Information from the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition:

Not even a full month into the new year, and we already have important news for you! The BC government has launched a consultation process on the challenges people with disabilities face. Please take a moment to participate online, in writing or in person at one of the community meetings around the province.

These consultations were an election promise, so it’s good to see politicians following through and listening to people throughout BC. We are joining with the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) and the Disability Rights group of BC ACORN (and many others) to tell the government that the disability rates need to be increased immediately! Please help to ensure that this critical message is heard by our elected leaders.

Thanks, Trish & Gill

BC Government Disability Consultation

BC’s provincial government recently announced that they will host the Increasing Accessibility for People with Disabilities Consultations (http://engage.gov.bc.ca/disabilitywhitepaper/), a series of public sessions to hear from communities about the challenges people with disabilities face, in preparation for issuing a “white paper,” a report that will serve as the basis for a provincial summit on the issue later in the year.

Please join us in calling for a raise of PWD benefits to $1200 and establishing a shelter allowance like the seniors SAFER program.

For more information, check out the report “Overdue: The case for increasing the Person with Disabilities (PWD) Benefit in BC” (http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/dwpnetwork.htm) that the BCCPD published in partnership with SPARC BC, Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS), Inclusion BC and Canada Mental Health Association (BC Division).

BC’s current disability benefit rate of $906/month (in red on the graph below) is completely inadequate and falls short of all poverty measures, including the most stringent possible. In comparison, Alberta’s PWD rate is now $1588.

Please also join us in calling for an end to the clawback of child support payments from PWD benefits.

Again, we’re partnering with the BCCPD and BC ACORN on this issue, as well as First Call, WestCoast LEAF, and CLAS (see their letter to government: http://tinyurl.com/lxxovjd). Currently, child support is taken off dollar for dollar from the income assistance benefit. The provincial government is depriving children of their right to child support by taking that money away from children who live in lone-parent families on assistance – some of the most vulnerable children in the province.

You can make your voice heard by submitting your comments online or by mail, or attend one of the community consultations running until February 26, 2014. Please check this list of dates and venues to find the one closest to you: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/disabilitywhitepaper/

BC Ombudsperson releases her report on her review of the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

BC’s Ombudsperson Kim Carter has released her report on the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation. Her report makes a number of important recommendations based on her findings, including the following:

The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation review its Persons with Disabilities (PWD) application process and make the necessary changes to improve the accuracy of decisions about PWD status made at the first level of decision making and track and report publicly the results of those changes.

And,

The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation minimize the impacts of delayed reconsiderations on clients’ assistance by taking the steps necessary to make the effective date of an approval at reconsideration or a subsequent appeal no later than the date the reconsideration is required to have been made under the Regulations.

The Ministry has agreed to implement all of the Ombudsperson’s recommendations. Here’s the link to the report:

http://www.ombudsman.bc.ca/images/resources/report
/Public_Reports/Time_Matters_Report_35_web.pdf

For more information, please contact Robin Loxton at: povpost@bccpd.bc.ca

The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (MSDSI) has made a positive change to the regulations governing the Request for Reconsideration process. This change will start immediately. It will primarily impact people who have applied for the Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers (PPMB) benefit, the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefit and the Monthly Nutritional Supplement (MNS) who have had their Reconsideration decision delayed.

Here’s how this change will work.

Unless someone applies for an extension, the Ministry must make its decision about a Request for Reconsideration within 10 business days. Benefits for PPMB, PWD and the MNS start the month after the Ministry makes its decision.

Before, if the MSDSI took longer than 10 business days to make its reconsideration decision, people could lose a month’s benefits, depending upon the date the reconsideration decision was due. Now, when this happens people will not lose a month’s benefits.

This change to the Request for Reconsideration process is backdated to 2009. It means that the Ministry will begin issuing 1,272 people compensation payments by January 13th 2014. People do not need to apply for this compensation, payments will be made automatically. These payments will range from $10 – $2,000 depending on the case.

Here’s a link to the Ministry’s announcement about this change: http://tinyurl.com/nxhplge

If you have any questions, please email Robin Loxton at povpost@bccpd.bc.ca

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