Grand River Transit

[tomh009]

Here is the catch: The region is looking for "household income". Revenue Canada can only give "Family Income".

(...)

Another example: suppose a single mother taking care of a young child (say 7 years old), and two teenagers. She works PT earning $25/hour (so a decent job) for 24 hours a week. That's $31,200. Both her teens have summer jobs, with reduced hours during school year, each earning $4,500/year. That takes the household income up to $40,700, and doesn't qualify them for reduced ticket prices, since they are rich.

Again, with the above case, the CRA doesn't hold the kids income against her as 'family income'. Her benefits, like the GST, Trillium, and CCB, is based on her income only. Yet, the region would count the kids income as household income.

It's petty and disgusting. And it leaves family with zero dignity. And by that, I mean families that actually qualify, have to bring all this proof of poverty to the region. In this day and age, you'd expect better.

I don't think anyone is saying that $40K is rich. But it's above the cutoff, and if this is intended to support low-income families, there needs to be a cutoff somewhere. Same scenario would potentially apply whether the cutoff was $30K, $40K or $50K. And family/household income still does make more sense as a criterion than individual income. (They could have used the CRA definition but then the cutoff point might have needed to be lower in order to keep the expected costs same.)

Now, arguably a graduated reduction in discount would have been better, but that's a different argument.

In terms of dignity, an automated check would surely be better than having to show the GRT staff your pay stubs. At least in my opinion.