By Kendall Worth!
Since the fall of 2022 I have been following and reporting on the Nova Scotia Perspective; on the introduction and development of Bill C22. Bill C22 had Royal Assent by June 2023, so there is a Disability Benefit being created.
Even though my coverage of this topic has been 90%+ from the Nova Scotia perspective, I have had input from contacts who are part of the Disability Community in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. These contacts got in touch with me because when they saw I report on income assistance here in Nova Scotia, and wanted to talk to me about how their Income Assistance systems are not much better, and how they also receive next to nothing to live on. This means for them nothing better then the $950.00 we receive here in Nova Scotia, not enough to live on after rent and bills are paid. As matter of fact, my contacts tell me that, in Toronto and large Ontario cities, and in Western Canada, it is just as expensive, if not more expensive, than it is in Nova Scotia.
Hopefully the disability benefit, will be enough (unlike the current $950.00 a month in Nova Scotia or from what contacts in Ontario tell me $1220 a month in that province) to live on. All we can hope for is that the actual living amount provided by the federal Disability Benefit will provide enough money to live on, after rent and bills are paid. Here is an open Letter I wrote to Minster Kamal Khera who is the current minster of Disability Inclusion. I want to thank past disability inclusion Minster Carla Qualtrough, on behalf of the Disability Community in Nova Scotia, for all you have done to create this benefit, and make it a reality. For more on why I give Carla Qualtrough this thanks see https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2023/06/cause-for-celebration-in-disability.html
 |
To hear the video from Current Minster Kamal Khera see https://twitter.com/i/status/1701717501724295503 |
Here in Nova Scotia, however, there are a lot of mixed feelings being expressed in the disability community. They hope it will be a great and wonderful thing, but many say “they will believe it when they see it”. Persons with Disabiblties in Nova Scotia want to see quality of life improvement and the only way this can happen is through receiving more money to live on.
This post outlines the reasons why Person with Disabilities here in Nova Scotia could not travel to Ottawa to attend the Rally organized by the Disability Communites in Ontario and Western Canada. It is all about Persons with Disabiblties in Nova Scotia not having enough money to live on. And even though the ability to travel is just one part of an improved quality of life, this post illustrates what an improved quality of life could look like.
In the meantime, there is another issue.
Everyone I talked to in the the Disability Community says that we have a need for emergency funds. Even though the Disability communities in Ontario and Western Canada are pushing for this, those whom I am in contact with, here in Nova Scotia,agree that something like this needs to happen. This current Tim Houston Government clearly has no quick fix on poverty and/or addressing the homeless situation.
I at this point want to take a moment to thank Bonita Zarrillo for all the pushing to make the the Disability Benefit become reality and for a Disability emergency relief benefit.
 |
Here is a Video her Bonita speaking on this need. https://twitter.com/i/status/1705265587591708956 |
Other concerns that need addressed when this disability benefit is being created are:
As this post talks about, through our provincial systems of receiving Income Assistance there are a lot of systemic problems and bureaucratic nonsense that is based on policy. I have heard from my contacts in Ontario that the ODSP program in Ontario has a lot of these same or similar problems – like qualifying for special needs allowances. We all hope that bureaucratic nonsense, systemic problems and difficult red tape is not going to be an issue with this Federal Disability Benefit once it becomes reality. Once available the benefit should not be a dis-incentive for Persons with Disabilties to hold down part time employment. Also, cases like Carrie-Ann Bugden, Part I and Part II, shows that persons with disabilities are interested in wanting to attend Post Secondary Education. The new federal Disability Benefit should not be a disincentive for people to enroll in Post Secondary Education.
Lets hope for a better system coming forward!
Comments
Post a Comment