By Kendall Worth!
Senators,
I want to start off this letter with a recent tweet:
This is concerning, as we have already waited so long for the Canadian Disability Benefit, which Bill C22 is supposed to create.
My name is Kendall Worth and I am a journalist. I started this blog following the closure of the online paper – the Nova Scotia Advocate. My writing and advocacy includes advocating for Persons living in poverty, and a a wide range of those living with disabilities. I write to you today about the passage of C—22 in the Senate of Canada. The Senate has adjourned until March 7th and the Bill has not passed second reading in the Senate. This is a big concern to the community of people with disabilities. I have been following and writing extensively about C-22 and disability. and more generally on disability rights.
The need for the disability benefit and improved disability rights go hand in hand. It is all about improving quality of life for persons with disabilities. In this blog post I spoke about guaranteed income, but in it, I outlined the quality of life improvements that come with increased income. My objective here is to provide information, so that you understand the need to pass this bill in a timely manner.
I am writing this letter to Canadian Senators today because myself, and the Disability Community as a whole, worry that you are delaying Bill C22 through Second reading and maybe third. People are in great need while you delay. Although I am in N.S. I follow life and benefits in all of Canada. I was saddened to hear that people in other provinces do not make a lot more than our $950 standard household rate in N.S. This BLOG post points out a real example from just this past Christmas -- 2022. A Hungry Man Turkey Dinner? Even though the example is from Ontario, this is the reality in N.S. as well. Persons with Disabiblties were and are suffering from this, and there is no excuse for it. For more on reality, this blog talks about inflation getting out of control. Lately, in grocery stores in Nova Scotia, persons with disabilities have had to have to put back groceries, because, at the checkout, their grocery bill came to more than they could afford. Last week this order was affordable – but inflation means… not this week. No one should have to put back groceries. In case it has not crossed your desk – I also invite you to peruse the Maytree Report with welfare rates from every province. In no location in Canada, is it it enough to live on.
The disability community knows this bill and its benefit are long overdue. Here in Nova Scotia, Persons with Disabilites have high expectations for this Bill to get passed, become law, and provide a benefit that will actually support someone living in Canada. In Nova Scotia receiving Income Assistance through Department of Community Services, includes a lot of bureaucratic nonsense, systemic issues, and jumping through hoops to quality for the allowances that are available. In Nova Scotia, the Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA) is the only program we have that provides a “disability benefit". Sources tell me that it is the same in most other provinces, that the provincial welfare systems are the only programs that provide an income to people who are disabled. In Ontario the Ontario Disability Support Program is different from the Regular Ontario Works Program. However sources tell me that ODSP is a difficult to access and a lot of hoops are involved to be accepted. Even if you qualify, ODSP is still not enough to live on. Income from any benefit needs to be enough to live on.
Senators, please keep in mind that Bill C22 is in your hands as inflation continues to increase, apparently out of control, and ever increasing, while the homeless population continues to increase. We do not need more and more people to find themselves homeless.
Thanks in advance for giving my letter your attention and please… get Bill C22 passed quickly.
Yours truly,
Kendall Worth!
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