Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Ressources humaines et Développement des compétences Canada

Updated March 14, 2010
Page révisée le 14 mars 2010

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[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]

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March 11, 2010
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that, with the support of all provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations headquarters in New York City.
(...)
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities, and to ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.There are approximately 4.4 million persons with disabilities in Canada—about 14.3 percent of the population.
Source:

Departments responsible:

------- [ * ]
------- [ * ]

Related link:

New York and Toronto
March 11, 2010
Today, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is a historic and profound moment in our country’s history. It is Canada’s declaration to Canadians and the international community that disability is at last to be recognized as a matter of fundamental human rights – at home in Canada and internationally. By ratifying this first international treaty that comprehensively recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities, Canada binds our governments to its implementation. The Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) applauds the Government of Canada for this landmark decision, and indeed all Provincial/Territorial Governments for their support in taking this step. The Convention creates a new and lasting foundation on which to build an inclusive and accessible Canada where rights can no longer be diminished on the basis of disability. (...)
Source:

CACL is a Canada-wide association of family members and others working to advance the human rights and inclusion of persons of all ages who have an intellectual disability. Founded in 1958 by parents of children with intellectual disabilities who wanted supports and services within the community instead of in institutions, CACL has become one of Canada's ten largest charitable organizations, and has grown into a federation of 10 provincial and three territorial associations comprising of 420 local associations and over 40,000 members.

- The call for proposals for Community Participation and Leadership Funding is now open for all of Canada except Quebec until April 16, 2010.
Source:

The Metropolis Project of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada are very happy to announce the launching of a joint Call for Proposals for research that examines the intersection of Immigration, Housing and Homelessness. Up to $275,000 will be delivered by the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat for successful projects. We are seeking a better understanding of housing outcomes as a key indicator of newcomer integration. This is a priority area of both the Metropolis Project and the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat.
[Click the link above to download the Call for Proposals, the application form, and the budget notes in French and English from the Metropolis Project web site.]

NOTA:

The deadline for receipt of proposals is 4:00pm EST, May 5th .
Completed applications are to be sent to

Related links:

*
*
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*

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NOTE (January 11, 2010):
For recent developments in the area of Canadian pension reforms,
see the Seniors (Social Research) Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/seniors.htm

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December 28, 2009
An aging population and growing awareness mean the number of people known to be living with disabilities is on the rise in Canada, says a newly released report. More people with disabilities have access to jobs and the tools and aids they need, says the study, but the wage gap between those with disabilities and those without is growing. "The challenges people with disabilities face in their day-to-day lives are numerous and often go unnoticed," Human Resources Minister Diane Finley says in the introduction to the 2009 Federal Disability Report. The 61-page national portrait of disability shows that about 4.4 million Canadians — one in seven — now has a disability, an increase from earlier this decade.
Source:

Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities, 2009
December 2009
Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities 2009 is the seventh annual report on disability issues in Canada. This year’s report presents a portrait of Canadians with disabilities. This report provides invaluable information to support all levels of government, associations, researchers and non-governmental organizations in designing and planning services to enable people with disabilities to participate fully in society.
(Excerpt from )

Complete report:
- Table of contents (see below) + links to individual sections
(1.2MB, 61 pages)

Table of Contents:
* Introduction
o
o A Snapshot of disability in Canada
Chapter 1: Disability supports and services
--- Aids and assistive devices
--- Home modifications
--- Caregivers and help with everyday activities
--- Transportation – local and long-distance travel
--- Access to information
Chapter 2: Education and training
--- Children aged 5 to 14
--- Youth aged 15 to 24
--- Working-age adults aged 25 to 64
Chapter 3: Employment
--- Employment rate
--- Year-round employment
--- Workplace accommodations
--- Unpaid employment / volunteering (working-age adults and seniors)
Chapter 4: Income
--- Annual salary
--- Total income
--- Main sources of personal income
Chapter 5: Health and well-being
--- Self-rated health status
--- Impact of stress
--- Physical activity
--- Income, employment and education
--- Access to health care
--- Social contacts
– Principal [federal] disability-related benefits and programs for the 2007–08 and 2008–09 fiscal years

Source:

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December 2009
The Canada Employment Insurance Commission is contemplating amendments to the Employment Insurance Regulations to reflect the amendments to the Employment Insurance Act (EI Act) contained in Bill C-56, the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, which received Royal Assent on December 15, 2009. Bill C-56 provides EI special benefits, which are maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, to self-employed persons on a voluntary basis. To the extent possible, these benefits will mirror the special benefits currently available to paid employees already covered under the existing Employment Insurance Act. For more information or to provide comments on the proposed amendments, please consult the Notice of Intent in the Canada Gazette.

Related links:

*

*

*

* (Fact sheet)

* (December 16, 2009)

*

Source:

Related links:
Go to the Employment Insurance Links page : http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ei.htm

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Deadline: February 8, 2010
The Disability component of the Social Development Partnership Program (SDPP-D) provides $11 million per year in grants and contributions to help ensure that people with disabilities benefit from the same quality of life as all Canadians.

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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.

- detailed information on each of the five measures

Source:

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From :

(seven-part series, October 16-23)
Canada’s aging work force hasn’t saved enough to retire. Pension benefits are
being slashed, employees are working longer, the elderly are selling their homes and going back to work

*
--- Retirement dreams under siege
By Jacquie McNish
October 16, 2009

*
--- Bankrupt companies, pension promises destroyed
By Greg Keenan
October 18, 2009

*
--- Hybrid pension plans: a hard sell
By Janet McFarland
October 19, 2009

*
--- Financial planning: Whom should you trust?
By Rob Carrick
October 20, 2009

*
--- No pension safety net for self-employed
By Andrew Willis
October 21, 2009

*
--- Freedom 55? Couple couldn’t wait that long for retirement
By John Heinzl
October 22, 2009

*
--- Canada's gathering pension storm
By Konrad Yakabuski
October 23, 2009

Source:

What's New from Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada in September 2009:

* – Fact Sheet

* is now open for all of Canada except Quebec until November 6, 2009.

Source:

- alphabetical list of all programs and services with links to further info.
- another alphabetical list, a bit more detailed

- links to the department's own independant and objective research studies in support of its policy development work. It also produces several types of reports that act as on-going management tools to assist the department in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its activities and to get better results.
NOTE : You have to check each of the links below to see the full collection of HRSDC reports.
* Departmental Reports
* Public Opinion Research Reports
* Research Studies
* Audit Reports
* Evaluation Reports
* Social Policy
* Labour Market Policy
* Learning Policy
Most of this material goes back to the mid-1990s, and it contains a wealth of information on Canadian social programs!

- includes links to some historical reports you won't find elsewhere:
* A Canada Fit for Children - April 2004
* Future directions To Address Disability Issues for the Government of Canada: Working Together for Full Citizenship - January 1999
* OECD - Early Childhood Education and Care Policy: Canada Country Note - October 2004
* OECD Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Canadian Background Report - October 2004
* (1996) - Over 40 pages of information on Canadian social assistance programs as they operated in 1994.
* Earlier editions of Social Security Statistics Canada and Provinces
* Child Welfare in Canada 2000 - January 2000
* Child and Family Services Bulletins ()
* Reports on Foster Care in Canada
* Child and Family Statistics
* Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2004
* Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2005
* Social Assistance Statistical Report: 2006
* Conferences and Consultations: New Century, New Risks: Challenges for Social Development in Canada
* more...

NOT!

< Begin Gilles' HRSDC Search Engine Rant >,
continued from the last time...

While I was updating the broken links on my HRSDC's home page, I came across a rant of mine from April 2008 about the pathetic excuse for a search engine on the HRSDC website. I decided to copy the whole thing in this newsletter to show how much the HRSDC search engine has evolved since then. It's updated to May 2009 a bit further down.

***

April 2008:
The HRSDC Site Search Engine STILL sucks.

Don't believe me?
1. Select and copy this text:
Canada Pension Plan Annual Report, [this report has been on the HRSDC website since January 2008, BTW.]
2. Click the link to the HRSDC website search engine button below and paste your text into the search box.

3. Click the "Search" button at the bottom of the search page.
When I did this search on Feb. 24/08, the results page consisted of 60 links to stuff that has nothing to do with CPP, such as workplace bulletins, calls for applications, disclosures of contracts over $10,000, miscellaneous unrelated stuff, and - oh, yeah, a link to the 1998-99 Canada Pension Plan Annual Report. ONE link out of 60 search results that even mentions CPP --- and it's to a report that's almost ten years old.
Sucks.

***

May 2009 Update:
On May 30, 2009, I clicked the button and entered "Canada Pension Plan Statistics".
The Search Results page came back with two results, both from a May 1997 evaluation of CPP Survivor Benefits.
Then I tried the same search using Google.ca - the first search result was a link to a treasure trove of CPP statistics:

Google regularly finds reports that the HRSDC site search cannot. I use Google.ca's free site search feature on my own website, and it works just fine to retrieve my site content.
The Government of Canada should find the resources to offer a decent search engine on its websites.
HINT FOR SOCIAL RESEARCHERS:
Use the search engine to find HRSDC reports; it works.

Maybe if 100 people sent an email to HRSDC Minister Diane Finley [ ] asking her how to find CPP statistics on her department's website...
Nah - use instead.
It works.

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Oh, and while I'm I'm in a ranty mood...

ACCOUNTABILITY?
I THINK NOT.

While I was checking the links on my HRSDC Links page, I came across a reference to some content from the 2003 edition of the EI Monitoring and Assessment Report that I wanted to double-check. I clicked on the link below (from the HRSDC website):
(HRSDC)
...where I found direct links to the reports for 2008 and 2007 *only*, along with the following friendly rejoinder:
"If you would like to request copies of the previous Monitoring and Assessment Reports, please contact the Publications/Distribution Unit."

ARGH.
Savvy web researchers know how to use the Internet Archive to retrieve web content that's no longer freely available online
...but the other 98% of visitors to the HRSDC website who wish to view an EI assessment report from before 2007 will have to identify themselves to some faceless bureaucrat to *request* a copy.
C'mon, HRSDC - at today's prices, it works out to less than a penny per year to archive those old reports and to make them freely and anonymously available to people who visit the HRSDC site.
Don't make people jump through hoops or identify themselves when they don't have to; people should NEVER have to identify themselves to obtain a public report.
Period.

Not only is that not accountability - it's obstruction.

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Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government is investing $75 million of new funding over two years to establish the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund. The fund will support short-term, focused initiatives designed to help Aboriginal people get the specific skills they require to benefit from economic opportunities, including those generated by the federal stimulus package.

See also:

*

*

*

*

Source:
(HRSDC)

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm

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October 2008
The Market Basket Measure (MBM) is a measure of low income based on the cost of a specified basket of goods and services. It was designed to complement two Statistics Canada measures of low income: the Low Income Cut-offs (LICOs) based on average consumption patterns and the Low Income Measure (LIM) based on median incomes. The MBM is far more sensitive to geographical differences in living costs than these other measures.

- includes links to a Highlights page and the full text in one PDF file (both of these links appear below), along with links to the individual chapters and appendices (methodological notes and source data used in creating the Market Basket Measure)

Individual chapters include:
* 1. Introduction
* 2. Low-Income Measures: Conceptual Differences
* 3. The Market Basket Measure
* 4. The Results
* 5. A Focus on the "Working Poor"
* 6. High-Risk Groups
* 7. Conclusion
You can access all of these chapters from
.

*
Seven years of data based on this measure are now available. This makes possible an examination of low income trends over a significant time period as well as the persistence of low income for various groups over two five-year periods (2000 to 2004 and 2002 to 2006). This report also provides data based on the paid work status of the main income recipient (MIR) of economic families and on five groups who are particularly at risk of persistent low income.

* (516K, 95 pages)

Source:

A nice, fat lump of coal for the HRSDC website design team Christmas stocking.

As at December 24, there is absolutely not one link to, nor even a mention of, this report on the HRSDC website, and yet the date that appears on the report is October 2008.
The shows nothing new in October.
The continues to underwhelm. Searching for the exact title of the report yields zero returns. Searching for the short title [without the dates] gives you many links, ALL to the 2002 edition of this report. As always, my advice to social researchers looking for something on the HRSDC website is to .

So how did I find the link to this report?
I didn't --- I received an email from the mailing list of Rob Rainer, Executive Director of the .
(Thanks, Rob - perhaps HRSDC could hire you to keep their What's New page up to date...)

Researchers:
If you wish to browse the publications available from HRSDC, you can start from either of the following links:
- incl. * Departmental Reports * Public Opinion Research Reports * Research Studies * Audit Reports * Evaluation Reports * Social Policy * Labour Market Policy * Learning Policy

Why the rant?
If I had a nickel for every time I found out through a third party about a new HRSDC report posted on their website over the past few years, I'd probably have enough to pay for that lump of coal myself.
Conversely, if everyone who has ever cursed the HRSDC website for its user-UNfriendliness kicked in a nickel, we might have enough to offer individual lumps of coal for each and every one of the Web design committee and sub-committee members. As a former civil servant working in HRSDC, I can tell you there are TONS of very useful resources in the HRSDC website.
Good luck finding them, though.

January 17/09 update:
Low Income in Canada appears in the January 2009 .

Related links:
- Go to the Poverty Measures - Canadian Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty.htm

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What's new in June 2009 from
:

* The, 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 .
This consultation ends July 31.

* A national campaign and a federal under the launched on June 15, 2009.

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

* — 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

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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)
(see excerpt below)
Complete report:
- table of contents and links to each chapter and appendix in the report
(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."

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

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

Related links:

(the Panel's own website)
- incl. links to : * About the Panel * Consultations * Submissions * Research * FAQs * Links * Contact us

Background and Issues Paper
March 2007
This discussion paper was part of a broad consultation process in 2007 that included provincial and territorial governments, the academic community, employers, labour groups and other organizations.

May 2008

"In its Fourth Progress Report on the management of grants and contributions released in April 2001, HRDC committed to 'making the changes that are required to sustain improvements and to reporting to Parliament on its progress.' As part of this commitment to openness and transparency, we will continue to post relevant information to our web site relating to on-going efforts to improve the management of grants and contributions at HRDC."
- incl. links to eight national reports going back to 2001 and three program-specific reports dating back to 2002 and 2003

Investing in Seniors
- Highlights recent Government of Canada measures that benefit seniors

(62K, 2 pages)
- incl. * Tax Relief * Improving Old Age Security * Investing In Canada's Future * Supporting Caregivers * Engaging Seniors, Strengthening Communities

Related link:

January 2008

This new HRSDC website presents comprehensive, up-to-date information on the well-being of Canadians and Canadian society, and how that may be changing over time.
- incl. links to info about : Work | Learning | Financial Security | Family Life | Housing | Social Participation | Leisure | Health | Security | Environment

"(...) How many Canadians have a paying job? What levels of education do we have, and how does that compare with other countries? What proportion of marriages end in divorce? How long can we expect to live? Have there been any big changes over the last 20 years or so? This website helps to answer such questions. Developed by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), its purpose is to systematically present measures and report on various aspects of well-being that are important to Canadians."

The role of family and government financial supports in helping Canadian workers avoid poverty
October 2007
(288K, 87 pages)

"...assesses the extent to which family and government financial supports prevent workers from living in low income."
- incl. links to:
* * Major Factors Leading to Poverty * Definitions of Vulnerable Workers that Consider Family and Government Financial Support * 2002 profiles of vulnerable workers, the working poor and workers who are not self-sufficient * Determinants of Potential Poverty for Workers * Occurrence of Major Life-Disruptive Events Among Vulnerable and Non-Vulnerable Workers * What Happens to Vulnerable Workers, the Working Poor and Workers with Low Earnings Over the Longer Term * Conclusions * Tables and Graphs * Bibliography * more

* To better meet the needs of prospective immigrants and newcomers to Canada, CIC and HRSDC have updated the to incorporate new content and interactive tools. This website was developed in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. HRSDC's section of the portal, called Working in Canada helps prospective and new immigrants learn more about Canada's labour market and the steps involved in finding a job in Canada.

*The helps prospective and new immigrants prepare for employment in Canada by providing labour market reports tailored to a specific occupation and geographic area (city, town or region).

The New Horizons for Seniors Program is now accepting applications for two new types of funding.
* Capital Assistance Funding helps non-profit organizations that need to upgrade facilities or equipment used for existing seniors' programs and activities.
* Elder Abuse Awareness Funding helps non-profit organizations raise awareness of the abuse of older persons on a national or regional level.

HRSDC is launching a call for proposals for Education Savings Community Outreach. For more information, visit Education Savings Community Outreach (ESCO 2007) - Call For Proposals

, is now available online. 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.

*
August 2007
This joint-study, between Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), provides the most comprehensive national description of first-year students in Canadian colleges, institutes, cégeps and university colleges to date.

*
July 2007
This research examines the characteristics of recent immigrants who were living in low income in 2004 and pays particular attention to their labour market participation.

*
May 2007 (date on PDF file)
NOTE: deals with the well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada

Two reports in one:
* , and
*
June 2007 (date on PDF file)
These reports are co-published by Human Resources and Social Development Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

* HRSDC is launching a call for proposals for Education Savings Community Outreach.
For more information, visit

* (July 2007) is now available online. 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.

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

Enter your personal financial information and the calculator will give you a pretty pretty accurate estimate of your income when you retire. The site is secure- you should see a locked padlock on the status bar at the bottom of your screen - so you shouldn't have to worry about your information being misused

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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

- tabled in the House of Commons on December 10, 2007
[ - 9.5MB, 52 pages ]

* TITLE PAGE
*
* THE CANADA PENSION PLAN IN BRIEF
o Meeting the Needs of Canadians
* BENEFITS AND EXPENDITURES
o Retirement Pensions o Disability Benefits o Survivor Benefits o Death Benefits o Other Provisions o The Appeals Process
* ENSURING FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
o Actuarial Reporting o A Fair Approach to Funding o Financing
* FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
o CPP Account o CPP Assets and Cash Management o CPP Investment Board o CPP Investments o Investing for our Future
* MANAGING THE CPP
o Collecting and Recording Contributions o Overpayment of Benefits o Administrative Costs
* IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY - SERVICE CANADA
o Reaching Out to Canadians o Delivering Service o Processing Benefits
* LOOKING TO THE FUTURE - SERVICE CANADA
o Information Technology Renewal Delivery System (ITR-DS) o Online Service Delivery o Simplifying the Application Process

- links to two dozen CPP reports and factsheets
- does not include links to CPP annual reports; for that, try the link below.

- to access CPP annual reports for fiscal years back to , you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the Service Canada publications page.

OK, THREE lists.
Now this is getting ridiculous.
I know that Service Canada is a new and dynamic government website, but here's a suggestion for the Web team at HRSDC/Service Canada : instead of forcing all your visitors to check three separate lists to find CPP reports, why dontcha assign some nice HRSDC/Service Canada person to merge all three lists and save us all a bit of confusion and frustration? Also, when one of your web pages become obsolete/superseded/stale, delete it and provide a redirect to the new page that replaced it. Should you decide to leave the dead page on your site --- and I know from personal experience that you do that --- then just add a note on the dead page to identify it as archival material and give your visitor a link to newer related material.
And no, I *don't* have a vendetta against the folks at HRSDC/Service Canada.
Like many people, I just get flustered when I try to use their site(s).
Unlike many people, I have a soapbox.

This online service allows you to view and print your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Statement of Contributions. Your Statement of Contributions contains a history of your earnings and contributions to the CPP, as well as estimates for any CPP benefits you may be eligible to receive.

General information: * Overview of the Old Age Security Program * C-36: An Act to Amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Act * Important Information for Common-law Partners * Canada's Retirement Income System - "What's in it for you?" * The Old Age Security Appeals Process

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 * Canceling benefits following the death of a pensioner / beneficiary * The Repayment of Old Age Security Pension Benefits (Deductions for higher-income seniors)

Taxation Information: * The Old Age Security Recovery Tax * Non-Resident Tax on Canadian Pensions * 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.

The Old Age Security pension is a monthly payment available to most Canadians aged 65 or older who meet Canadian residency requirements as stipulated for the purposes of the program.

- "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 public retirement benefits * More Information * Important Information for Common-law Partners * Questions and answers about the application forms sent to potential clients - 2003

- formerly the Spouse's Allowance
– for 60 to 64 year-old spouses or common-law partners of pensioners who receive GIS

- formerly the Surviving Spouse's Allowance
– for 60 to 64 year-old widowed spouses or common-law partners

* Infosheets (info 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 * Statistics on Canadian Benefits Paid

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- from

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. This is due to ongoing updating of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency T4 files prior to issuing.

* 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

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Seniors

"This program provides funding for community-based projects across Canada. Projects encourage seniors to continue to play an important role in their community by:
* helping those in need;
* providing leadership; and
* sharing their wisdom and experiences.
Calls for Applications are issued once or twice a year. Application deadlines may vary for each province and territory.
- incl. links to : Call for Applications - News Release - About the Program - Who can apply? - What will the program fund? - What is the application process? - How does an organization apply? - Contact New Horizons for Seniors - Frequently Asked Questions

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- incl. links to:
Partnership Initiatives and Funding Programs (National Child Benefit - Children and families - Inter-country Adoption Services - Understanding the Early Years)
Financial Benefits (Children's Benefits - Survivor Benefits - Canada Education Savings Grant - Canada Learning Bond - Registered Education Savings Plans)
Social Insurance Number
Financial Assistance and Planning

Related links:

* - "Provides Choice, Support and Spaces."
* (CCTB)
*** (CDB)
*
*
*
*

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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, July 10, 2007 - Canada's New Government made a commitment to support Canadian families and give them real choice in child care, and it is delivering on that promise. Since launching the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) in July 2006, the Government has provided 1.5 million Canadian families with monthly UCCB cheques of $100 for every child under six years old.
Related link:

- "Provides Choice, Support and Spaces."

December 05, 2005
- from the website of the

Happy Anniversary from the Party Poopers!

July 10, 2007
Monte Solberg, minister of Human Resources and Social Development, is in Winnipeg today, holding a celebration of the so-called “Universal Child Care Benefit”.“I’m not sure what there is to celebrate,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. “This plan hasn’t delivered a single child care space.”
NOTE: check the right-hand margin for 14 links to related websites and articles
Source:

Also from CUPE:

July 13, 2007
The Canadian Union of public Employees (CUPE) has published a new booklet that makes the case for a universal, high quality, not-for-profit child care system. The booklet outlines the major issues facing child care workers, and promotes CUPE's plan to help build a stronger system through organizing, advocacy and collective bargaining.

Complete report:

(PDF file - 2.5MB, 24 pages)
July 2007
"(...) The Canadian Union of Public Employees believes Canada urgently needs a high-quality early learning and child care (ELCC) system. Many CUPE members are parents with young children. They need quality child care so they can work with peace of mind. More than half of CUPE members are women, and women still bear the major responsibility for child-rearing."

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(UEY)
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News Release
October 12, 2005

News Release
October 12, 2005

Related Links:
- Go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm

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- incl. links to the following :
* Financial Benefits
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December 2008
Table of Contents (incl. links to individual chapters)

Chapter 1: Human Rights, the Justice System and Canada’s International Leadership
Chapter 2: Accessibility and Disability Supports
Chapter 3: Income Support, Benefits and Service Delivery
Chapter 4: Learning, Skills and Employment
Chapter 5: Well-Being: Health, Safety and Identity
Chapter 6: Aboriginal People with Disabilities
Chapter 7: Research
Chapter 8: Tax Measures
Appendix A – Principal Disability-Related Benefits and Programs for 2006/07 and 2007/08 Fiscal Years
Appendix B – Acronyms Used in this Report
Index by Department/Program
Index by Topic
Endnotes

Complete report:

(PDF - 3.2MB, 144 pages)
December 2008

News Release
October 13, 2005
Related Link:

News Release
April 25, 2005
"WINNIPEG, MANITOBA—Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development, announced $7,224,608 in funding to help Canadians with disabilities become full participants in learning, work and community life. (...) The Government of Canada is investing in the organizations through the Social Development Partnerships Program — Disability component (SDPP-D), which includes the Community Inclusion Initiative.
- incl. Backgrounder with more detail about SDPP-D and multi-year organizational grant funding
Source:
(SDC)

Related Links:

"(...) The Community Inclusion Fund (CIF) was launched in 1997 following the deinstitutionalization initiative under the National Strategy for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities. The primary aim of the Initiative is to strengthen community capacities to secure inclusion and citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities and their families."

(SDC)
"The Social Development Partnership Program is administered by the Community Development and Partnerships Directorate and the Office for Disability Issues. It provides funding to non-profit organizations, educational institutions, research institutes, and professional associations working to meet the social development needs of persons with disabilities, children and their families, or other vulnerable or excluded populations in Canada."

"CDPD works to advance the social priorities of the Government of Canada related to children and their families by working with the voluntary sector and by making strategic investments that build knowledge, facilitate information sharing, and support effective practices in early learning."

"The Office for Disability Issues (ODI) is a focal point within the Government of Canada for key partners working to promote the full participation of Canadians with disabilities in learning, work and community life. We strive to provide leadership in this area of shared responsibility."

News Release
December 4, 2006
"(...) In honour of the International Day of Disabled Persons, Minister Finley released the fourth Federal Disability Report, Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (2006) today. The report provides an overview of the activities, results and expenditures of more than 50 federal programs and initiatives that support the needs of Canadians with disabilities."

Complete report:

Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities (2006)

(1.2MB, 109 pages)

Advancing the Inclusion of People with Disabilities 2006 is the Government of Canada’s fourth comprehensive report on disability in Canada.
"The 2006 federal disability report provides information on over 50 federal programs and initiatives, their level of expenditure, the key findings of any available internal or external evaluations or audits, and any research studies or client surveys of which these programs and initiatives were the subject matter. All these programs and initiatives reflect the Government of Canada’s commitment to address disability issues and reduce the effects of the socio-economic and physical environments."
The report's chapters: Human Rights and Culture * Accessibility and Disability Supports * Learning, Skills and Employment * Income, Income Support and Tax Measures * Health and Well-Being

- links to over a dozen reports, programs and other resources --- links to 20+ reports going right back to the 1981 Obstacles report

- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm

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* (from the

*
"Persons with Disabilities Online is an Internet site where persons with disabilities, their family, their caregivers, and others with an interest in disabilities can access a broad range of information concerning disabilities."
This is the Government of Canada portal to hundreds of links to federal government programs and services for people with disabilities.
- incl. links in the following areas : Accessibility - Education - Employment - Financial Support - Health - Housing & Residential Services - Personal Supports - Rights - Reports, Publications, Fact Sheets - Disability related government offices - Tax Programs - Accessible transportation & regulations

- Partnership Information - The Partnership Handbook - Partnership and Funding for Business - Partnership and Funding for Organizations

- The "social union" initiative is the umbrella under which governments will concentrate their efforts to renew and modernize Canadian social policy.

- While the regulatory system we currently have in Canada has served us well, it was largely developed for an industrial economy. Canada now needs a 21st century regulatory approach that reflects Canadian values, the realities of the knowledge economy and changing market imperatives. The External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation invites you to help Shape the Future of Regulation in Canada.

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"Strategic Policy is the centre of the Department's policy development work. It plays a key role in integrating work in other areas of the department and supporting the Minister in meeting policy challenges. It also provides corporate strategic support for the Minister and Deputy Minister in the area of Intergovernmental relations."
NOTE: this is the new designation for the old Strategic Policy Branch.

NOTE: this is the new designation for the old Social Policy Directorate.

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By Dominique Fleury and Myriam Fortin
Policy Research Group
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
August 2006
(Posted to the HRSDC website April 2007)
NOTE: the link above takes you to the title page, where you'll find links to two related publications (released in 2001 and 2002) from the same authors : What Does it mean to be Poor and Working? (2002) and The Other Face of Working Poverty (2001), as well as a link to the table of contents(see the next link below) and a link to the next page in the file.

:
* Title Page * Acknowledgments * Executive Summary * Introduction * Chapter 1: Literature Review on Working Poverty * Chapter 2: Who Are the Working Poor? * Chapter 3: A Descriptive Profile of Working Poor Canadians for 2001 * Chapter 4: Determinants of Poverty Among Workers * Chapter 5: Greater Family Work Effort as a Means of Escaping Working Poverty * Chapter 6: Should Self-Employed and Salaried Working Poor Canadians be Treated Differently? * Chapter 7: Impact of Increasing Hourly Wages on the Earnings of Salaried Workers * Chapter 8: The Situation of Working Poor Canadians Over the Longer Term * Summary and Policy Considerations * Appendix A: Data * Appendix B: Logistic Regressions: Technical Details * Appendix C: Logistic Regressions: Methodological Details * Appendix D: Robustness of the Results to Definitional Changes * Appendix E: Earning Potential of Working Families * Appendix F: Limitations and Mechanics of Simulations Conducted to Assess the Impact on (Working) Poverty of Increasing the Minimum Wage * Bibliography

(1.2MB, 174 pages)

En français :

Lorsque travailler ne suffit pas afin d'échapper à la pauvreté: une
analyse de la pauvreté chez les travailleurs au Canada


(1,4Mo, 206 pages)

Links to two more recent papers by the same authors:
(NOTE: these two texts are available from the )

• This paper discusses the spending patterns and living conditions of working poor families in 2002, using data from the Survey of Household Spending.

• This paper looks at low-income Canadians who were active in the labour market in 2001 according to the number of hours that they worked, using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics.

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Social Security Statistics, Canada and Provinces
1978-79 to 2002-03

This is a goldmine of statistical information (beneficiary data and expenditure data) on current and defunct Canadian federal social programs, and even some on provincial/territorial programs.

This report offers 25 years of longitudinal data on costs and numbers of beneficiaries for most programs - over 100 tables - covering a large number of programs --- here's a partial list:
- Child Tax Benefit, Family Allowances, the Child Tax Credit, Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement/Spouse's Allowance ("The Allowance"), Federal Training and Employment Programs, Federal Goods and Services Tax Credit, the Canada/Quebec Pension Plans, War Veterans' and Civilian War Allowances, Veterans' and Civilians' Disability Pensions, Unemployment/Employment Insurance, the Canada Assistance Plan, Workers' Compensation, Youth Allowances, Social Assistance and Social Services for Registered Indians --- and more...
Source:

[ ]

(short blurb only)

[Read the Introductory notes at the top of the page and in of this report for all methodological notes.]
"...Tables in this report have been organized into two parts. Part I presents three Overview Tables which illustrate the trends in social security expenditures by all levels of government for Canada. Part II comprises Component Tables which provide data on beneficiaries and expenditures for individual programs."

A number of tables were removed from this edition of the Social Security Statistics report, including some tables with info on Blind Persons' Allowances, Disabled Persons' Allowances and Unemployed Assistance.

Many of the tables are historical and likely of little interest except to historians and CAP-o-philes --- they offer historical caseload and expenditure statistics on each of the CAP cost-sharing components (General Assistance - Homes for Special Care for Children and Adults - Child Welfare - Health Care - Other Welfare Services and Work Activity).

Scroll down to find a particular program, then click on its name to access the HTML version of the table (the HTML page includes links to the PDF and Excel versions of the table).

You'll find many key stats tables and some interesting analyses here - only a few of which appear below
- includes links to over two dozen tables (Tables 352-911) with info on federal contributions under the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) and the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) to the cost of provincial and territorial welfare programs.
NOTE: for more info about CAP, the CHST and the Canada Social Transfer (CST, which replaced the CHST in April 2004), see the Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada Social Transfer Resources page of this site.

A few sample tables:

NOTE: Table 360 traces the evolution/devolution of transfers under the Canada Assistance Plan (in dollars) from 1976 to 1999. No new claims were paid out under CAP after the Canada Health and Social Transfer came into effect in April 1996; amounts shown as CAP expenditures for the fiscal years after 1995-96 are final settlements with each jurisdiction for all outstanding commitments by the federal government.

- This is a key table for research on welfare programs - welfare dependency statistics by jurisdiction over the years. These are the final, definitive numbers.

- this table should be of special interest for welfare historians and number-crunchers - it shows exactly when Canadian government spending on welfare (by the federal and provincial/territorial governments) started looking a little fuzzier. When the feds imposed the cap on CAP (max. 5% annual increase in total CAP payments) in Ontario, Alberta and BC in the early 1990s, those three provinces stopped reporting how much of their CAP dollars were going to welfare (vs. other CAP components covered under the same federal contribution). Table 362 shows that as of 1991-92, the federal contribution to those three provinces for General Assistance appears as "n/a" - so it's been impossible to produce a national figure since then. Unless, of course, one wanders over into the minefield of provincial government welfare statistics, where welfare programs (and related expenditures) have undergone a major transformation. If you *do* want to check out welfare stats for each Canadian jurisdiction, your best starting point is the Key Welfare Links Page of this website - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welfare.htm - which includes links to welfare stats in each province and territory where they're available.

Table 434

[The note under table 360 also applies to this table. ]

Table 435

Table 438

Table 526

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*
The Employment Insurance (EI) program provides temporary income support to those who are between jobs; cannot work for reasons of sickness, childbirth, or parenting; or who are providing care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death.

* Annual EI Monitoring and Assessment Reports
* Annual Reports on the EI Premium Rate and Maximum Insurable Earnings
* Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board
* EI Economic Regions
* EI Commission
* Employment Insurance Act and Regulations

EI-related links from :

April 29, 2009
Non-farm payroll employment fell by 79,600 in February, down 0.5% from a month earlier. Since it peaked in October 2008, the number of payroll employees has declined by 2.0% or 296,000.

April 28, 2009

In February, the number of people receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits increased by 44,300 or 7.8% from January. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan experienced the strongest increases.
[ ]

Related subjects:
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"The objective of the Labour Program is to promote a fair, safe, healthy, stable, cooperative and productive work environment, which contributes to the social and economic well-being of all Canadians."

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Chapter 2.
Source:

Partnership Information:
*
* Sponsors & Contribution Programs
*

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Miscellaneous

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January 23, 2004
"Social Development Minister Liza Frulla says children are her top concern but it's up to provinces, pushed by concerned parents, to take the lead on programs such as day care."
(special focus on child care and child poverty)
Source:

Government of Canada Response to
"Listening to Canadians: A First View of the Future of the Canada Pension Plan Disability Program"
The Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resource Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
November 2003
(HTML)
(PDF file - 636K, 60 pages)

Related Links:

June 2003