More reading on retirement

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What always rips me up is involuntary separation and in particular how only one of the parties can claim the GST/HST credit. It's a fight to get to the post box first with the tax return as only the first to file gets the credit.

Service Canada handles GIS adjustments as a result of a separation that isn't voluntary. You'll be required to complete a number of forms to request consideration for income from pension splits to not be considered for GIS for prior years as they are calculated on the June 30th basis not the calendar year, and GIS can be amended without an amendment to the personal tax return for a pension split.

It's very time consuming to figure it all out, and requires a visit to their offices with documentation to verify the separation, (the ambulance invoice and hospital/care facility invoices will do).

If the cost of care is an issue for a funded bed, an amendment to the personal tax return for the prior year to reverse a pension split may be necessary, plus payment of the extra tax so that the combined income isn't factored into the calculation of income by the social worker. Net income is how the cost of care is calculated (in BC it's 80% of net income) and pension splits are included for the provincial calculation.