Charter challenge filed against Sask. government's disability program

The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry filed a charter challenge against the provincial government for stipulations in its disability program that require seniors to take their Canada Pension Plan (CPP) money out early.

The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry filed a charter challenge against the provincial government for stipulations in its disability program that require seniors to take their Canada Pension Plan (CPP) money out early.

Peter Gilmer, an advocate with the anti-poverty ministry, said the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program forces seniors to take out their CPP money at age 60, which he calls discriminatory.

“There’s no other group, besides folks on income assistance, who, for a voluntary pension program, have the requirements of having to take it out,” he said. “Also, it’s discriminatory because of situational poverty related to disability.”

Gilmer said those forced to take out their CPP at age 60 would have fewer benefits at 65.

“It could be as much as 48 per cent of your CPP pension lost when you need it,” he said. “What it means for the long term is that you have less income as a senior, so it’s taking people who are already living in deep poverty and meaning that poverty will be deeper for the rest of their life.”

Gilmer said the charter challenge was filed on Tuesday afternoon. The group is challenging the government policy as being discriminatory on the basis of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, specifically section 15.

“The argument is that this is an infringement of equality rights,” he said. “We’ve had many folks that we’ve worked with over the years been impacted negatively by this particular policy, and we felt that a charter challenge was necessary.”