Two Richmond advocacy organizations are urging senior levels of government to improve disability benefits.
The Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (RPRC) and Richmond Centre for Disability (RCD) have launched a campaign to urge the federal government to improve the Canada Disability Benefit and the provincial government to exempt the benefit from clawbacks.
They will be hosting a Zoom dialogue with speakers on July 31 called “Canada Disability Benefit - Making it Fair.”
Speakers are Amanda Lockitch from Disability without Poverty, Cynthia Minh from Disability Alliance of BC, Lorraine Copas from the Social Planning and Research Council and George Pope, RCD board member.
The federal government announced in Budget 2024 that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) would be funded and rolled out by June 2025.
Recipients have to have a Disability Tax Credit certificate to receive the $200/month benefit and must be between 18 and 64 years of age.
“Although we are pleased the federal government has recognized the need for a disability benefit, we are disappointed with the restrictive criteria and the monthly amount,” said Ella Huang, RCD executive director.
RCD and the RPRC are both concerned as they claim the provincial government routinely claws back benefits above the B.C. income assistance threshold.
A provincial report that engaged people living in poverty, “What we Heard: Engagement Summary” stated that people “reported living in fear of losing their benefits due to complex and punitive program rules, such as clawbacks of other forms of income and financial penalties for not following rules."
"RCD and the RPRC believe it is unfair and inequitable to people with disabilities for B.C. to claw back benefits when the federal government recognizes these citizens deserve the benefit," the organizations said in a statement. "People with disabilities deserve to live in dignity."
For more information and to register for Wednesday's Zoom dialogue, email [email protected].
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