By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—Bill C-22, otherwise known as the Canada Disability Benefit Act, is presently under review by the Senate of Canada following its unanimous approval in the House of Commons – but the bill is under scrutiny for not fully disclosing how much it will actually help Canadians living with a disability.
While there is optimism surrounding the bill, with hope that it will lead to the creation of a new federal benefit that ensures people living with a disability receive needed financial support to keep them above the poverty line, the lack of details surrounding the size of any potential payments or any eligibility requirements to access such a fund has critics chiming in.
Haldimand Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis said that with one in five Canadians living with a disability, the support is needed to “live full lives and participate fully in society, including in the workforce. Canadians living with disabilities deserve timely access to benefits and services and that they are not penalised for going to work – as is too often the case today.”
Lewis believes that the creation of the Canada Disability Benefit should take into consideration the complex network of programs currently in place, “which for many Canadians with disabilities can result in benefit cuts and higher taxes as a consequence of taking on work.”
CEO of Community Living Haldimand Bob Butella said that, while news of the bill is welcome, it is difficult to fully support it without more information.
“I’m personally unsure of how to support the bill without knowing any of the details, including: amounts, impact on any provincial funding, eligibility, etc.,” he stated. “The response from officials is along the lines that ‘the details will come out in the regulations.’ I’m cautiously hopeful that the regulations will be helpful to people with a disability.”
Butella explained the currently untenable situation many disabled Canadians find themselves in, noting, “If someone has to rely on ODSP for their income, the annual maximum is approximately $15,000. Well below the poverty line of $19,300. Rents in the area for a one bedroom range from about $900 to $1,200/month or up to $14,000 per year. With rent taking upwards of 80% of a person’s income it’s very, very difficult, if not impossible, to get by without other forms of support like the food bank or rent supplements.”
Butella said there are many health-related issues that can be attributed to living in poverty, including diabetes, malnutrition, oral health issues, mental health (can be related to social isolation, unemployment/under employment, lack of physical activity, nutrition, etc.), and a lower life expectancy.
“There can be apathy and/or stigma related to disabilities. Studies indicate that almost 25% of the adult population has at least one form of disability – that’s a high number,” said Butella.
He continued, “One would think that the stigma would diminish or disappear on its own, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Telling real life stories about the issues faced by people with disabilities and how they have overcome obstacles is one way. Highlighting a person’s abilities and accomplishments rather than their disability is another. Supporting municipal accessibility plans is yet another.”
Lewis said that in addition to providing a new benefit, the Federal government should work with the Provincial government to ensure that the new bill doesn’t negatively impact existing supports that disabled Canadians already access.
She added, “We have seen a recent trend of a top-down, Federal government knows best, often with a disregard for Provincial jurisdiction and for existing programing from the provinces.”
With limited information to go on, the MP said the jury is still out on whether Bill C-22 will ultimately achieve its goal of improving the lives of disabled Canadians.
“As we await further details on the Canada Disability Benefit, I believe that the government must ensure that benefits can be delivered in a timely manner, and that this program doesn’t become bureaucratic and burdensome to access,” Lewis concluded.
The bill was first introduced in the Senate on February 2, 2023, and the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology held their first meeting on it on March 22.
According to a Federal press release, the Senate committed to making the process transparent, with sign-language embedded videos available to view online one week after taking place, and briefs related to the study of Bill C-22 also available through their website at sencanada.ca.
“We are very pleased to provide enhanced access of committee meetings so the people most affected by Bill C-22 can more easily follow how they are being represented in Parliament. This is a concrete example of the Senate’s commitment to accessibility,” concluded Senator Ratna Omidvar, Chair of the committee studying the bill.
