Well, here's the latest in mind blowing idiocy from the Federal Government:

A heating rebate for low income households.

Doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, let's do what I normally like to do on KarmaCake and just crack this puppy wide open so we can see why this is ridiculous.

Now, a heating rebate for low income households sounds absolutely great, doesn't it? Individuals earning less than $30,000 annually could be eligible for assistance that will allow them to, turn the heat up! Approx. $250 for families and approximately $100 for single person dwellings or those using electric heat. But, if we look beyond the income criteria, the Liberal Government has tossed in variables that will undoubtedly make it unlikely that you will receive a credit.

Sad AND true.

If you:
- Use, on average, no less than 10 kilowatt hours on home heating you don't qualify. According to the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty (HCAP) the average budget concious household is using approximately 6 kilowatt hours, and even at that they are finding it challenging to afford heating their home. Anything less, you are in the cold!

- Earned in excess of $30,000 in 2004, you don't qualify. Instead of evaluating individuals CURRENT needs, the government is basing qualification on an individuals 2004 income tax statement, Guaranteed Income Supplements (GIS) and families entitled to national child benefit. It is obvious to say that someone's fortune can take a dramatic dive downwards in one year. Therefore, this rule must be amended! It completely excludes a whole group of individuals, and replaces them with individuals who are in the reverse situation: low income in 2004, higher income in 2005.

And, in the case of seniors (most of whome are only living off of $14,000), yes send them rebates, they do deserve all the help they can get. But, the majority are in living assisted housing and are not responsible for their home heating costs. But, they are automatically mailed a rebate cheque. The same applies for low income families, in most cases, they are not paying for their home heating.

- If you're dead, it doesn't mean you don't qualify! Because of the numbers being based on 2004's GIS that means approximately 80,000 currently deceased seniors will be receiving a home heating cheque.

- Your name is not on the heating bill, you don't qualify! This seems to be obvious, however, perhaps you are a tenant responsible for paying the heat in your unit, however, the bill is under the name of your landlord/lady. What do you do? Put on a sweater, because, you ain't gettin' no dole from the government, Sucka! Even if the landlord attests to your ownership of any month's bill, it won't work. Or, if your roomate has the bill in their name and they are earning more than $30,000.

- If you don't apply, you don't qualify! The government has done a lot not to spread the information about this rebate. I live in Toronto and happen to tune into the Maritime version of Canada Now, that's where I heard about it. I then logged on to the CCRA website where I found no information with the exception of a 2001 news release. Then a search in Google, confirmed it is an active program, but the forms are not readily available online.

Toronto Sun has an article, but, you need to pay $10 to read it (or go to the reference library). Ottawa Sun has an article which is free, but, it doesn't provide information on how to apply. It does, however, call the program a "boondoggle" and a "fiasco". It does exist, it was announced on October 6th, 2005!

Alberta, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, BC are all provinces that you'll find information on the rebate. The Halifax Coalition Against Poverty has drop ins where they will assist you in filling out the form (
http://users.eastlink.ca/~hcap/) But, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, doesn't seem to offer the same service (http://www.ocap.ca/) feel free to ask them why.

I've written to the Ontario Government requesting more information, if their response will be like previous questions I've asked them, I won't get a response. But, if I do, I will post it here!

In closing, I think this program is an ill attempt to woo welfare subjected Canadians to vote Liberal. It could probably work a lot better if it wasn't for the obvious fact that they don't really want to pay out millions of dollars. In fact, they feel that the uptake has been SO LOW that they are cutting millions from the program for 2006!

If they advertised, provided drop in locations, and were more careful on who they mailed the automatic rebate to, it might be more likely to make less Canadians think even less about The Liberals.

Right now, I'm not so hot on them, this was the tipping point.