Bill C-357 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan (arrears of benefits)

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

This bill was previously introduced in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session.

Sponsor

Chris Charlton  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Nov. 24, 2011
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Canada Pension Plan so that a person who applies for a pension after reaching seventy years of age would in all cases be able to receive retroactive payments starting from their seventieth birthday, rather than the current maximum of twelve months.
The enactment also provides for full retroactive payments of a disability pension, survivor’s pension, disabled contributor’s child’s benefit or orphan’s benefit, rather than the current maximum of fifteen months in the case of a disability pension and twelve months in the case of a survivor’s pension, disabled contributor’s child’s benefit or orphan’s benefit.
The enactment also requires that interest be paid on the arrears.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Canada Pension PlanRoutine Proceedings

November 24th, 2011 / 10:05 a.m.
See context

NDP

Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-357, An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan (arrears of benefits).

Madam Speaker, these last few years have been incredibly difficult for seniors. They have worked hard all their lives and played by the rules. However, now their retirement savings are threatened through no fault of their own by downturns in the economy and employers who are trying to avoid their pension obligations.

The least we can do as legislators is to ensure that the money to which seniors are entitled through government pensions will be there for them in their retirement. That is why I am introducing legislation today that would allow for full retroactive benefits plus interest when someone applies late for benefits under the Canada pension plan.

The CPP is a pay-as-you-go contribution-based program that is funded solely by employers and employees. It is absurd that a person who is late in applying for his or her pension under the CPP is only entitled to 11 months of retroactive benefits. It is not the government's money.

This bill would put an end to this insufficient and unfair period of retroactivity, and would do the same for disability pensions or a survivor's pension and a disabled contributor's child benefit. This is something that should and could have been corrected long ago.

I urge all members to support this important bill today. By definition, seniors do not have a lifetime to wait.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)