This boomer is angry.
I am 75 years old and my pension is less than someone who works 40 hours a week for minimum wage and this is combined for both OAS and CPP (with the supplement).
How disrespectful and minimizing is that? I’m tired of the tokenistic pat on the head with a pitiful pension. A lot of us fall into this category and it wasn’t because we planned badly, sometimes life gets in the way.
Before I go further I want to say that a lot of boomers (seniors) are in the same (or worse) position.
But I’m kind of tired of it and it makes me angry.
Like a lot of boomers, I’m tired of feeling invisible and unheard.
I live on the edge of financial disaster all the time, hoping that nothing goes wrong that will require money.
Every time I take my car in for an oil change, I worry that something else might show up. I can’t lift my tires, nor do I have any place to put them, so now I pay $100 a year for someone else to store them.
That may not sound like much, but when your hundreds are limited, it makes a big impact. There are so many things that cost extra all because you live alone. Lots of boomers face the same challenges, I’m not that unique.
I work at writing part-time. The trick, of course is to earn a minimum amount so that it does not impact my income supplement. If I do, then I live in an even more skimpy (and worrisome) style, as the government removes the supplement for the following year (last year I earned a bit too much, so the government removed $100 a month from my pension for this year).
I wrote about a 73-year-old woman who lived in her car on and off for 14 months for another publication. An agency in town put her in a motel in May of this year and now tell her she has until Nov. 15 to leave the motel and find a place to live. She has been looking, as they have too, and so far, nothing has become available.
As a low-income senior, she had to sign a paper that indicates that if she refuses a housing opportunity, she will be removed from the program. She is on OAS and CPP with the supplement and cannot afford the rents that are being charged at the moment.
Yet another low-income senior who may end up living in her car – again.
READ MORE: Increasing number of Vernon seniors, families, Indigenous homeless
It boggles the mind.
Does anyone see us or hear us? I think I’m going to start shouting on a corner somewhere.
There are so many senior souls who are struggling to live with dignity on their pensions. After all they have contributed to our country, it just doesn’t seem right.
I would still be working, but I have some non-visible health issues that make life a challenge. So, my work is my writing, which I love to do.
I have written for the Vernon Morning Star for 16 plus years. Most of those years I was not paid and the trade-off was advertising for my business.
After that, the paper started to pay me a small amount and that was appreciated. The feedback I get from this column is positive, as a lot of boomers relate, either to the humour, or the truth of something that is unique to boomers. I have also written on serious topics as well for the paper.
I love writing this column and I’ve been told it brings smiles or knowledge to a huge demographic that reads the paper. I’m told it makes them feel less alone and like someone is listening. If you enjoy the column please tell Keith Currie (publisher) at 250-545-3322. He’s a friendly fellow, who, like me, believes in the value of community newspapers.
If you are angry or feel unheard or invisible then take action and write a letter (send an email) to our federal government: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca.
They need to increase our pensions.
Oh wait, I forgot, I think we did get a six per cent increase not long ago. About $10 or $11, I think. I get excited just thinking about how I’ll spend it all.
Carole Fawcett is a freelance writer and retired counsellor. She can be reached at flower1@shaw.ca.