By Kendall Worth!
So, on Tuesday April 16th, 2024 the Federal Budget was introduced and included funding for the Disability Benefit. Since I have started reporting on the development of the disability benefit, people with disabilities have been looking forward, even dreaming of, a disability income system that pays more than our provincial Income Assistance system. As someone who writes from the perspective of a Nova Scotian living in poverty, I recently pointed out the issues, for example, in this post.
The disability community was looking forward to something much better then the current Income Assistance allowances in Nova Scotia. $950 to April ‘24 and $1250 going forward, for those who are considered disabled or unable to work. Still -- was looking forward to something much better than those amounts.
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| You can watch video at: https://x.com/morricemike/status/1781038253644108240 |
Persons with Disabilities, who I have been in touch with across Canada, were looking for something much better than their provincial income provides. The need for this better system, and better income was my message for Chrystia Freeland all along. $200.00 a month? Is Nothing! This post talks about an example of why a $200.00 a month top-up is not going to work, in Nova Scotia. According to my contacts in other parts of Canada this $200.00 top up is not going to work, in their location, either. Of course, this $200.00 is only going to actually be a top-up provided that provincial Income Assistance does not claw it back after implementation. In addition, we are not expecting the first payment to be until July 2025!!
From the Minister's Statement on the Benefit....
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| From the Minister’s Statement. |
My question is how did they come up with that small figure of $200 a month, after they did all the research on grocery store prices, the housing market, etc?
Persons with Disabilities have been struggling for a very long time in Canada. After all the advocacy since Bill C-22 was first introduced has only resulted in $200.00/month. That amount came as a total disappointment to the Disability community, all over Canada. Provincial Income Assistance Systems all across Canada in-addition to providing little money to live on, (next to nothing after rent and bills are paid) we now have to worry about qualifying and whether $200 is added as a top-up or is clawed back the provinces. Using Nova Scotia as an example: Starting in May 2024 $1250.00 (for 60% or so, of Nova Scotians who will qualify)plus $200.00 will = $1450.00. With the increased cost of living, this $200.00, is going to do next to nothing to improve people’s lives.
Something else I, talk about in this blog, is social isolation and I address how social isolation is encouraged by both the bureaucratic nonsense and systemic problems of our provincial systems of receiving income assistance. Not having enough money to live on, promotes that living socially isolated lives is OK. For my past posts on Social Isolation see here.
The question becomes how can people get out of social isolation if through our system we are not going to be provided the tools that can get us out of social isolation? Well this post illustrates what these tools could look like, and describes a solution. For another solution, if you go back to my past writing in the now defunct Nova Scotia Advocate you will see one solution here, that is an example about how to get out of Social isolation. Social inclusion needs to be better promoted. See this article for an illustration of what yet another tool can look like.
The point I am trying to make here, is a larger living allowance is needed if we want people to have the tools to get themselves out of social isolation. Gaining better ability to get themselves out of social isolation is exactly what persons with disabilities were looking forward to in the creation of this Disability Benefit. But only $200 a month? This shows that the government on any level does not care that the mental health of the population needs to improve.
One more point I am going to bring up. Many who are part of the Disability community in Nova Scotia have lived their whole lives only knowing income from the Employment Support and Income Assistance Program. If you look at this post you will see how those whose lives are based on their incomes can afford the yachts and sailboats you see parked in the Northwest Arm which can be seen from the Armdale rotary. Of course I am not saying a person has to be rich enough to own one of those boats, to get out of social isolation. However, I am saying that, living in poverty and social isolation go hand in hand. What I am saying is we need a system that respects that the people who depend on it, have a right to expect a way to get out of living in social isolation. More money to live on would provide the tools.
Hopefully, the Federal Government will smarten up and re-think this disability benefit level moving forward.
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Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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