Tuesday night marked a significant step in the fight for more benefits for persons with disabilities in Canada, as the second reading of Bill C-22 passed with unanimous support in parliament.
In New Brunswick, the Coalition for Persons with Disabilities held a virtual rally aimed at fast-tracking that bill and seeking to get the attention of MPs.
During the rally that lasted well over an hour, many persons with disabilities and advocates shared their concerns with the current model, speaking on how critical adding those funds would be.
One speaker shared that the current model has minimal support for those with disabilities and that many persons who are disabled are living in poverty.
“If you’re getting $832, then there’s a top-up to $2,200 — that would be an extra $1300. Imagine how much better your life would be with an extra $1,300, ” explained Shelley Petit with the coalition,
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“This is people that need the system, and this is why the system was created.”
The federal government says that the supports would be eligible to “working-age” persons with disabilities to create financial security.
The bill was initially tabled in the summer and was held back for several months while parliament was out of session. Still, with a reading in September and the second reading on Tuesday, advocates are hopeful that it can make meaningful change.
“A lot of programs throughout Canada do a terrible job at looking at the cost of disability and determining the eligibility for programs,” said Haley Faro, executive director of Ability New Brunswick
Faro believes that some of the best packages may have come and gone with the loss of the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, which ended in late 2020. She says that during that time, many persons with disabilities were able to get a living wage, which wasn’t possible before that time.
“It was a very positive benefits package for many people with a disability because it provided a living wage. It basically tested the living wage in Canada.”
The executive vice-president of Inclusion Canada applauded the move, stating that she has been hearing calls coast to coast about some of the issues with the current model.
“In all cases, it’s not enough money; often hasn’t been. In many provinces, it hasn’t been increased in years, or the increase has been so small. We’re talking $25 a month, which isn’t going to move the needle. It hasn’t kept up with inflation,” said Krista Carr.
“It’s a very, very dire situation.”
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