The Forgotten Caregivers of Pension Reform

The federal-provincial/territorial Finance Ministers have been debating several tough problems related to the adequacy, coverage and certainty of the retirement income system.  They have not, however, even considered the pension status of the millions of informal family caregivers whose employment earnings are substantially interrupted because they are caring for a relative with a serious illness or severe disability.  Their pressing concerns are nowhere on the public radar screen.  Fortunately, there is a promising remedy.  The Canada Pension Plan currently recognizes one form of caregiving responsibility.  Its child care drop-out provision allows workers whose CPP contributions were reduced while they were the primary caregivers of children under age 7 to drop that period from the calculation of their pension.  Its definition possibly could be extended to include other forms of care.

ISBN – 1-55382-501-2