BC Recovery Benefit to include additional benefits for people receiving provincial assistance

Premier Horgan announced on December 8th that British Columbians receiving provincial income or disability assistance will be eligible for the BC Recovery Benefit, and the Benefit will include additional benefits for people receiving provincial income or disability assistance.

The Benefit will provide:

• $1,000 for families with incomes under $125,000. Families earning up to $175,000 will qualify for a reduced benefit amount. Single-parent families also qualify for these benefit amounts.
• $500 for single people earning less than $62,500. Single people earning up to $87,500 will qualify for a reduced benefit amount.

“As well, people on income assistance, disability assistance and low-income seniors receiving the senior’s supplement will receive an additional recovery benefit at $150 per month from January 2021 to March 2021.

“This pandemic has had significant impacts on vulnerable populations so that’s why, unlike with the previous workers’ benefit, people on income or disability assistance will be eligible for the recovery benefit, and they will receive a recovery supplement of $150/month,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Coupled together, the recovery benefit and recovery supplement will provide vulnerable families with up to $1,900 during this difficult winter season.””

Link for the news release is here: 
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0064-002019

We are unsure if the monthly $150 recovery benefit will take the place of the $300 supplement that has been in place for the past several months. Once we have more information, we will post an update.

Applying for the BC Recovery Benefit

Have you filed your 2019 taxes? If not, it’s time to hurry! If you were required to file a 2019 Canadian personal income tax return but have not yet done so, you must file a 2019 return before applying for the benefit. You can apply for the benefit starting December 18th.

More info is available here.

DABC congratulates appointed Ministers, addresses pressing issues

On December 8, DABC sent out congratulatory letters to Ministers Nicholas Simons (Social Development and Poverty Reduction) and Adrian Dix (Minister of Health) upon their appointments to the recently formed Cabinet of the BC Legislature.

While great progress has been made by the BC Government over the past few months in responding to issues affecting people with disabilities arising out of the Covid 19 pandemic, DABC recognizes that there is more to be done both now and in future to ensure that our BC Government leaves no one behind. In these letters, we have outlined what we believe are the current, pressing issues that require addressing in order effect positive and lasting policy change.

Letter to Minister Dix: https://disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org/minister-dix-letter-of-congratulations-from-dabc/

Letter to Minister Simons: https://disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org/minister-simons-letter-of-congratulations-from-dabc/

On IDPD 2020, provincial government announces successful "accessibility projects"

December 3rd marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), a day that was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations to “promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.” https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities.

To mark IDPD 2020, the BC provincial government announced the 14 community-based accessibility/inclusion projects that will receive funding. This funding was provided by the provincial government and will be disbursed by DABC.

DABC Board member Elizabeth Lalonde was on the review committee for the projects and stated in the news release: “It was an honour to be on the accessibility project grant review team this year,” said Elizabeth Lalonde, board director, Disability Alliance BC. “I learned so much about the diversity of organizations in British Columbia, many of which are grassroots, working to make a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities. There are so many important projects that deserve support and recognition, and I am excited to follow their progress over the next year.”

Read more here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020SDPR0047-001996.