Wellness * Home Care and Support * Housing Assistance * Financial and Legal Assistance

Source:
Seniors' Secretariat

See also:

InfoPEI - Seniors
- incl. links to info about:
* Active Living * Caregivers' Information * Congratulatory Messages for Seniors * Emergency Assistance * Finances * Health Services * Housing * Life Long Learning Opportunities * Personal Security/Legal * Research * Senior Centres/Clubs and Organizations * Seniors Emergency Home Repair Program * Seniors Guide * Seniors and Medication * Seniors' News * Seniors' Secretariat * Services for Seniors * Transportation/Travel * Veterans' Programs * World Elder Abuse Awareness Day


Senior Citizens' Secretariat - Nova Scotia
"The Senior Citizens' Secretariat works with seniors and their organizations on programs, services and activities that are important to their quality of life. As of April 1, 2000 the chair of the Secretariat was transferred to the Minister of Health."
Source : Nova Scotia Department of Health

Senior Citizens' Secretariat
"The Senior Citizens' Secretariat works with seniors and their organizations on programs, services and activities that are important to their quality of life. As of April 1, 2000 the chair of the Secretariat was transferred to the Minister of Health."
numbers will increase dramatically in the future, says a new publication that analyzes Nova Scotia's aging population."

Alberta Council on Aging
 


Fifty-Plus.net
- Canadian Association of Retired Persons

International Seniors' Websites
(Links are added below in reverse chronological order)

Exclusion from Material Resources among Older People
in EU Countries: New Evidence on Poverty and Capability Deprivation
(PDF - 1.5MB, 18 pages)
By Asghar Zaidi
July 2011 Policy Brief
The salient features of the current European economic climate are not easy to view with optimism: an uncertain recovery from recession, uncomfortably high levels of unemployment, Eurozone debt crises and the longer-term challenges of population ageing and sustainability of social welfare systems - all make for hard reading. (...) This Policy Brief examines the picture for the current generation of older people, with particular reference to their exclusion from material resources, an absence which triggers and identifies other forms of exclusions for older people. Income is used as a primary measure of exclusion (following Atkinson), but Sen's ideas, emphasising agency freedom and capability aspects of welfare, are also adopted.
Source:
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research

 

United Kingdom

Home care in London (PDF - 868K, 42 pages)
By Laura bradley
July 1, 2011
Over the next two decades, the number of people aged over 80 is set to double in Britain. Public services must adapt to the challenge that this poses, central to which is the need to deliver social care to older people. Home-based care has the potential to reduce the pressure on more costly public services such as hospital beds and care-home places. (...) This paper explores the issue of home-based social care in London. It provides policymakers and commissioners with a clearer idea of what makes for good quality home-based care, the challenges that exist for delivering it, and how the increasing demand can be met.
Source:
Institute for Public Policy Research
IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research, is the UK’s leading progressive thinktank. We produce rigorous research and innovative policy ideas for a fair, democratic and sustainable world.

 

AARP (formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons)
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people age 50 and over have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole, ways that help people 50 and over improve their lives. Since 1958, AARP has been leading a revolution in the way people view and live life. Our work reaches deep into members' communities through support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Internet Resources on Aging
Browse AARP's database on Internet resources, and link to more than 1,200 of the best sites for people age 50+.
This resource was last updated November 2010.
Topics and Subtopics:
* Aging of Special Populations
* Aging Organizations and General Interest
* Caregiving, Supportive Services, and Assistive Devices
* Death and Dying
* Employment, Finances, and Retirement
* Family, Personal Relationships, and Online Community
* Government, Legislation, and Public Policy
* Health and Well-Being
* Housing and Long Term Care
* Law and Legal Issues
* Leisure, Learning, and Personal Growth
* Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security
* Older Drivers and Transportation
* Research and Reference
* State and Local Resources


Site review
by The Scout Report:
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) covers aging and aging-related topics quite well, and this website is one of their many compelling initiatives. The databases, AgeSource and AgeStats, on AARP's international website are designed to "facilitate the international exchange of policy and program-relevant information in aging." Under the "Aging Everywhere" tab is an interactive map that allows the visitor to read "Country Profiles" as well as read articles about a region selected from the map. A "Comparative Data Search" can also be done by clicking on the link above the map. There are multiple ways to search the information in the databases. On the left hand menu visitors can explore by topic or by region. Some of the topics include "Aging & Society", "Economic Retirement & Security", "Livable Communities" and "Long-Term Care". Searching for a particular topic can be accomplished by using the keyword search box in the middle of the page. The search can be further limited by deciding which databases to search, and by information type, geographic coverage, and language.
Reviewed by:
The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

[U.S.] Alliance for Aging Research
http://www.agingresearch.org/

Founded in 1986, to "promote medical and behavioral research into the aging process", the Washington D.C.-based Alliance for Aging Research has a website that covers many different "Topics". Visitors can explore general topics, such as "Caregiving", "Longevity", "Medical Innovation", and "Policy", as well as "Focus Areas". The focus areas include "Access to Breakthroughs", "Drug Development", "Persistent Pain" and "Vision Loss". On the homepage visitors can take "Surveys & Quizzes", like "Understanding Persistent Pain" and "Valve Disease Quiz - How Much Do You Know?" Related to the valve disease quiz is the recent podcast of a valve surgery patient, who discusses the symptoms she felt that resulted in her recent visit to the doctor, how she was diagnosed, her growing knowledge of the surgical procedure, and how she felt after surgery. Visitors can find that podcast and others, at the "Media" link near the bottom of the homepage. Also in the "Media" link, visitors can find videos, such as "Will Science Cure Aging?", and a rich archive of videos and podcasts

Source:
The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2010

------------

AgeSource/AgeStats Worldwide
http://www.aarpinternational.org/database/
AgeSource Worldwide identifies several hundred information resources in some 25 countries which are significant either in size or in their unique coverage of particular aging-related issues. The resources include, among others, clearinghouses, libraries, databases, training materials, major reports, and Web metasites.
AgeStats Worldwide
provides access to statistical data that compare the situation of older adults across countries or regions around a variety of issues, such as demography, pensions, health and long-term care. The most recent data and projections as far ahead as 2050 are provided where available. You may search either or both databases at one time. Access is free-of-charge. AgeSource and AgeStats Worldwide have been created by AARP to facilitate the international exchange of policy and program-relevant information in aging.

Internet Resources Related to Aging (U.S.)
List of Contents - like a site map, incl. links to sites organized under the following headings : General Interest - Government - Health - Housing - Income - Law - Leisure - Libraries, Clearinghouses and Databases - Social Services - States and Communities - Statistics and Research - Listservs - Newsgroups - Electronic Magazines - Search Tools - Alphabetical Index
Other Internet Directories Related to Aging - links to 9 directories, most from the U.S. Administration on Aging, including state and even local links to resources for seniors
Source :

Links to AARP sites in all states

---

The Social Security Debate in the U.S. - from Wikipedia
- incl. criticism of Social Security as a pyramid or Ponzi scheme...

---

Nearly 1 in 5 older Americans believed
to be in poverty --- almost double the official rate

September 4, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level, according to a revision of a half-century-old formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living. The National Academy of Science's formula, which is gaining credibility with public officials including some in the Obama administration, would put the poverty rate for Americans 65 and over at 18.6 percent, or 6.8 million people, compared with 9.7 percent, or 3.6 million people, under the existing measure. The original government formula, created in 1955, doesn't take account of rising costs of medical care and other factors.
Source:
Associated Press

- Go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm

---

Pensions at a glance 2007
OECD
People in OECD countries will have to save more for their retirement as a result of the major pensions reforms carried out in recent years, according to this report. The average pension promise in 16 OECD countries studied was cut by 22 per cent. For women, the reduction was 25 per cent.
Posted June 8, 2007
Source:
Australian Policy Online

Confusions about Social Security (PDF file - 195K, 11 pages)
Paul Krugman (Princeton University)
January 2005
"There is a lot of confusion in the debate over Social Security privatization, much of it deliberate. This essay discusses the meaning of the trust fund, which privatizers declare either real or fictional at their convenience; the likely rate of return on private accounts, which has been greatly overstated; and the (ir)relevance of putative reductions in far future liabilities."
Source:
The Economists' Voice - U.S.
(Editor: Joseph E. Stiglitz)

Related Links:

Social Security Administration (U.S. Government)
"Visit the Social Security Administration Web site for publications and online resources to help you understand your Social Security benefits, how to apply for benefits, and the history of the Social Security program. You can also apply for benefits online."

AARP Social Security Center
[AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people over 50.]
"AARP maintains a special Social Security Center on its Web site. Visit the center to test your knowledge and find answers to some commonly asked questions about Social Security. You can also learn about issues and challenges facing Social Security, and you can tell your elected officials what you think about Social Security."

For links to more info about the Bush administration's push to privatize Social Security in the U.S. in 2005 and about the Chilean pension model, go to the Pension Reforms Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pensions.htm

FirstGov for Seniors (U.S.)
- incl. links to : Consumer Protection - Education & Training - Health - Legislation - Letters to the Editor - Other Links - Retirement Planner - Seniors & Computers - Services - Strategic Plan - Tax Assistance - Travel & Leisure- Work & Volunteer - State Websites for Seniors
Site Map

National Council on the Aging (U.S.)
"Organizations and professionals promoting the dignity, self-determination and well-being of older persons"

BenefitsCheckUp
"NCOA's latest innovation, BenefitsCheckUp, is a simple and confidential online service made for seniors and caregivers. The program searches more than 1,000 federal and state programs and finds those for which the senior may be eligible."

National Institute on Aging (NIA) - U.S.
The National Institute on Aging is a component of the National Institutes of Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) that is devoted to improving the health of older people.


From the U.N.:

International Day of Older Persons
The General Assembly designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons by resolution 45/106 of 14 December 1990, following up on initiatives such as the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing and endorsed later that year by the General Assembly.

The theme of the International Day for 2006 is
"Improving the Quality of Life for Older Persons: Advancing UN Global Strategies." (PDF file - 9K, 1 page)

Source:
U.N. Conferences and Events
[ United Nations ]


SeniorSite (U.S. site, worth a visit to see hundreds of links to valuable information)


US Administration on Aging
In order to serve a growing senior population, AoA envisions ensuring the continuation of a vibrant aging services network at State, Territory, local and Tribal levels through funding of lower-cost, non-medical services and supports that provide the means by which many more seniors can maintain their independence. The mission of AoA is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated and cost-effective system of home and community-based services that helps elderly individuals maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities.

Aging Statistics
From the Administration on Aging

Social Security Administration Home Page - "The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration"


ElderWeb (U.S., with international links - incl. Canada)
- includes over 6,000 reviewed links to long term care information, as well as an expanding library of articles and reports, news, and events. This award-winning site is designed to be a research site for both professionals and family members looking for information on eldercare and long term care, and includes links to information on legal, financial, medical, and housing issues, as well as policy, research, and statistics.


Sliding into poverty ? Cross-national patterns of income source change and income decay in old age (pdf file - 44 p)
J. M. Williamson and T. M. Smeeding
November 2004
Source:
Center for Retirement Research



Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies
(CeRP)
CeRP Working Papers
- links to ~30 papers in English from September 2000 to July 2003
Recent CeRP website content:
'Is Mandatory Retirement an Outdated Feature of Pension Systems?'
Fourth Annual Conference
September 16, 2003
Turin, Italy
- incl. links to 7 papers and presentations, including : Social Security Rules that Vary with Age - Public Pension programmes, Retirement Incentives and Employment in Europe - Retirement Choices of the Elderly in Italy - Patterns of Retirement in Germany and How to Change them - more...



United Kingdom:

Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods:
A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society

25 February 2008
The ageing of the population will be one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century for housing. This strategy sets out our response to this challenge, our plan to create Lifetime Homes in Lifetime Neighbourhoods. It outlines our plans for making sure that there is enough appropriate housing available in future to relieve the forecasted unsustainable pressures on homes, health and social care services.

Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods
A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society
(PDF file - 5.7MB, 176 pages)
February 2008
Source:
Housing and Older People - includes links to several related documents
[ Communities and Local Government ]
Communities and Local Government is the government department that sets UK policy on local government, housing, urban regeneration, planning and fire and rescue

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Features and Challenges of Population Ageing:
The European Perspective
- PDF file - 199K, 16 pages)
Author: Asghar Zaidi
Policy Brief
March 6, 2008
In this Policy Brief the issue of population ageing and its possible implications are sketched out.
It also discusses what public policy responses are required to deal with the challenges posed.
Source:
European Centre for Welfare Policy and Research

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Does informal care from children to their elderly parents substitute for formal care in Europe? (PDF file - 122K, 40 pages)
January 2008
Source:
Center of Research in Public Economics and Population Economics, Liège
Summary : This paper analyzes the impact of informal care by adult children on the use of long-term care among the elderly in Europe and the effect of the level of the parent’s disability on this relationship. We focus on two types of formal home care that are the most likely to interact with informal care: paid domestic help and nursing care.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Harmonisation of old-age security within the European Union (PDF file - 29 pages)
December 2003
Source:
Centre for Economic Studies (Munich)
"
Summary : Not sufficiently harmonised national pension systems within the European Union distort the allocation of labour and endanger redistributive activities. This paper identifies the most decentralised level of harmonisation which guarantees efficient allocation and enables redistribution. For this, we build on theoretical results to evaluate the realised distribution of the legal power between the European Union and the Member States and the resulting level of harmonisation. We find that harmonisation is sub-optimally low. Binding rules guaranteed by the European Union are needed which means that the Member States have to concede more fundamental responsibilities to the European Union."

Social transfers and income inequality in old age : A multi national perspective
by Robert L. Brown and Steven G. Prus
August 2003
Working paper n° 355
(PDF file - 153K,12 pages)
"This paper examines variation in old-age income inequality between ten industrialized nations with modern welfare systems [including Canada]. The analysis of income inequality across countries with different retirement income systems provides a perspective on public pension policy choices and designs and their distributional implications."

Two Worlds of Retirement Income: A Comparative Analysis of Retirement-Income Outcomes Using the Luxembourg Income Study
by Kevin Lomax and Brian Gran
June 2003
Working paper n° 353
“This paper examines whether retirement-income systems allow older individuals to enjoy socially acceptable income levels independent of paid work (decommodification) and the family (defamilialization). (...) We employ the Luxembourg Income Study to compare Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United States."
[NOTE: you need version 5 of the Adobe Acrobat Reader to access this file]

Source :
Luxembourg Income study Working Papers Number 351-357 --- updated to September 2003
[
Working Papers No. 1-357 - view the entire collection on a single page (420K) ]
Luxembourg Income Study (LIS)
The Luxembourg Income Study is an ongoing cooperative research project (started in 1983) with a membership that includes 25 countries (including Canada) on four continents: Europe, America, Asia and Oceania

Second World Assembly on Ageing : Building a Society for All Ages
Madrid, Spain
April 8-12, 2002
This is the Canadian site from the Division of Aging and Seniors (Health Canada)
Table of Contents
- incl. links to : Introduction - What is the Second World Assembly on Ageing? - About the United Nations (Key Dates, News) - Canada's Participation at the Second World Assembly on Ageing - UN Documents - Frequently Asked Questions - Get Involved (Domestically, Internationally) - Interesting Links (• News • United Nations • NGO Forum and Other Involvement Opportunities • Canadian • International) - Contact us

Related Links :

Second World Assembly on Ageing - Madrid (host country website)
- incl. links to : Preparatory Process -
U.N. Documents - Participation - Calendar - NGO Activities - Activities host country - Press release
Second World Assembly - United Nations website

ISSA and the Second World Assembly on Ageing
Source : International Social Security Association

Canada's Aging Population
April 9, 2002
- prepared for the United Nations Second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held from April 8 to 12, 2002.
"
The first section of the document presents statistical information on seniors in Canada, outlining the characteristics and diversity of Canada’s older population, while the second section describes a number of the key steps being taken by the Canadian federal government in collaboration with partners to address important aging issues."
Source : Health Canada Division of Aging and Seniors

Second World Assembly - from the U.N. Division for Social Policy and Development

U.N. Second World Assembly on Ageing (2002)
Incl. information on the preparatory process, regional and international meetings, press releases, links to U.N., DESA, Gateway to Social Policy and Development, Ageing
Source : United Nations Program on Ageing

The Retirement Project (U.S.) assesses how current retirement policies, demographic trends, and private sector practices affect the well-being of older Americans and the economy. The project also analyzes proposed retirement policies, with a focus on both the income and health needs of the elderly.
Source : The Urban Institute

U.S Census Bureau Age Data
Includes links to information about aging organized under the following headings :  National Level - State Level - County Level - Other U.S. Geographic Levels - International Data - Baby Boomer - Older (55+) Population - Elderly (65+) Population - Age Search Service

The Demographic Revolution in Population Aging: A Century of Change, 1950 - 2050
Hayward, Mark D. and Zhenmei Zhang
Population  Research Institute
Pennsylvania State University
Complete report [.pdf, 32 pages]
- Found in the Scout Report for Social Sciences

U.S. Social Security
Raising the Retirement Age: The Wrong Direction for Social Security
Weller, Christian E.
September 2000
HTML version (8 pages)
PDF version (8 pages)
Source : Economic Policy Institute

American Web Sites on Aging

President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security (U.S)
On May 2(2001), President Bush announced establishment of a bipartisan, 16-member Commission "to study and report … specific recommendations to preserve Social Security for seniors while building wealth for younger Americans." (...) Public hearings began on June 11. An interim report, describing the challenges facing the Social Security system, will be followed by a final report this fall with specific reform recommendations.

AgingStats.Gov (U.S.) - Web Site of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics
The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics was established in the mid-1980s to encourage cooperation and collaboration among federal agencies to improve the quality and utility of data on the aging population.  The Forum, made up of nine federal agencies that produce or use statistics on aging, provides these agencies with a venue to discuss data issues and concerns that cut across agency boundaries; facilitates in development of new databases; improves mechanisms currently used to disseminate information on aging-related data; invites researchers to report on cutting-edge analyses of data; and encourages international collaboration.
Older Americans 2000: Key Indicators of Well-Being
This report covers 31 key indicators carefully selected by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics to portray aspects of the lives of older Americans and their families.  The report is divided into five subject areas:  population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health.
Press Release - August 10, 2000
PDF version (127 pages, 944K)

United Nations Programme on Ageing
Creating a new "architecture" for ageing and transmitting it to the worldstage and into policy has been the focus of the United Nations Programme on Ageing since 1982, with the adoption of the International Plan of Action on Ageing at the World Assembly on Ageing in Vienna (also known as the Vienna Plan).
Includes links to: The Ageing of the World's Population: a demographic revolution Implications of an Ageing Society - Research Agenda on Ageing - Towards a Society for All Ages - World Assemby on Ageing 2002: Countdown to 2002 - Compendium of Community Programmes in Newly Ageing Countries - Selected Policy Documents on Ageing - Archive: International Year of Older Persons 1999 - Database of Policies and Programmes

International Reform Monitor (from the Bertelsmann Foundation [see below]- Europe)
This Bertelsmann Foundation website gives a wide range of well-selected information on social policy (health care, pensions provision, family policy, state welfare), labour market policy and industrial relations in 15 OECD countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States of America.

International Reform Monitor Brochures
The three links below are PDF files with some excellent information on recent developments and trends in international social policy - labour market policy - industrial relations
Issue 3 - October 2000 (66 pages - 446K, Canadian content: the CPP Pension Fund, Parental Leave, the Canada Child Tax Benefit increase)
Issue 2 - April 2000 (47 pages - 501K, Canadian content: Pay Equity Settlement in the Public Sector)
Issue 1 - 1999 (43 pages, 492K, Canadian content: New child benefit)

The Bertelsmann Foundation (Europe)
"Following in the footsteps of its founder, Reinhard Mohn, the Bertelsmann Foundation is committed to the common good. Its charitable activities, transparently administered, are based on the conviction that competition is indispensable to social progress. The Bertelsmann Foundation considers itself an agent of social change for a sustainable society; its goal as an operating foundation is to develop, organize and implement exemplary solutions to societal problems."
- See the Bertelsmann Foundation sitemap for an overview of what you'll find on this large site.

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