Disability Alliance BC has received the following notice about a survey from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) about the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP):

ESDC is evaluating its RDSP program for Canadians with disabilities. Part of this evaluation involves asking people who do not have a RDSP why they do not have such a plan, and how they save for the future in other ways.

Even though you may not have a RDSP, your opinion about saving money for the future is important to this research. Information gathered from this survey will be used to improve the savings plan program for all Canadians with disabilities.

A Canadian research company called R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. is managing the Survey of Savings for and by Persons with Disabilities on behalf of ESDC. If you would like to answer the survey, please contact Malatest at 1-855-412-1942. If you have a hearing disability, you can contact Malatest using a teletype (TTY) relay service by dialing 711 first. If you have other questions about the research, you can contact Malatest via email at: savings@malatest.com

For more information, please see the poster below.

Tickets are now on sale for Swing into Spring 2017! We hope you will join us to celebrate DABC’s 40th birthday at the Italian Cultural Centre on April 6th. All funds raised at the event go towards supporting programs and services that assist people with disabilities who are living on low incomes. Tickets can be purchased here: https://swingintospring-2017.eventbrite.ca or by phone (604-875-0188)

We’re thrilled to have Stephen Quinn as our MC and David C. Jones, comedian extraordinaire. Prepare to test your wits with our quiz game – a huge hit at last year’s event! You’ll also enjoy drinks, a delicious Italian buffet, entertainment, live and silent auctions and a great raffle draw.

For information on sponsorship opportunities and the 2017 Employment Awards, please visit our website: https://disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org/swingspring.htm

October 2016

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) is thrilled to announce a new province-wide program to help British Columbians with disabilities access the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). This new service has been made possible through the generous support of the Vancouver Foundation and will be provided in partnership with Plan Institute and the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Through this new partnership, DABC advocates provide direct service by:
– Helping people who are eligible for the RDSP to apply for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), a pre-requisite for the RDSP.
– Connecting individuals who have the DTC to Plan Institute or BCANDS who will help people open an RDSP.

In addition to direct assistance, DABC will travel to communities across BC to raise awareness about the program with a goal to increasing the number of people accessing the RDSP. We will provide information about the RDSP and DTC through workshops and one-on-one clinics, and will meet with community organizations, banks, and credit unions to promote the RDSP.

For more information about the DTC and RDSP or to request a workshop, please call Linda at DABC: 604-872-1278; 1-800-663-1278 or email rdsp@disabilityalliancebc.therightfitbc.org
Plan Institute’s RDSP Helpline (1-844-311-7526) is a great resource for information about the RDSP and DTC. Plan will also be administering the Endowment 150 program, formally operated by the Vancouver Foundation.

More about the RDSP
The RDSP is a long-term savings plan designed to help Canadians with disabilities at all income levels save for their futures. One reason the RDSP is so unique is because eligible individuals who open RDSPs can receive federally administered grants and bonds worth as much as $90,000 during a person’s lifetime.