The Federal Court of Appeal has ordered an American woman to repay more than $115,000 in Old Age Security cheques she pocketed over nearly two decades..Blacklock’s Reporter says pensioner Marina Burke, 85, a former Canadian resident, successfully applied for federal benefits as she left Canada, moved to the US, and eventually received her American citizenship in 1999..The ruling means that ineligible seniors who falsely claim benefits must pay the money back..“The fact the minister approved an application does not qualify the person for benefits for all time,” wrote Justice Anne Mactavish..It would be an “absurd result” for seniors to profit from false claims for benefits at taxpayers’ expense, Mactavish wrote..“Fraudulent applications nullify entitlement,” said the court. “New facts affect new decisions.”.Burke was ordered to repay $115,522 she collected in Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement cheques in the period from 1996 to 2013. The pensioner’s family told the court it was “unfair to make Ms. Burke go back and try to reconstruct her whereabouts years before when documents and records were no longer available,” but the complaint was dismissed by Justice Mactavish..“What makes a person eligible for benefits is their age and residence in Canada,” the judge wrote..The Old Age Security regime serves to provide modest income support to senior residents of Canada in recognition of their contributions to this country, Mactavish wrote..The decision overturned a 2018 ruling of the appeal division of the federal Social Security Tribunal that once a pension was paid new facts could only affect future entitlement. The rule was used to waive repayments and claw-backs in numerous cases, the court noted..“It was Ms. Burke who provided inaccurate and misleading information,” wrote Mactavish. Evidence showed Burke repeatedly concealed her US citizenship and the fact she had not lived in Canada for years..She was caught in 2013 when two routine government forms mailed to her Canadian address were returned by the post office marked undeliverable, causing the minister to initiate an investigation into Burke’s residency and entitlement, the court was told..Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and administration expenses currently cost $60.8 billion a year, and costs are projected to double to $123.4 billion by 2034, according to a 2020 Actuarial Report On The Old Age Security Program..Seniors are expected to outnumber children in Canada by 2023, according to an Oct. 21 report from Canada’s Chief Actuary..“The retirement of the baby boomers reaching age 65 over the next few decades is projected to increase the expenditures of the Old Age Security program,” wrote Actuary Assia Billig..Rachel Emmanuel is an Ottawa Parliamentary reporter for the Western Standard.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
The Federal Court of Appeal has ordered an American woman to repay more than $115,000 in Old Age Security cheques she pocketed over nearly two decades..Blacklock’s Reporter says pensioner Marina Burke, 85, a former Canadian resident, successfully applied for federal benefits as she left Canada, moved to the US, and eventually received her American citizenship in 1999..The ruling means that ineligible seniors who falsely claim benefits must pay the money back..“The fact the minister approved an application does not qualify the person for benefits for all time,” wrote Justice Anne Mactavish..It would be an “absurd result” for seniors to profit from false claims for benefits at taxpayers’ expense, Mactavish wrote..“Fraudulent applications nullify entitlement,” said the court. “New facts affect new decisions.”.Burke was ordered to repay $115,522 she collected in Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement cheques in the period from 1996 to 2013. The pensioner’s family told the court it was “unfair to make Ms. Burke go back and try to reconstruct her whereabouts years before when documents and records were no longer available,” but the complaint was dismissed by Justice Mactavish..“What makes a person eligible for benefits is their age and residence in Canada,” the judge wrote..The Old Age Security regime serves to provide modest income support to senior residents of Canada in recognition of their contributions to this country, Mactavish wrote..The decision overturned a 2018 ruling of the appeal division of the federal Social Security Tribunal that once a pension was paid new facts could only affect future entitlement. The rule was used to waive repayments and claw-backs in numerous cases, the court noted..“It was Ms. Burke who provided inaccurate and misleading information,” wrote Mactavish. Evidence showed Burke repeatedly concealed her US citizenship and the fact she had not lived in Canada for years..She was caught in 2013 when two routine government forms mailed to her Canadian address were returned by the post office marked undeliverable, causing the minister to initiate an investigation into Burke’s residency and entitlement, the court was told..Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and administration expenses currently cost $60.8 billion a year, and costs are projected to double to $123.4 billion by 2034, according to a 2020 Actuarial Report On The Old Age Security Program..Seniors are expected to outnumber children in Canada by 2023, according to an Oct. 21 report from Canada’s Chief Actuary..“The retirement of the baby boomers reaching age 65 over the next few decades is projected to increase the expenditures of the Old Age Security program,” wrote Actuary Assia Billig..Rachel Emmanuel is an Ottawa Parliamentary reporter for the Western Standard.This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
