Thank you.
I know that I've mentioned this to you once before, but I just want to give you the scenario of what we've heard in our committee about Roddie O'Handley, an RCMP veteran who was disabled out of the RCMP. He received 64% of his annuity. Because he is entitled to 75%, Great-West Life topped it up by 11% for two years. At the end of those two years, Great-West Life stopped their payment and he was told that he had to apply for Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, which he did and he received.
But he got it in a lump sum, because it's retroactive to the day he left the RCMP. The first call he got after he got the cheque was from the RCMP annuity branch, which was saying that he owed them over $11,000 because of the benefit reduction. The second call he got was from Great-West Life, which said, “That 11% top-up? You owe us back all that money.” It cost him a couple of thousand more than he actually received from CPP. For being disabled out of the RCMP, he actually lost money.
Then, what he didn't realize—it was probably somewhere in a book he received, but he didn't read it—was that when he turns 65, the Canada Pension Plan disability stops, and he goes on a lower CPP amount, which is deducted from his annuity. So he loses money once again.
I find that very frustrating on his behalf. I know it's not your issue to deal with. I just wanted to point that out: this is an anomaly that happens to disabled members of the RCMP as well as the military. Can you give us any advice on how we can correct that? Because my belief is that when you're disabled, that's when you need that higher income, to pay for additional medicines and treatment you may have, and other things that others who normally retire wouldn't have to face. I just point that out to you because it is a problem.
I just got another one like that from Victoria today. It's the exact same thing. It is frustrating for them. I'm just wondering if you could comment. If you can't, I appreciate that. I just want to let you know about this.