We are not ‘less than’ because we are seniors
Carole Fawcett
“I watched my 84-year-old Aunts quick descent into poverty following her retirement. She worked all her life (usually two jobs) until she was 78 years old. Recently she required a hearing aid and also had to have some dental work done. She has to rely on her credit card in order to have these much-needed services, and then has the long process of paying that off. Even the most carefully thought out financial retirement plan can change very quickly because of unexpected life events.”
“My 81-year-old Mom still works part time. She has to, to supplement her very low pension.”
“It is an insult when, as a retiree, we choose to work a little to increase our quality of life and then discover the government claws it back from our pension”.
“Green Shield Insurance will stop my extended health benefits when I turn 85, which isn’t that far away. Just when my partner and I need it the most, they will cancel the policy I’ve paid into for 41 years.”
These were but a few of the responses from my last Boomer Talk column about Seniors finding it nearly impossible to survive on CPP, OAS and the Supplement.
Since then, I held a demonstration in downtown Vernon and was contacted by Sharon Elliott in Vancouver, who also held a demonstration there in September of last year. We have joined together and have formed Seniors Tin Cup.
You can find out more information on our new (and wonderful) webpage, www.seniorstincup.org We are on Facebook too, as Tincup. We have plans to demonstrate again in March and will let everyone know. Thank you to all who have stepped forward to help with these two things. We are now looking for someone to help us with business cards and stickers.
It seems there are a lot of us who are tired of the disrespect, feeling unheard and invisible and trying to exist on our pensions. I think we might need to flood our government representatives with e mails in order to get the message across.
There are so many injustices, unfair attitudes and ridiculous assumptions made when you cross over to the “senior” side of life. Our low pensions reek of disrespect and do not allow those who have worked all their lives to live a quality life without constant financial worry.
It’s not fun to see that half way through the month, your bank account is shrinking rapidly and you hope that nothing goes wrong before the end of the month. It can be a worry that impacts the quality of your life. Especially when there is nothing to fall back on.
There are a few things you can do. Connect with Nexus BC as they have helpful information for Seniors. In Vernon, there is the Dental Access Centre, which helps those who cannot afford to go to a Dentist. Their number is 250-475-7779. I can attest to the fact that they are an excellent Dental office. In fact, the Dentist there was absolutely fabulous.
If you are feeling lonely, check out The Schubert Centre or Halina Centre, as they have activities you can take part in. The Schubert Centre has affordable coffee and meals in their restaurant.
If we all keep writing to our political representatives and be clear about how inadequate the pensions are in this country, perhaps we will eventually elicit change.
We demand change. We receive less than the minimum wage. Boggles the mind.
We are not ‘less than’.
You May Also Like
Members of Parliament ensure inflated pension levels for themselves while ordinary Canadian seniors struggle
StatsCan Housing Experiences in Canada Highlights: Challenges Remain for Seniors living in Poverty
5 Comments
William Rick Rushton
If you don’t force Politicians to do something for little people that never will I mean from all parties
Carole
Yes William, I agree. We must join together and demand to be heard and listened to. Hope you will join us in March or April – when we demonstrate together in as many towns and cities as we can.
Marie Bercier
SAFER : what a laugh , they told me I make to much ,they have not noted that the poverty level in income has increased a bit . Not much but a bit . In the meantime rents have sky rocketed , dental care is totally unaffordable , medications have doulbled in the last 3 years .FOOD prices are enough to make you cry. Personal needs are the gits you ask for if it’s your birthday if family want to give a gift , if they can afford it .
And of course when we were in the working world no one told us our medical benefits would quit when we retired , and if they continued (if you were lucky ) ,at 80 to 85 you would be cut off completely . And heaven forbid you need home care in any way,it’s all based on your income . And you have to hope that you get the 4 hours you are told you can have . Or that the person you get will know what needs doing OR care . So don’t complain .
Independent living in those ivory towers is enough to scare the most strong person . And it is so expensive .
Their method of saving more at the expense of the residents is to cut food costs either in size or quality . And you do not dare to share with the residents food brought in from other entities . It has to be brought in by those big delivery trucks fron so called government inspected kitchens .
But to get you in they show you they have a kitchen for the residents , but that means only for yourself , don’t try sharing it with your neighbors unless you can sneak it to them .Enough for now , I got out of there after losing 23 pounds in 5 months .
Carole Fawcett
Yes, I’ve heard this before for sure. You are not alone – and we will all work together in solidarity to see if we can
get the gov’t attention and demand changes. Thanks for sharing.
No Thanks Boomer
Seniors who failed to save and do not have sufficient earned income recieve more generous welfare supports than working age people on welfare. OAS and GIS are not earned, they are age-biased welfare programs. Maybe it’s young people who are less than?
Leave boomers to think they are being mistreated by being privileged over everyone else!