Posted on: 22-06-10 12:18:50
1. Regarding the old age benefits and OHIP for seniors, it's not limited to the immigrants only. Even Caucasians senior citizens vacation outside (US/Europe, mainly UK) for a considerable time in a year, and in the event of any health emergency they come back to Canada for treatment. If I could recall clearly this issue was raised a couple of years ago but could not reach any consensus. I am all for the status quo, as in my opinion societies/families should not abandon their seniors/old people. Besides, this would be the violation of their charter of rights.
2. As for CCTB, Gopalpai recommended tracking down the school records. How can you track kids who are vacatioing outside for say 3 months? They can easily prove that they were outside during the summer vacations. This also is not limited to the immigrant population. Agree, if Govt. makes a provision that if a kid stays outside beyond the usual vacations any CCTB would not be paid for that period. This must be restored when the kid is back in Canada.
3. For immigrants who land and then go back right away, this could be tracked when they apply for Citizenship in the future. The calculation of no. of days present in Canada must be taken into consideration and any benefits (if the immigrant did not pay Govt. e.g. OHIP, IT) must be financially compensated to the Govt. by the immigrant.
If you have any concerns, I would suggest to write to your area MP. However, in my opinion only no. 3 is feasible even if any legislation is passed in this context at all.
While I respect your cause, yet in my opinion immigrants have much more pressing issues (e.g. jobs) to rally/lobby than revoking benefits. I would rather put my money and energy on the jobs opportunities for the newly landed immigrants. This way, you can ensure immigrant will stay and contribute to taxes than to leave the country on the very next day. This is the blot on Canada's face currently.
Quote:
Originally posted by cdn_dude
Quote:
Originally posted by gopalpai
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Are all canadian citizens children eligible for CCTB even if they stay outside canada n no. of days ?
--No. The CCTB is available only when you reside in Canada. You might want to confirm this on the CRA website.
For CCTB, you do not have to live in Canada, you need to be a "resident of Canada for tax purposes."
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/nnrsdnts/ndvdls/nwcmr-eng.html
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Quote:
Originally posted by DesiBabu70
it is not just CCTB.
it is also senior grants and benefits.
also OHIP.
there is rampant abuse of the social benefits system by desis and south asians in general.
desis sponsor their elderly relatives who live here a few months every year during summer probably and for the rest of the year live back in their home country
but they keep collecting all benefits and whenever need expensive medical treatment come here and get it done then go back again
millions of tax dollars must be leaking from the system but govt doesn't care because they have bigger fish to fry like spending $1 billion on G20 conference
For OHIP coverage u have to be in Canada few months (I don't know how much time) in a year. If u r following that rule then there is no abuse.
Why u say it is abusing the system when Health Canada already written that rule? Is it only the Canada govt right to misuse the immigrants(Bring the immigrants by showing them the false facts)? When immigrants abuse then why complain? I think the activities of Govt and immigrants to abuse each other will continue.
Quote:i'm saying there is abuse because those rules of residency are not being followed.
Originally posted by web2000
For OHIP coverage u have to be in Canada few months (I don't know how much time) in a year. If u r following that rule then there is no abuse.
Why u say it is abusing the system when Health Canada already written that rule?
people stay abroad most of the time and come back only to renew their cards.
then when they need medical treatment they come and get it for free.
Quote:You are right. everyone cannot be monitored like a communist country the way gopalpai said in his post about monitoring bank records and school records.
Originally posted by febreet
Does someone have any suggestion as to how could this be monitored efficiently? This will keep happening unless any concrete steps are taken. However, even still you can't monitor the entire immigrant population. That's the only truth.
so my suggestion is to simplify the system and eliminate all of these except for the low income groups and poverty line groups.
these are funded by general tax revenues so reduce the taxes by the same amount.
i don't understand why Canada needs to provide all these supplementary benefits like CCTB, CESG, OAS and so on.
many countries don't like USA, even India.
if you wanna save for your kids' education fine do so but why do you need govt. money for that?
i cna agree with having a tax sheltered account like RESP but why do we need CESG grants?
if you wanna take care of your kids please do so. everyone in the world does.
why do you need money from govt?
once you are retired you are supposed to live off your savings and pensions like everyone else in the world does.
why do you need oas for that?
of course these benefits should be there for those at or below the povery line, the disabled and those at very low incomes.
it is another discussion that the definition of "low income" must be changed to use net worth instead of net income, but that is another matter.
by eliminating these programs, the govt. can reduce taxes significantly and give money back to those people that earned it and let them spend it or save it within the economy and benefit everyone.
the major part of abuse of these programs will be gone.
there may be some left still by people that have hidden wealthor non residents but still claim benefits but it will be a much smaller number and well within tolerable limits for the economy.
i know some people may not agree with this.
i guess the part i don't get is why canada has to provide govt. grants to regular, working people with regular incomes for doing things that everyone around the world does anyway like taking care of kids, saving for kids education, retirment savings and so on.
