Debates of May 26th, 2014

Pensions

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I asked the Minister of Employment and Social Development what the government was planning to do about the excessive delays in the Conservatives' new restructured appeal system for CPP hearings.

Since the restructuring system has completely collapsed under the overwhelming workload, it has been reported that caseworkers have no idea when their client cases might be heard. Some people have waited for over three years for the chance for a hearing. A social worker from my riding came to me with the news that she had only four new hearings booked in the year since the Conservatives' restructuring. This is completely unacceptable. Canadians deserve better. The restructuring of this system has caused the elderly and people with low incomes to suffer. People are not being helped, and an inevitable crisis is brewing.

The minister has argued that changes were made to the appeal system so that a retirement program would be there when Canada's seniors retire. This is the Conservatives' so-called support for seniors. However, it is very clear that the Conservatives are far more dedicated to ensuring that our seniors are unable to retire with security and dignity.

This restructured appeal process is another example of Conservatives creating an untenable situation for Canadians. The minister failed to give definite answers as to when more staff would be hired to the tribunal to deal with the massive workload and backlog. However, what is clear is that the restructured system is inadequate. More staff positions are desperately needed now to sufficiently manage the number of appeals that still need to be heard.

The minister also failed to give acceptable or even plausible answers when asked about the length of appeals notices. Many of the wait times for appellants are not measured in any way. It is clear that appellants and those suffering from this sorely inadequate process are not a first priority. In fact, when asked what the tribunal was doing to incorporate feedback from appellants and stakeholders, the minister merely focused on stakeholders. There was no mention of the feedback from appellants. Conservatives have made it clear that they are too busy looking out for their well-connected friends to put Canadians first.

This lack of acknowledgement of the needs of Canadians is absolutely disgraceful. When will the proper changes to the appeals process be made so that Canadians are not longer made to suffer by the government?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, first let me give some background on the SST. Until last year, there were four separate tribunals to deal with appeals related to three programs: old age security, also known as OAS; the Canada pension plan, known as CPP; and employment insurance, known as EI. Each of them had its own management and reporting structure. The old appeal process was expensive and slow, and fewer than one in three claims were heard within 30 days. That is why our government replaced these tribunals with a single decision-making body, the new Social Security Tribunal, or SST.

When a client of the EI program, CPP, or OAS is unhappy with a decision made about their case, they may ask Service Canada to review their file and reconsider the decision. If the client is then not satisfied with the reconsideration of the decision, they can appeal to the SST.

The new tribunal has full-time dedicated members. It also has a single case management system and centralized administrative support. With the creation of the SST, we have done more than just create a streamlined structure; we have brought the appeals process into the 21st century.

The new tribunal will work smarter, using technology such as document imaging, electronic filing, and video conferencing to reduce the paper burden and travel time and make the appeals process easier and faster. Additional measures in both the department and the SST are being implemented to further improve efficiencies as we move forward.

The SST began operating on April 1, 2013. Its first year was a transition period to allow all appeals in the old four-tribunal system to be finalized, while all new appeals were handled through the SST.

The SST received higher-than-anticipated caseloads from the legacy tribunals, especially from the income security division. These cases were all deemed ready to proceed as of April 1, 2014, and the SST is giving top priority to these legacy cases.

The SST is an independent administrative tribunal that operates at arm's length from the department. It is committed to providing fair, credible, and impartial appeal processes in a timely manner.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' so-called streamlining has caused huge backlogs. This is not the first Conservative attack on the welfare of our citizens, and now we are compelled to add this poorly restructured appeal process to the list.

Unlike the minister's supposed claim for protecting retirement security, the New Democrats are actually dedicated to this process. This is the reason we launched a national campaign to expand the CPP-QPP. Experts agree that a phased-in CPP-QPP increase is the most effective way to help ensure retirement security for all Canadians.

When are the Conservatives going to realize they are instilling changes that not only place Canadians at a great disadvantage but also undermine any security that they might have felt in the appeals process?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, one of the worst things we can do as we emerge from the largest global recession since the Great Depression is increase payroll taxes upon contributors and employers across this country. That would leave fewer jobs and fewer contributors to the retirement program, damaging the ability of the retirement program to be there when retiring Canadians needed it.

I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Social Security Tribunal will continue to provide a fair and accessible appeal system for all Canadians. The SST members are appointed by the Governor in Council following a publicly advertised selection process. The tribunal is an independent body that ensures Canadians can get an impartial review of government decisions that affect their social benefits.

As I said earlier, the first year of the SST was a transition period, and it is committed to continuing to look at better ways to provide fair, credible, and impartial appeal processes in a timely manner for Canadians.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Joe Comartin]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:15 p.m.)