Community Update Provincial Disability and Income Assistance Rates to Increase September 20th 2017
Premier John Horgan has announced a monthly increase of $100 to BC disability and income assistance rates. This change begins September 20th 2017 (October benefits). The maximum rate for support and shelter for a single person will be:
– $710 (Income Assistance)
– $757 (Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers to Employment – PPMB)
– $1081 (Persons with Disabilities with a bus pass – PWD)
– $1133 (Persons with Disabilities without a bus pass – PWD)
Families with two adults who both have the PWD designation will receive a $200 monthly increase. This is the first increase to income assistance rates in a decade despite the rapidly rising cost of living across the province.
Disability Alliance BC applauds the new government’s fast implementation of these much needed increases.
Additional Information
The new Minister responsible for disability benefits and income assistance (Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction) is the Honourable Shane Simpson.
While there has been no formal announcement, Minister Simpson’s mandate letter from the Premier directs him to implement a $200 monthly increase to the earnings exemption for assistance recipients and restore the BC Bus Pass program.
There has also been no announcement about an increase for people receiving Room and Board benefits, or the Comforts Allowance.
We have no further information about these changes at this time.
If you have any questions about this announcement please feel free to contact Sam Turcott, Advocacy Access Program Director at 604-872-1278 or 1-800-663-127
DABC is thrilled that Vancouver Foundation CEO Kevin McCort wrote about our Access RDSP Program – which we operate in partnership with Plan Institute and the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society – in the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) monthly news. GEO is a prominent North-American-wide funders network. We are delighted that more organizations will hear about our work assisting people with disabilities to access the Registered Disability savings Plan (RDSP) and the Vancouver Foundation’s support of Access RDSP.
July 21, 2017, New Westminster, B.C. – A significant measure of hope was felt as the new BC Government announced an increase to the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) benefit and income assistance, just two days after being sworn in.
Inclusion BC and the Disability Alliance BC are pleased and encouraged with the increase and look forward to working with the new Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction on other measures to reduce poverty.
“This is an immediate and impressive step by our new government and signals a commitment to work with and listen to people who have been calling for change for a long time,” says Inclusion BC Executive Director Faith Bodnar.
“It’s clear that poverty and people with disabilities are a priority for this government. This announcement gives us all hope that finally BC is moving forward in addressing the abject poverty of our most vulnerable citizens. It’s time.” says Jane Dyson, Disability Alliance BC Executive Director.
Disability Alliance BC, Inclusion BC and other advocates have called for a plan to raise the rates gradually to $1,500 over three years, with indexing to match inflation. Both organizations are committed to working collaboratively on a Poverty Reduction Strategy that includes indexing as
well as additional rate increases.
The rate increase will take effect September 20 and will be for supports. Families where both adults are designated PWD will receive a $200 increase.
Contact:
Faith Bodnar, Executive Director Inclusion BC
fbodnar@inclusionbc.org
Jane Dyson, Executive Director Disability Alliance BC
DABC, RBC and Neil Squire have all partnered with WorkBC to provide webinars on various topics, in recognition of Disability Employment Month. Find more information
