What is CARP doing for low income seniors who are below the poverty line?
A. CARP has been meeting with politicians and bureaucrats to address the issue of seniors and poverty. Some of our recommendations include: Raise the LICO to more accurately reflect the real cost of living. Increase the base amount of GIS payments to meet the readjusted LICO and therefore the real cost of living. Reimburse all pensioners the full amount of the shortfall caused by Statistic Canadas admitted underestimation of the CPI between 2001 and 2006. Include fluctuating volatile items (e.g., food, fuel, etc.) in the calculations of the CPI to ensure realistic increases to pensions and supplements. Change the base level of taxable income from $15,000 to $25,000. Reimburse CPP retroactive payments after age 70, beyond the current eleven months and with interest to cover the complete missed period of payments due to a late application. Note: the 2008 Federal Budget will allow people on GIS to earn up to $3500 above the LICO without any adverse impact on their GIS. Q. How do I know wh
