We are writing to you as a collective of stakeholder organizations regarding the forthcoming Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), a new federal income supplement intended, in the Canada Disability Benefit Act, to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities. In our estimation, the recent federal CDB funding announcement has deeply troubled our community, as it is only planned to provide people with disabilities in Canada who have the Disability Tax Credit only $200 per month – at a maximum.
As a result of this announcement, we are writing to ask that provincial and territorial governments show leadership on this file by working to ensure that the CDB truly lifts people with disabilities in Canada out of poverty.
We ask that you commit to ensuring that all recipients of the CDB who also receive disability income support in your jurisdictions realize the full value of the CDB upon implementation. Put plainly, we are requesting that your governments pledge that the CDB will not be clawed back by your respective disability income support programs.
Provincial and territorial disability income supports provide a foundation for people with disabilities to survive. Further, we applaud efforts to index provincial/territorial disability income supports to inflation, which are a step in the right direction for addressing the rising costs of living. Additionally, increasing employment income exemptions provide a smoother transition into employment for those who can work and are an opportunity for people with disabilities to improve their financial stability.
Ensuring all recipients realize the full value of the CDB is another step along the way to achieve our shared goal of financial safety, security, and stability – and the benefits it could bring – for people with disabilities. We know from the people we serve, work with, and advocate for, that financial stability has a direct impact in every aspect of life, from not having to depend on food banks, to reducing health system usage, to finding safe and stable housing.
We understand that you and your ministries have engaged with the federal government over the last year and are seeking clarification on key aspects of the CDB’s design that could impact disability income support programs without your intervention. We have similarly engaged in the regulations development process and will continue to do so. As a community we will continue to advocate for an adequately-funded CDB that is inclusive, barrier-free, and implemented with urgency.
Even in the absence of approved regulations, there is important work that we are relying on your governments to undertake with haste. We are asking you to take ownership of the process and responsibility for leading the internal negotiation and implementation of the necessary agreements, legislation, regulation, and policy directives to ensure that the CDB once implemented, will fulfill its commitment to be supplemental income that lifts people with disabilities out of poverty, and not lead to any claw backs to existing provincial/territorial disability income support programs or services.
All levels of government in Canada have a responsibility for working together to reduce disability poverty in our country. All levels of government must prioritize implementing the CDB without delay and with no claw backs. Time is of the essence to make sure everyone in Canada has an opportunity to thrive.
We thank you for your consideration and we look forward to working with you to make progress on this important issue.
ABLE2: Support for People with Disabilities – Heather Lacey – Executive Director
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario – Douglas Kwan – Director of Advocacy and Legal Services
Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians – Marcia Yale – National President
Autism Alliance of Canada – Jonathan Lai – Executive Director
BC Disability Collaborative – Pat Mirenda – Chair
BC Poverty Reduction Coalition – Rowan Burdge – Provincial Director
BC Prader–Willi Syndrome Association – Mandy Young – President
Brain Injury Canada – Michelle McDonald – Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) – Maureen Haan – President & CEO
Canadian Down Syndrome Society – Laura LaChance – Executive Director
Carrefour Solidaire CFC – Sylvie Chamberland, Beccah Frasier, and Emily Balderston – Executive Codirectors
CHILD–BRIGHT – Pierre Zwiegers – Director of Operations (Interim)
CHILD–BRIGHT Network – SPOR funded Network – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – National Youth Advocacy Council (NYAC) – Youth Research Partners in Patient Oriented Research in Child Health
CHILD–BRIGHT Network – SPOR funded Network – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Corinne Lalonde – Engagement Program and Projects Manager
CHILD–BRIGHT Network – SPOR funded Network – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Heather Muir – Youth and Engagement Initiative Coordinator (contact for the National Youth Advocacy Council – NYAC)
Christian Direction – Dr. Christa Smith–Kingston – Coordinator of Innovation Youth
Citizens for Public Justice – Natalie Appleyard – Socio–Economic Policy Analyst
CNIB – John M. Rafferty – President and CEO
Community Food Centres Canada – Sherri Hanley – Director, Policy & Community Action
Community Resource Centre Killaloe – Bil Smith – Executive Director
Community Society to End Poverty (CSEP) – NS – Stella Lord – Coordinator
Council of Canadians with Disabilities – Heather Walkus – National Chair
Daily Bread Food Bank – Neil Hetherington – CEO
Dalhousie Food Cupboard – Lorraine Salvo – Board Chair/President
Disability Alliance BC – Helaine Boyd – Executive Director
Disability Without Poverty – Rabia Khedr – National Director
Down Syndrome Resource Foundation – Glen Hoos – Director of Communications + Sustainability
Easter Seals Canada – Dave Starrett – President & CEO
Feed Nova Scotia – Nick Jennery – Executive Director
Feed Ontario – Carolyn Stewart – CEO
Food Banks Canada – Kirstin Beardsley – CEO
Food First NL – Laurel Huget – Program Coordinator
Food Stash Foundation – Carla Pellegrini – Executive Director
Halifax Food Policy Alliance – More Vail – Community Food Coordinator
Hamilton Food Share – Radhika Subramanyan – CEO
Inclusion Canada – Krista Carr – Executive Vice President
Income Security Advocacy Centre – Melinda Ferlisi – Executive Director
inGIRLS CLUB Association – Vicky Ryan – Executive Director
L’Arche Canada – Louis Pilotte – National Executive Director
Le Dépôt Centre Communautaire d'Alimentation – Nicolas Braesch – Responsable des approvisionnements
Live Educate Transform Society – Heather McCain – Executive Director
Malvern Family Resource Centre – Claire Perttula – Food Justice Projects Coordinator
Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security – Sarah Stern – Executive Director
March of Dimes Canada – Len Baker – CEO
Maytree – Elizabeth McIsaac – President
Mount Paul Community Food Centre – Dawn Christie – Mount Paul CFC Manager
MS Canada – Benjamin Davis – Senior Vice–President, Mission
Muscular Dystrophy Canada – Homira Osman – VP, Research and Public Policy
National Institute on Ageing – Alyssa Brierley – Executive Director
Neighbour to Neighbour Centre – Krista D’Aoust – Director, Community Food & Family Services
Nelson Community Food Centre – Alex Hawes – Executive Director
Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities – Sherry Costa–Lorenz – Executive Director
ODSP Action Coalition – Trevor Manson – Co–chair
Oldtown Storytellers' Society – Brenda Barritt – Executive Director
Ontario Disability Coalition – Sherry Caldwell – Co–Founder
Otonabee–South Monaghan (OSM) Food Cupboard – Joan DiFruscia – Chair
Parent – Carrie Costello – Parent
Parkdale Community Food Bank – Kitty Raman Costa – Executive Director
Parkdale Food Centre – Rebecca Dorris – Director of Advocacy
Partners for Planning – Jill Teeple – Executive Director
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network – Rebecca Pauls – Executive Director
Prosper Canada – Elizabeth Mulholland – CEO
Rick Hansen Foundation – Doramy Ehling – CEO
Roots Community Food Centre – Erin Beagle – Executive Director
SaltWater Community Association Inc. – Marlene Butler – Director of Operations
Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre – Kate Lasiuk – Nutrition Program Manager
Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre – Laurie O’Connor – Executive Director
Scarborough Food Security Initiative (Feed Scarborough) – Suman Roy – Founder & Executive Director
SFU – Centre for Dialogue – Diane T. Finegood – Professor and Fellow, PhD
Shelley Cares Foundation – Michelle Berry – Executive Director
Spinal Cord Injury Canada – Bill Adair – Executive Director
Sydney Lougheed – Registered Dietitian
The Depot Community Food Centre – Cassandra Belliveau – Boite a Lunch NDG Assistant Coordinator
The Depot Community Food Centre – Christine Sayegh – Community Gardens Coordinator
The Depot Community Food Centre – Dahlia ChanTang – After–School Program Coordinator
The Depot Community Food Centre – Melanie Romer – Good Food Market Coordinator
The Depot Community Food Centre – Tasha Lackman – Executive Director
The Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination – Dominica McPherson – Director
The Lived and Living Experience Advisory Group, NL – Tina Hann – Disability Justice Lead
The Local Community Food Centre – Margaret Smart – Executive Director
The North Grove – Caralee McDaniel – Manager, Hub Services
The North Grove – Wendy Fraser – Executive Director
The Nourish and Develop Foundation – Jessica Topfer – Executive Director
The Table Community Food Centre – Ramsey Hart – Executive Director
TNG Community Services – Serena Nudel – Director of Community Programs
Toronto Drop–In Network – Daniella Leacock – Manager
United Church of Canada – Rev. Dr. Robin Wardlaw – Former Minister
Vela Canada – Caitlin Goodsell – Executive Director
Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility – Christopher Sutton – CEO
Wellesley Institute – Jesse Rosenberg – Director of Policy
West Central Women's Resource Centre – Lorie English – Executive Director
West Scarborough Community Legal Services – Christie McQuarrie – Executive Director/Lawyer
Working for change – Anita Prasad – Executive Director
YWCA Toronto – Heather McGregor – CEO
