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05-28-2009, 01:48 PM
Supreme Court to hear claims by widows denied full benefits
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - The country's top court will wade into a dispute over a federal policy that reduced the death benefits paid to thousands of widows of public servants and military personnel.
In a decision released without comment, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear arguments on two class-action lawsuits mounted by British Columbia women.
Hazel Withler and Joan Fitzsimonds were denied full survivor benefits under a policy that reduces payments according to a sliding scale if the deceased spouse was over age 60.
Withler got a lump sum of $38,000 after the death of her civil servant husband, while Fitzsimonds ended up with just $5,000 after the death of her husband who had served 30 years in the navy.Article continued at http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/05/28/9599821-cp.html
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - The country's top court will wade into a dispute over a federal policy that reduced the death benefits paid to thousands of widows of public servants and military personnel.
In a decision released without comment, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear arguments on two class-action lawsuits mounted by British Columbia women.
Hazel Withler and Joan Fitzsimonds were denied full survivor benefits under a policy that reduces payments according to a sliding scale if the deceased spouse was over age 60.
Withler got a lump sum of $38,000 after the death of her civil servant husband, while Fitzsimonds ended up with just $5,000 after the death of her husband who had served 30 years in the navy.Article continued at http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/05/28/9599821-cp.html