I met Scott through Social Media exchanges, but never met him personally. He messaged me, one day, and asked me if I would be willing to have a conversation on my BLOG about a potential Social Enterprise. I decided to get in touch with him VIA E-mail and learn about his ideas.
These are the questions I sent to Scott. First I asked about his situation. Those answers appear here. Then, he also wrote about his idea for a social enterprise. Those answers appear in Part 2. Still to come.
#1 - Could you tell me a little about yourself such as:
A) - Are you an Income Assistance Recipient or a recipient of any type of disability income?
B) Is what you receive as an allowance enough money to live on?
C) If yes to Part B above, is there anything you can say to me about how living day to day works for you, having so little money to live on?
#2 - If you Identify yourself as a person with a disability, what are your disabilities and if your disabilities are invisible, do you find that your personal life is dealing with stigma and deteriorated relationships?
#3 - Are you supporter of increasing the Income Assistance Rates or Basic Guaranteed Income to solve the problem of incomes too low? Anything you can say to me about why you may or may not support these ideas?
May
1, 2023 - From Scott of Nova Scotia.
Hello Kendall,
It is my pleasure to answer your questions. Due to the personal nature of my answers to questions 1 and 2, I rmay be referred to only as Scott of Nova Scotia.
Question 1 A
I am currently in receipt of CPP Disability Benefits and have been since 2014. Previously my family was in receipt of Income Assistance, while awaiting a decision by CPP Disability. My wife was able to return to the workforce seven years ago after finally getting needed surgery, her income and benefits make it easier.
To know me better, I have worked at minimum wage to almost 6 figure wages, dirty heavy labour jobs to computerised 3D technical design work, have been injured and spent 6 months in physical rehab, dealt with workers compensation, periods of relying on employment insurance, returned to school (college) more than once as an adult and most recently obtained a diploma in Business Administration from NSCC.
Question 1 B
Yes, I do agree that it is not enough to live on. Current market rents alone are above what anyone receives from CPP Disability, or Income Assistance unless you are in subsidised housing, and then whatever is left over will not cover food, medication, clothing, etc. Living on CPP Disability or Income Assistance alone is a life of constant sacrificing of one necessity for another.
We are fortunate that my wife is currently employed. There are still sacrifices, but we are not starving yet.
Question 1 C
My situation is not as dire as it is for those relying on Income Assistance or a Disability Benefit as a sole source of income. My family situation makes a huge difference with my wife working. We still have to watch how we spend, and we do not indulge in luxuries.
We make sacrifices to make sure our kids do not suffer because of it. We can skip a meal or get another year out of old shoes or clothes, so the kids have decent footwear, clothes, food, and are able to engage in social activities with their friends.
Grocery shopping is the most stressful, noticing increased prices, constantly looking for the clearance deals for products close to their best before dates that can be frozen.
Question 2
Yes, I do identify as a person with a disability.
Spinal Stenosis (degenerative disc disease due to prior injury) - Visible (Use a Cane)
Autism - Invisible
ADHD - Invisible
COPD (diagnosed with exercise induced asthma)
Diabetes Type 2
There are times when these things cause issues in my relationships. The spinal stenosis and COPD impacts physical activity, while the autism and ADHD impacts relationships and social participation to varying degrees. As for stigma, I feel ignored, I think because I miss social cues where others would recognize a topic change is needed or the conversation needs to end, people get frustrated or annoyed by it. I get the feeling others are simply doing the “smile and be polite until they go away” thing. I believe it has made making friends extremely difficult.
Question 3
Yes, I support improved social measures to alleviate poverty, including increased income assistance rates, Basic Income Programs (BIG, BGI, GLI, Etc. Bills S-233 and C-223), and the Canada Disability Benefit currently before the Canadian Senate (Bill C-22). I also support the idea of a resource dividend paid to all Canadian Citizens, similar to what is done in Alaska. Poverty should not exist in Canada, and I believe it is possible to eradicate it, or come close to it, and is a responsibility we have as members of a just society.
For me, this is a loaded question and brings to mind issues with Canada Child Benefit, Nova Scotia Child Benefit, Income Assistance, and Housing Nova Scotia.
The Canada Child Benefit is a program that has had a huge positive impact. There are flaws and it needs work, as there are cracks in the system which can negatively impact recipients. One such flaw is that the age cut off is 18, which may seem to make sense and be fair as it applies to all equally, however depending on date of birth many are still in high school at the age of 18 and still being fully supported by the parent(S) for a period of time before they graduate and are available for full time work to support themselves. This is even more likely with those dealing with disabilities. They still need support from parent(s) but on the child’s 18th birthday the household will suddenly lose financial resources, which can be significant (as much as $750 /month or more) depending on income and if the child qualifies for the DTC.
There are no other programs that I am aware of that will fill the gap. Provincial programs base eligibility on the total household income, unless the individual moves out on their own, which is not ideal or even possible with a disability. I feel CCB Eligibility needs to consider expected graduation dates, and disability factors, instead of just age. I think Provincial programs need to stop tying a disabled adult’s eligibility to household income if still living at home with parents, doing so completely ignores their individuality and may even violate UN Human Rights for the Disabled, which I believe Canada has agreed to.
The NSCB (Nova Scotia Child Benefit) which is paid in conjunction with the CCB. The problem with it is that the income cut offs are punitive with respect to benefit reductions being fixed amounts. It means that at certain income levels a family earning one dollar per year more than an identical family will lose monthly income. This occurs at two income levels, the first is a partial loss of benefits and the second is complete loss of benefits. The loss for that one dollar extra annual income is significant. Therefore, it discourages a family from earning that extra, from taking those extra hours, or from accepting a raise.
For example, as of July 2022, a family with two children will receive $2,550 per year from if income is between $0 and $25,999. At $26,000 that benefit drops to $1,912.50 per year, so earning one dollar over the threshold results in an annual loss of $637.50. The $1,912.50 benefit amount stays the same from $26,000 to $33,999. At the top income threshold of $34,000 the benefit drops to $0, an annual increase of $1 in taxable income results in an annual loss of $1,912.50 non-taxable benefit.
Income Assistance has become a punitive system, especially for the disabled, and those with barriers to obtaining employment. CPP-Disability is deducted dollar for dollar and until recently it also including the associated Child Benefit. The child benefit portion of CPP Disability was deemed non-chargeable by ESIA only recently, it remained chargeable income for the purposes of rent calculations for public housing and rent supplements through the provincial housing authorities. CPP-D should be treated the same as earned income with respect to claw backs, it was in essence “earned” through CPP payments on earned income.
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