By Kendall Worth!
I have reported a lot on federal Bill C22, which recently passed 2nd reading in Parliament. A lot of study of this bill has happened since the committee looked at the Bill. Part of what I advocate for, relates to the need for this Disability Benefit and for increased and improved Disability Rights. Right now this bill is causing a wide range of feelings in the disability community, in Nova Scotia, but everyone hopes a better system is in the works.
Recently, one concern was expressed in a tweet:
This is a is a concern, in Nova Scotia particularly, because our Income Assistance system is full of bureaucratic nonsense and systemic problems, creating barriers to access. These are hoops you must jump through in order to qualify for Income Assistance. Also in Nova Scotia (and most if not all other provinces, according to my contacts) there are rules around what assets you are allowed to have/keep to meet the qualifications for Income Assistance. Nova Scotian’s with disabilities are looking forward to a new system and what will hopefully be welcome break from a system where there are too many difficulties involved in qualifying. To understand the difficulty, anyone in Nova Scotia faces, to get on income assistance in the first place, see: https://nsadvocate.org/2017/06/29/assistance-denied-an-encounter-with-the-bizarre-rules-to-qualify-for-community-services-support/ And I wrote previous pieces about difficulties with the system, here and here. Since 2013, an ESIA “transformation” has been rolled out, but next to nothing has changed with our system in the way that you sign on, or continuing to receive, support.
Persons with Disabilities, in Nova Scotia, are hoping, that in the future, people will not have to suffer the systemic problems and bureaucratic nonsense we had to suffer from for years to qualify for Income Assistance.
Found image... Original??
Even though the Disability Benefit is Federal, Nova Scotian's with disabilities are concerned about this tweet becoming reality. In Nova Scotia (and from what contacts tell me in most if not in all other provinces) there are rules around what type of assets you are allowed to have in order to qualify for the benefit. Assets that may have been provided by families or accumulated while able to work, are taken or eliminate your eligibility. This should be a violation of the rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is the hope of the Disability Community in Nova Scotia that that the federal Disability Benefit will put a stop to having to go through so may unfair rules (for example, those abuses outlined in the linked articles, above) and to proving year after year that we qualify for the the benefit. More importantly a higher allowance - much better then the current Standard House Hold Rate of $950.00 – needs to be provided by this new Disability Benefit.
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