More work must be done to lift Canadians with
disabilities out of poverty
TORONTO, April 17,
2024 /CNW/ - The federal government has taken an
important step on the Canada Disability Benefit by launching the
program in the 2024 budget, however, the funding allocation and
roll-out details are inadequate in providing the support people
living with disabilities urgently need.
The budget allocates $6.1 billion
to the Canada Disability Benefit over six years and will be
available to an estimated 600,000 Canadians starting in
July 2025. Eligibility for this
program has been set to Canadians with a valid Disability Tax
Credit certificate. Additionally, the program will be capped at
$2,400 per year for each recipient,
which equates to $200 per
month.
Daily Bread Food Bank, in partnership with a coalition of over
40 organizations across the country, have advocated tirelessly for
a fully funded Canada Disability Benefit in Budget 2024 as people
with disabilities face a poverty rate twice as high as the
rest of Canada, and are severely
impacted by the growing affordability and cost-of-living
crisis.
"The government's commitment to the Canada Disability Benefit
in the budget signals that they heard the countless calls for
urgent action on this program that Daily Bread, our partners, and
so many Canadians made, but there remains a clear need for it to be
fully funded," says Neil
Hetherington, CEO, Daily Bread Food Bank. "It is imperative
that this program helps people with disabilities live above the
poverty line. While it is positive that the program's launch was
included, additional funding and increased eligibility will be
necessary to effect meaningful change."
It is crucial that the eligibility criteria associated with the
Disability Tax Credit does not reduce or negate the core objective
of this program to lift Canadians with disabilities out of poverty.
Furthermore, Daily Bread Food Bank calls on the federal government
to follow through on their commitment in the budget to work
alongside provinces to ensure that claw backs will not be applied
to individuals receiving provincial support.
One-in-seven people who access food banks nationally rely
on provincial disability income supports. In many provinces, that
means living more than $800 below the
poverty line each month.
Daily Bread Food Bank is committed to continuing to advocate for
a Canada Disability Benefit that will help address this, including
that it brings recipients to above the poverty line and operates
from a broad and inclusive definition of disability to ensure that
those who need support can effectively access it.
To learn more, visit: https://www.fundthebenefit.ca/
SOURCE Daily Bread Food Bank