Today Premier Christy Clark announced a number of changes effective October 1st, 2012 for people receiving the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Benefit. These include an increase to the annual earnings exemption from $500 to $800 per month for a single person and an increase to the allowable asset level for a single person from $3,000-$5,000.

While these changes are positive, they do not address the fact that the disability benefit rate is inadequate. The BCCPD, in partnership with BC Association for Community Living, Canadian Mental Health Association (BC division), SPARC BC and the Community Legal Assistance Society, are calling on the Province to increase the PWD Benefit rate to $1200 per month to better reflect the cost of living in BC.

For more information on the government’s changes, please visit the following link:

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2012/06/common-sense-changes-encourage-work-protect-vulnerable-families.html

We will also be providing more information when we have reviewed the changes more carefully.

Raise the Rates www.raisetherates.org
Can you Live on $610 a month?

Media release
February 12th, 2012

Raise the Rates, the BC coalition that challenged MLAs to live on the welfare rate of $610 a month issued a new challenge today:

“We challenge the BC government to immediately raise disability rates to the Alberta level of $1588 per month,” said Andrina Perry of Raise the Rates.  “There is no reason for BC residents who have a disability to have their health issues compounded by trying to live on the mere $906 that they get in BC.”

Raise the Rates wants the BC government to increase all income assistance benefits, including those for single parents and single people, to levels that are adequate to live on.

“People with disabilities in BC are living in poverty,” said Robin Loxton of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities.  “We call on the BC government to immediately increase BC’s disability rates.”

“If BC copied the Alberta increase it means people with disabilities like me could go to the community fitness gym for physiotherapy without taking the money out of our food budgets,” said Brenn Kapitan. “It would mean I could get a massage for my inflamed joints, have a longer life expectancy and reduce my risk of cancer.”

Alberta also increased the amount of earnings that people with a disability can keep from $400 a month to $800.

Contacts:

Raise the Rates:

Jean Swanson,  604 729 2380
Bill Hopwood,  778 686-5293 (cell),  604 738-1653
Raise the Rates Website: http://www.raisetherates.org/home2.htm
MLA Welfare Challenge Website: http://mlaonwelfare.com

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities:  Robin Loxton:  778 879 9207

For information on the Alberta increase:

http://alberta.ca/acn/201202/3191163E5F543-E3D4-FB5E-826ED0AFD115DA5B.html

Do you receive the Persons with Disabilities benefit (PWD) or are you thinking of applying for it? The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) and the Victoria Disability Resource Centre are holding a free workshop to help you understand more about PWD and other provincial benefits you may be eligible for.

BCCPD’s Robin Loxton will talk about:

• Contacting the Ministry of Social Development with a particular focus on the Ministry’s use of computerized applications and other service delivery issues
• Supplementary (other) benefits for people receiving PWD
• The Registered Disability Savings Plan (basic points)

The workshop will allow plenty of time for participants to ask Robin questions.

 March 23rd 2012
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Victoria Disability Resource Centre
817 A Fort Street, Victoria, BC

 If you would like to attend the workshop, please email Nicole Kiyooka at nicole@bccpd.bc.ca  or call her at 1-800-663-1278.

Or contact Erin Davis at employment1@drcvictoria.com or call 250-595-0044 extension #108.

Hope to see you at the workshop!