DABC’s Statement on the 2025 BC Budget
March 4, 2025
BC Budget 2025: Focused on the economy; no commitment on social services
The BC Budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year was announced at the legislative assembly in Victoria on March 4, 2025. Helaine Boyd, Disability Alliance BC (DABC)’s Executive Director, was invited to attend the announcement and review the budget materials.
As 2024 was an election year, the Provincial Government did not invite civil society to submit their recommendations for the 2025 Budget. Often, our recommendations for the provincial budget stay current year on year, because advocacy to support people with disabilities in our province is a slow-going process.
Our top recommendations for last year’s (2024) BC Budget were:
- Increase the Disability Assistance Rate (known as PWD) and Index for Inflation
- Invest in a comprehensive program for assistive devices and medical equipment for people with disabilities
- Support accessibility retrofits for existing social housing and establish a fund for rental subsidies for low-income people requiring accessible housing.
Unfortunately, none of these recommendations were brought forward into concrete commitments within Budget 2025. The NDP’s election campaign platform outlines the following promises relevant for people with disabilities:
- Improve transit for people with disabilities by bringing BC’s HandyDART service into government, instead of subcontracting the service to a private company
- Offer free transit for seniors in non-peak hours
- Adjust the PWD spousal rule to help lift more people out of poverty.
In the NDP’s response to DABC’s Key Elections Priorities they commit to:
- Invest in training programs that help people with disabilities find jobs
- Implement a new pilot project for EI that will allow people with episodic disabilities to access EI Sickness Benefits with much more flexibility, helping them to maintain employment even when they can’t work periodically.
NDP’s campaign promises relevant for people with disabilities and their response to DABC’s Election Priorities were not reflected in this year’s budget.
Credits and Benefits
There were no new credits announced in the budget this year. However, Budget 2025 does provide a one-time rebate from ICBC to car owners for $110.
Autism Supports
Within this budget, the Province will be providing an “additional $172 million over three years for children and youth with an autism diagnosis and families accessing medical benefits for children with severe disability or complex health-care needs.” However, this is not a new stream of funding; it will maintain previously announced commitments.
This type of funding doesn’t address the growing need for adults with autism who need diagnosis and ongoing support after they have aged out of these benefits. DABC calls upon the Province to look meaningfully at how they can better support covering these services as youth with disabilities transition into adulthood.
Affordable Housing
DABC is heartened to see investments to increasing supports for the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) and the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) Program, in particular by raising the income threshold for the RAP from $40,000 to $60,000. The average supplement families receive will increase from $400 to $700 per month. Budget 2025 increases the SAFER income threshold from $37,240 to $40,000. The average monthly supplement seniors receive will increase from $261 to $337.
While it’s important to celebrate that monthly increases will go into the pockets of low-income families and seniors, DABC calls upon the government to re-assess their income threshold limits for eligibility into these programs. For instance, raising the income threshold by only $2,740 under SAFER provides inadequate financial support for low-income seniors in BC. There are many seniors who may have an income above $40,000, but who struggle to pay rent due to rising costs of living and additional costs associated with aging. The aim of the SAFER program is to promote and support seniors to live independently, and in order to do this, further financial support is required.
Mental Health Supports
The 2025 budget earmarks “$500 million in new funding over three years for addictions treatment and recovery programs that are underway. These include Road to Recovery, Foundry, secure care, supports for children and youth and Indigenous-led treatment, recovery and aftercare services.” DABC has understood that this funding is only to meet increased demand for existing mental health programs rather than funding for new services.
No Increase for Income and Disability Assistance
The Province’s announcement around Income (IA) and Disability Assistance (PWD) was solely to address increased demand for accessing these services, and does not translate into any additional income for people on IA and PWD.
DABC is disappointed to see that the Provincial Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which included considerations for indexing PWD rates to inflation and changing the rules around the spousal cap, was not reflected in this year’s budget. In light of the US tariffs, DABC fears that British Columbians living on disability assistance will continue to see their income spread thin as costs rise. We strongly recommend that the BC Government make good on their poverty reduction strategy and campaign promises to support low-income people with disabilities living on PWD.
Transportation
Budget 2025 mentions funding to support BC Transit and HandyDART in rural areas, but on closer inspection, this does not look to be new funding, rather sustained funding. There is no mention in this year’s budget relating to the NDP’s campaign promises, specifically their commitment to offering free transit for seniors and bringing HandyDART service into government.
Overall Assessment
In our view, Budget 2025 does not align with the BC Government’s aims in their Poverty Reduction Strategy or reflect the rising cost of living that will surely impact low-income people with disabilities. DABC recognizes that, thankfully, there have been no apparent cuts to previously established programs’ supports.
There is no new funding for the disability community in this budget. Budget 2025’s commitment to “standing strong for BC” fails to lend its strength to the disability community. In our view, this budget focused mainly on sustaining previously announced programs and increased demand for these programs due to population growth, and directing funding to protecting BC’s economy in light of the US tariffs, such as supporting businesses and accelerating natural resource projects.
Without any formal consultation available to civil society in the run up to this year’s budget, DABC can only rely upon the commitments the NDP made in their elections campaign platform and the new Poverty Reduction Strategy published last summer. In comparison to this, Budget 2025 fails to enact any of the commitments listed earlier on in our statement.
Within Budget 2025, the Provincial Government has set aside $4 billion in contingency funds, a significant amount of money that could be used to protect British Columbians from the negative impacts of the US tariffs. DABC calls upon the Provincial Government to recognize that the brunt of the impact to US tariffs will hit consumers significantly, particularly those most economically vulnerable, including low-income people with disabilities. Using this contingency, the Provincial Government could still make good on their commitments to index PWD rates to inflation and change the spousal cap, which would surely benefit low-income people with disabilities and their families as we face a rise in daily living costs.
DABC will continue to advocate for changes that will increase dignity, independence, and equal and full participation for people with disabilities in our province.
