It’s good the government has promised a Canada Disability Benefit

David Lepofsky, Contributor, TheToronto Star, November 7, 2023
It’s good the government promised to create a Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to lift people with disabilities out of poverty. Now it’s time to fix the problems with Bill C-22. The federal government calls it “shameful” that one million people with disabilities languish in poverty. However, their weak Bill C-22 before Parliament does not require the government to ever pay a CDB, or set a deadline to start paying it. It sets no minimum benefit amount or ensure it keeps pace with inflation. It could be $1 per month. The bill disqualifies almost one-third of people with disabilities over age 15 from the benefit because of their age, no matter how poor. Only working-age people qualify. Yet, disability poverty doesn’t start at 18 or end at 65. We need Bill C-22 swiftly strengthened and swiftly passed. The CDB shouldn’t be restricted to “working age” people. The bill should set a mandatory minimum CDB amount, indexed to inflation, and a mandatory start date for paying it. Let cabinet increase but not reduce it.