As a family member, I welcome Prime Minister Harper’s two election announcements today:
1) To allow the proceeds of RRSPs or RRIFs to be rolled over to the RDSP of a son, daughter or grandchild with a disability, 2) To allow income splitting for families where one spouse is not working full-time as a result of caring for a family member with disabilities.
More details are available at the following link: Announcement Details
Both of these initiatives will assist families that have relatives with disabilities. The RRSP rollover provides another option for families in making sure our relatives are financially secure after our deaths. As a strong advocate for the RDSP, PLAN is pleased with this proposal. It will make the RDSP more useful for more families because for many of us, our RRSPs are our largest assets, next to our homes.
I know many families where one of the parents does not work because they must care for a relative. In some families the working parent even has to work at more than one job. This will make it a lot easier for them to make ends meet. In today’s world it can be difficult for a family to manage on one income.
I trust this is the start of a discussion among all political parties on how to assist Canadian families. We are the backbone of supports for our children, dependent sons and daughters and, ever-more frequently, our parents.
Susan Whittaker
Chair, PLAN
** “PLAN is a registered charity, and as such is prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity, which is defined by the Canada Revenue Agency as activity “that involves direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, any political party or candidate for public office.” PLAN has for some time supported the policy changes referred to above, and hope that they are implemented by government, but PLAN does not support or endorse any political party or candidate for public office.”