Fredericton CARP Chapter #27 held a meeting November 14 at the Fredericton Legion with Service Canada representative Sheilah Prosser providing more than 40 CARP members with details of the financial support programs and services available to seniors through Service Canada. Ms Prosser spoke of the different benefits available through the Canada Pension Plan: the Retirement pension, the new Post-Retirement benefit, the Disability and Children’s benefits, and the various Survivor benefits. She explained the three Drop-out Provisions which can impact the amount one receives. She also reviewed the changes coming in 2016 impacting the pre and post-age 65 adjustment factors. She then reviewed the Old Age Security (OAS) benefits including the OAS Pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), the Allowance, and the Allowance for the Survivor. With much interaction through questions and answers, CARP members were provided with a lot of information to ponder. Ms Prosser provided handouts of her presentation and other material that those attending were able to take so they could review them at their leisure.
Feedback received shows that much useful information was presented. Examples:
> Complete information
> Lots of valuable information
> Very informative
> Much “food for thought”
> Worth the time
Links (from which some of the handouts may be accessed) to the different topics covered by Ms Prosser follow:
The Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits booklet, a publication containing general information on the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits;
The Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension booklet, a publication containing general information on the CPP retirement pension;
Changes to the CPP to be gradually introduced from 2011 to 2016;
Pension Sharing – describes when and how you can share your Canada Pension Plan retirement pension with your spouse or common-law partner;
The Old Age Security Pension booklet containing general information on the OAS pension;
The Benefits for Seniors with a Low Income booklet, describing the Guaranteed Income Supplement, The Allowance, and The Allowance for the Survivor;
The Canada Benefits Finder, a customized list of federal and provincial programs and services; and
The Quarterly Report of CPP & OAS Monthly Amounts and related figures – October to December 2013, several tables of amounts which are paid from the various programs.
The presentation can be found at this link: Service Canada Presentation to CARP-20131114
