Toronto, ON, August 9, 2001 - WHEREAS the widow of a severely war disabled pensioner who was in receipt of pension of 100% plus allowances suffers a decrease in family income on the death of her spouse from $4,164.46 to $1,365.88 a month;

NOTE: For the purposes of this petition, we assume the war veteran was in receipt of pension and allowances as follows:
Pension at married rates: $2,276.46

Exceptional Incapacity Allowance (Grade 2): $803.38

Attendance Allowance (Grade 2): $1,084.62

TOTAL: $4,164.46

WHEREAS such widows are granted a monthly pension of $1,365.88, compared with the pension of a male 100% pensioner of $1,821.17; hence, the Pension Act represents a gross inequity in providing pension for a single female widow of 25% less than a single male pensioner; and

WHEREAS the widow, in most instances, has devoted 50 or more years of her life as a CAREGIVER looking after the needs of a veteran disabled by war;

The undersigned wife or widow of a seriously disabled veteran petitions the Government of Canada to increase the income of a widow of a 100% pensioner to the same amount as would have been paid to her husband, had she predeceased him; that is, an increase at 2001 rates of $455.29 from widows' pension of $1,365.88 to the pension of a single male pensioner of $1,821.17.

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