Vision

Mission

To build a movement that lifts People with Disabilities out of poverty in Canada by mobilizing grassroots power, working with Government and securing public support for ending disability poverty

Goal

To secure the Canada Disability Benefit by:

• Including disabled people in all aspects of the design of the benefit.
• Balancing thorough examination of the situation with a speedy response to get the money into the hands of disabled people as quickly as possible.

the canada
disability
benefit

Independence for disabled people

The Canada Disability Benefit must be an individualized benefit so that disabled people have financial independence. The Canada Disability Benefit should belong to the  disabled individual. It must not be means tested across a relationship or a family. It must give disabled people their own income and financial autonomy.

Access right away

Access to this benefit must be as simple as possible. Disabled people who already receive a federal, territorial, or provincial benefit should get immediate access to the benefit.

Quick process to apply

Those disabled people who do not receive a federal, territorial, or provincial benefit need a separate application process. This process should be accessible and provide speedy access to the benefit.

Include all types of disabilities

Access to the new benefit must also include disabled people whose level of disability changes. Because disabilities can be permanent, temporary, stable, progressive, or episodic, people must be able to access this benefit as their situation changes.

Enough money for all

The new benefit must be offered in addition to any current federal, territorial, provincial benefits and services, and private insurance payments that disabled people receive. The complex needs of people with disabilities means that a suite of supports is necessary. These supports include housing, health care, equipment provision, community care, and more. No single benefit can cover these needs. Therefore, there must be no claw backs (financially or of goods and services) regarding the new benefit.

Option to work

Access to the new benefit must include generous earnings exemptions for disabled people who are able to work. For people with disabilities to participate meaningfully in the workforce, they must benefit from the wages they earn.

Live above the poverty line

The Canada Disability Benefit must lift disabled people out of poverty. To effectively accomplish this, it must be part of a system of benefits that provides an income that is above Canada’s Official Poverty Line, and it must account for the additional costs of living with a disability.