Consultation In-Person Feedback Collection
Date: March 11, 2014
Group: Feedback received via Consultation phone line
Location: N/A
Number of Attendees: N/A
Note: all the information and feedback gathered at this session will be inputted into the overall collection of data and feedback for consideration of the development of the Disability White Paper.
Feedback: /· Current situation – quite a unique situation
· Wife previous marriage – child support – amount deducted from pwd benefits
· Limited amount monthly to support daughter – no money for wife and step daughter because they are immigrating from the states
· Not considered dependants, for receiving benefits
· Federal versus provincial considerations
· Family where there is a divorce – individual still married – goes to the child
· Child support payments should go to the child
· Can earn up to $800, without disability assistance benefit claw backs
· Punishing a couple for having kids and not staying together
· Not in the same household
· Have to make a choice between rent and food in the fridge.
· Went to the tribunal over this issue.
· Contacted local MLA
· They feel they could end up on the street
· Looking for work for three years, have had three interviews
· Wants to bring a face and voice to the issues
· Constantly run into gap information and systems that are available
· Things he found out about at the consultation meeting
· Government should consider a newsletter? – Categorized resources – plain language, not legal language
· Problem federally as well – programs – where to find that?
· Doctor with rehabilitation expertise.
· Important to highlight that a recovery-based approach is better for people with disabilities.
· More information, training and knowledge is needed for clients and health care workers.
· Diagnosis is important, but not the only factor.
· Skills and support for people with disabilities is important as well.
· Skills training for clinicians are very important.
· Social participation is very important for people with disabilities, as well as appropriate resources and services.
· Caller is a person with a disability from [location removed], her husband and son also have disabilities and multiple challenges.
· Husband receives disability from the Federal government, which is deducted from his Disability Allowance from BC.
· She and her family have to utilize the food bank to make ends meet.
· She has two suggestions: raise DA rates and don't claw back Federal payments.
· Please act on the consultation and feedback put forward from the disability community.
· Disability assistance rates should be increased to better represent the actual cost of living.
· Perhaps resources from other ministries could be transferred in order to do this.
· More housing is needed for people with disabilities and an increased income benefit in order to pay the high cost of rent.
· Proposing that people with disabilities have their rate of assistance increased to $1700/month if they are unable to work
· Those who can work can earn up to $1700l; $800 over assistance
· Not equal rights, and therefore not fair.
· Alberta gives more, and BC should keep pace with the rest of the provinces.
· Dental coverage: Root canals should be covered by government
· Emergency money for unexpected expenses for food should be more than $20.
· Clothing allowance, and moving expense should be paid for and not paid back; should not be dependent if new place is a cheaper rent
· Glad eyeglasses, eye exams and pharmaceutical drugs, are covered
· Hearing aids should be 100% covered
· Make is easier for disabled to get these services
· Girlfriend is on disability assistance.
· He has a WCB pension.
· If they live together, the girlfriend would lose her disability assistance due to his WCB income.
· It is not feasible to live on his income.
· There are added expenses when someone is a person with a disability.
· As a result, they are forced to live apart, which is not fair.
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· RDSP – while it is a great idea for younger disabled people, it has no value for older disabled people.
· No practical benefit for people later in life.
· Recommend increasing the cut off age to 65.
· Current criteria are prejudicial for older people.
· Recipients of disability assistance should not be forced to apply for early CPP as they lose money each year on their CC.
· People on disability assistance live far below the poverty line – it is disgusting.
· More money should be given to disability assistance recipients.
· People in wheelchairs get the cheapest chair possible bought for them.
· This is wrong.
· Analogy: people have many pairs of shoes to suit the activity (e.g., dancing, hiking, running).
· People in wheelchairs are only given one chair for all aspects of their life.
· Need to include the word dignity in all parts of this consultation. This should be the guiding principle.
· Really disappointed with hours cut at CSIL.
· Need to increase personal supports.
· There should be no further changes to government programs until the White Paper is released.