Pre-Budget Submission for the 2024-25 Quebec Budget

Introduction

March of Dimes Canada is pleased to present its pre-budget submission to the Minister of Finance for Quebec’s 2024-25 fiscal year. As a charitable service provider and key player in delivering a range of services for people with disabilities and their families, caregivers, and friends, March of Dimes Canada is pleased to have the opportunity to share ideas on how we can contribute to building a more equitable and inclusive Quebec. In developing this submission, March of Dimes Canada has considered the priorities communicated to us by our community of service users and stakeholders.

About March of Dimes Canada

Founded over 70 years ago, March of Dimes Canada is a national charity committed to promoting equity, increasing independence, and effecting real change to help people living with disabilities across the country unlock the richness of their lives. As a leading service provider, resource, and advocate, March of Dimes Canada paves the way for people living with disabilities to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives in an inclusive world.

March of Dimes Canada offers services within two main areas of activity:

  • Community support services offer various services to people with disabilities and caregivers to live in their community and stay at home. This includes attendant services, independent living support, and other forms of assistance, including services dedicated to victims of brain injuries and our globally renowned After Stroke program. March of Dimes Canada’s services are designed to ensure that users feel empowered, healthy, and well-equipped to overcome life’s obstacles, whether they are social, institutional, or regarding the management of daily activities.

  • Skills development and employment services offer comprehensive support through a variety of services aimed at assisting individuals living with disabilities in achieving their career goals, while also helping employers meet their workforce needs. This includes SkillingUp, March of Dimes Canada’s free digital skills training program, providing people with disabilities the skills and confidence needed to excel in careers requiring digital skills. Additionally, community programs are specially designed to unlock the potential of children, youth, and adults living with disabilities by enhancing their independence to learn, grow, and succeed in an inclusive Canada.

Summary of recommendation

  • Recommendation: That the Government of Quebec strengthens the financial security of people with disabilities by collaborating with the federal government to ensure that Quebecers fully benefit from the impact of the upcoming Canada Disability Benefit.

Recommendation: Partnership in view of an effective et accessible Canada Disability Benefit


As a service provider, March of Dimes Canada plays an essential role in supporting people with disabilities to access the full range of financial security benefits available to them, as well as employment services and support for employers in hiring individuals with disabilities. Our commitment revolves around promoting financial security, and we continue our collaboration with our service users, their families, and caregivers, as well as community stakeholders. Together, we work to build a strong foundation of dignity and independence for all people with disabilities in the country.

People with disabilities in Canada are three times more likely to live in poverty than those without disabilities. The current rates of income support programs for people with disabilities in Quebec fail to help beneficiaries escape extreme poverty, especially in the face of the persisting housing crisis.

To ensure that Quebecers with disabilities can not only survive but also thrive, the future Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) from the federal government must complement existing provincial/territorial benefits, thereby lifting the income of Quebec beneficiaries above the poverty line. While March of Dimes Canada advocates at the federal level for the Canada Disability Benefit to be designed as a non-taxable income, it is essential for all provinces and territories to work proactively to identify and mitigate any impact on existing benefits and programs.

To this end, we urge the honorable Eric Girard, Minister of Finance, and the honorable Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services, to incorporate the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) into Quebec’s policy guidelines on exempt income sources related to eligibility for income support benefits for people with disabilities. In addition to preserving eligibility for Quebec’s disability tax credits and deductions, no reduction in other benefits such as dental care or medication reimbursement, housing and transportation support, as well as other funded benefits, programs, and services, should be implemented once the CDB is in effect.

Regarding private disability insurance coverage, we have asked the federal government to enter a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) so that all private insurers in Canada consider the CDB as a supplementary benefit that does not affect insurers’ determination of benefits under the private insurance applicant’s income.

Therefore, we urge the honorable Eric Girard, Minister of Finance, to collaborate with the federal government and private insurance regulatory bodies to ensure that all necessary legislative, regulatory, or policy amendments are made to enshrine the requirements of the memorandum of understanding into law.

Conclusion

We must all work together to build a more equitable and inclusive Quebec. Although the unprecedented demands and pressures facing Quebec’s healthcare and social support systems may seem overwhelming, significant change is possible. March of Dimes Canada urges the government to include the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) in Quebec’s policy guidelines on exempt income sources, in connection with eligibility for income support benefits for people with disabilities. We also call for the absence of recovery on other benefits such as dental coverage, prescription medications, housing, transportation supports, as well as other funded programs and services, once the CDB is implemented.