By Kendall Worth!
As people with disabilities, in Nova Scotia, and other parts of Canada, patiently wait for the Canadian Senate to conclude it’s work on Bill C22 which will create the Canadian Disability Benefit, questions and concerns continue to arise. Members of the disability community and others who support the Bill in principle, nevertheless have some issues.
In this open letter of February 18th 2023, to Canadian Senators, I drew attention to important points, including:
People with disabilities among others, are in great need while they delay passing the bill
Using Nova Scotia’s example of the $950.00 a month Standard House Hold Rate for those on provincial Income Assistance, everyone, including Persons with disabilities do not get enough money to live on, from provincial systems. In addition these sysmptoms are riddled with bureaucratic nonsense and systemic problems. For more on what People in other Provinces receive see this article -- May-tree Report.
Also, I point out that the Senate is doing their work on Bill C22 while inflation continues to climb and the homeless population continues to increase.
The Million Dollar Question at the present is “Is the Senate taking the great need of individuals into consideration while they continue to move slowly on their work on Bill C22?”
This article in the Globe and Mail/ questions that Senators have about the Bill. These questions include a legitimate concern about Claw-backs, not only from provincial systems of income assistance, but also from private insurance companies paying LTD or long term illness claims.
This discussion paper was released by Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance on February 3rd 2023. As I review this paper, I find it supports many of the same points that the Globe and Mail article raises.
it seems these days concerns and questions about C22 are coming from members of the Senate, persons with disabilities, disability groups, and allies/supporters, too. In Nova Scotia there is concern, that raising these concerns, is going to delay the passing of Bill C-22 and getting royal assent, and implementation, even further.
No person, especially those with disabilities, should live in poverty.
This tweet asks what amendments we actually need:
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| https://twitter.com/DavidLepofsky/status/1633995750567825415?s=20 |
And will Trudeau and Qualtrough agree to THIS tweet?
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| https://twitter.com/AShoutAbout/status/1634033697820413952?s=20 |
The disability community is not backing down on demanding a better system of receiving disability income! The same community is not backing down on advocating for the need for persons with disabilities to be lifted out of poverty.
In this BLOG Post, I talk about how the NDP tried to make the case that Emergency Funds for persons with Disabilities are needed while waiting for Bill C22 to get Passed. To date though – no indication that the federal government intends to provide any emergency funding.
What is disappointing to the disability community more then anything else is remembering the short-lived CERB when the federal government in a very quick turnaround made available $2k a month. A $1050 jump from the $950.00 standard house hold rate for those on income assistance in Nova Scotia. The questions is why did they actually do it then, but refuse to do so now for persons with disabilities?
If the Senate continues to move as slow as they are moving on this; will a federal election end up getting called before the Bill receives Royal Assent and is declared “in force”? And will the next government decide they are not going to implement such a bill? The major concern is – if this is not done soon – what is to come next?
Lets continue to push the Senate, and to get Royal Assent and proclamation on this, as soon as possible!
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