By: Yasmin Hassan, Staff Writer
Content warning: mentions of medically assisted death.
It’s long-past time to talk about how many disabled Canadians struggle to financially support themselves. In BC, groceries alone can cost around $1,263 a month, which is an even harder hit for the 16.5% of disabled Canadians living in poverty. The new Canada Disability Benefit is an upcoming benefit for disabled folks who meet certain qualifications. While it’s a step in the right direction, the monthly payment of $200 is barely enough to cover basic needs in this tense economy.
BC’s Persons with Disabilities assistance program grants eligible single recipients a maximum of $17,802 a year. Advocates have talked about how this forces disabled people to continue living in poverty, as the low-income threshold in Canada is $25,252 for a “single adult household.” Those unable to work due to their disability have no choice but to live below the poverty line. Those who can work are only allowed to make $16,200 before their benefits are clawed back, which is still not enough to survive on. The new benefit claims it will “reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age people with disabilities.” With payments starting July 2025, it will grant a maximum of $2,400 annually per person, which is something, but it’s certainly not significant.
The high percentage of disabled Canadians who live in poverty tells us the money being provided isn’t enough. Not only is the new benefit insufficient, but it’s also relatively difficult to acquire in the first place. To receive the benefit, you need to be receiving the Disability Tax Credit. However, the credit can be difficult to acquire — Global News reports that only 40% of disabled Canadians receive it. Some medical professionals refuse to sign off on the program, and the requirements are challenging to navigate, with many applications being wrongfully rejected due to “inconsistencies in how applications are reviewed.”
Some disabled people have talked about how the lack of access to basic necessities makes Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) feel like the only option left for them. “We are hearing from people saying ‘maybe this is the month we are going to consider MAiD with dignity because the government is not supporting us to live with dignity,’” one advocate told CBC. People shouldn’t have to choose between life or death because they can’t afford to live. Disabled people already face barriers like systemic ableism and inaccessibility. Their health and well-being should be prioritized — but instead the government treats them like an afterthought.
Getting support for those who need it is not easy, nor is it timely. Finding caregivers, treatments, and all the other basic necessities that people need to live involves long wait times and headaches. Jacquie Holyoak, a former medical assistant with fibromyalgia, thinks disabled Canadians “fall through the cracks,” which doesn’t sound too far off with the underwhelming funding provided from the new benefit. What we really need is better allocation of tax dollars. Instead of the government signing multi-billion dollar deals with auto manufacturers and hosting the World Cup, they should direct that money toward support for people who need it.
Organizations like grassroots-based Disability Without Poverty are helping to end poverty for those living with disabilities in Canada. They entail a clear set of demands that would help change the benefit for the better, like easy application and inclusive eligibility for “permanent or temporary, stable or progressive, or episodic” conditions. No one should struggle to put food on the table because of a disability. If you can, reach out to politicians of all levels and ask them to raise the benefit amount.
