© get this straight © RECENTLY I wrote about a guy from Chile who was bit- ching that he couldn’t get the old age pension. He was therefore claiming discrimination and going to court in an attempt to strike down the Old Age Security Act. Yes, Abraham Waissbluth, who arrived here in 1981 and is now 74 years of age, says the Act violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He believes that anyone who walks into this country should age, you are entitled to the full pension. (There are some other re- quirements, but I’m not writing a book.) If you came in after that date, you must be in Canada for 10 be able to pick up the dough right —_years before qualifying for any away. Human rights and all that. part of the pension, and what you I mentioned in passing that a get is pro-raice. After 10 years, for person must now be in Canada for example, you would get 10- 10 years before getting any part of —_fortieths of $320, which is $80. the pension, and 40 years before And once you have claimed it, the getting the full whack. Good thing —_ pension does not rise with added too, | said, otherwise we would be years, except for indexing. (Good even more broke than we are. thing, too.) Au in all, seniors in this country (I’m one of them) are the most pampered on earth, and every dollar paid out in old age pensions and supple:nents comes out of general revenue.”’ My statement was correct, ex- Here are some morc ifs and cept for the usual ifs and buts. buts: Ottawa makes an exception Imagine my consternation, in the case of those below the therefore, Shen a North Shore poverty line — or are smart reader kept ringing to say I was enough to work the angles. For wrong and that J was ruining his them, there’s something called the nights. “top-up,”’ which sounds like hav- Me? Wrong? Never, Ebenezer. ing more booze, and may often be Have I ever lied to you? just that. Consternated as anything, I sped In the case of a single person down to the Heaith and Welfare who has no other income at ali, he people in Vancouver and asked will get the equivalent of the pen- them to tell me I was right. Which they did. But here’s the fuller sion plus the Guaranteed Income Supplement, which comes to a story. total of $700 a month. ($700.47 if It used to be that people could anyone wants to pick nits.) A cou- just walk in and collect this pogey ple, of pensionable age, who have without ever having paid a nickel no income would get $1,135. in taxes. But the feds wised up in For poverty-liners real or imag- 1977 and changed the faw to the ined, however, there’s what most 40-year rule. If, however, you ar- people would call a means test. In sived on or before the new law fact it is an income test. came into effect, which was July 1, 1977, and have reached 65 ycars of That tco is depressing, as a per- son could have ali the accoutre- PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY... requires professional help. o“ASSI SRE copy of our booklet. IN BANKR' |GNMENT Available Upon Request UPTCY” 291-9151 EVANCIC PERRAULT ROBERTSON LTD. {Across the 2nd Narrows Bridige at Brentwood Mail at Willingdon Ave. & Lougheed Hwy. N. Bumaby) Place To Go When YouTte Pregnant And Need Support: ‘ GIRTHRIGHT I Call 997-7313 « Free Pregnancy Test § 229 Lonsdale n vancouver Call Ardagh 986-4366 uv 4” Belt /6” Disc Sander Personal Injury Hunter Barristers & Solicitors #300-1401 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver Free Initial Consultation Model 31-460 4” Belt/6" Disc Sander. Basic Machine with “3 HP, Single Phase, 120V Induction Motor. Tilting Table with Miter Gage, Back- stop, 60 Grit Sanding Belt, GO Grit Sanding Disc and Instruction Qe Only | ADELTA 988-6657 220 Denaghy Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. (block south of Dick irwin) ments of a millionaire — mega- house, Mercedes, yacht, $1,000 suits, etc. — and still get the $700 a month. What counts is how much money is coming in, not what the person owns. If there’s no income or little, that’s it. He’s entitied. In practice, I don’t suppose that hap- pens very much. But happen it could. There are some sharp peo- ple around. Here are a few numbers for you: In B.C. there are 369,153 people drawing Old Age Security and they are being paid nearly $2 billion a year. In Canada as a whole the number of pensioners is 2,871,997 and they are getting about $15 billion a year. None of that includes provincial programs like GAIN (Guaranteed Annual Income), SAFER (Shelter For Elderly Renters) and perks like lower bus fares. Yet the Jean Swansons and others howl every hour on the hour that everyone’s starving. All in all, seniors in this country (i'm one of them) are the most pampered on earth, and every dollar paid out in old age pensions and supplements comes out of general revenue. In the U.K. and U.S., and every other country I know of, you have to contribute. No pay, no get. No wonder we are broke. Thought you would be interested in this short walk through the welfare state. (If you got this far, that is.) [f more information is re- quired, don’t phone me. Phone the folks at 666-3040, They'll be glad to hear where I'm wrong. And a Happy Christmas. As for Abraham Waissbluth, he can get lost @ Turner 9 < 15” Scroli Saw Model 40-150 15" Scroll Saw. includes Basic Machine with 1.6 amp, Single Phase, 115V Induction Motor, Wrenches, Saw Blade and Instruction Manual. ony 7189” 9 - Sunday, December 11, 1988 - North Shore News ‘Booze who’ on the N. 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