The Federal Government’s Proposed $250 Working Canadians Rebate is Cold Comfort to Those Who Need It Most
The federal government announced on November 21st its plans to alleviate higher costs-of-living by providing a $250 rebate to all working Canadians with net incomes below $150,000, to be delivered Spring 2025. This rebate is called the Working Canadians rebate. Assuming the legislation needed to create this benefit is passed as-is, it will target individuals who are working, and this proposed rebate will leave many people with disabilities behind.
The Working Canadians Rebate was one of several new measures announced to relieve higher costs of living that many have endured. The other is a holiday tax break (Bill C-78) that will make some goods and services GST/HST free from December 14, 2024 – February 15, 2025. The federal government announced that these measures will “give Canadians more money in their pockets” and help people “buy the things they need and save for the things they want”. Disappointingly, the rebate excludes many people with disabilities and seniors most affected by inflation, high prices, and other economic pressures, who currently struggle to afford basic needs.
Disability Alliance BC (DABC) disagrees with the restrictive parameters of the proposed rebate.
Specifically, we note that:
- Limiting the rebate to working-age adults inherently discriminates against people with disabilities, particularly those who are not working (e.g., Canada Pension Plan – Disability and Disability Assistance recipients who are not working) and seniors. Given the myriad barriers that prevent many people with disabilities from participating in mainstream work structures, this rebate only perpetuates ableist systems.
- This rebate does not actively support those living in poverty in our country, who would benefit the most from a $250 rebate. A majority (69%) of people accessing social assistance in BC are those who receive Disability Assistance (colloquially known as PWD).[1] In BC, assistance rates are not indexed for inflation which means that many people face rising costs for basic necessities, and not enough money to afford them.
- This rebate only serves to deepen the income gap in our society
- This rebate continues a long list of measures that do not adequately support the exorbitant costs that people with disabilities face. Many tax benefits, including the medical expense tax credit, are non-refundable, which means that they only benefit those with taxable income. Where people eligible for the Working Canadians Benefit could also benefit from available non-refundable tax benefits, those who are not working continue to get left behind. While we recognize that the federal government will be rolling out the monthly Canada Disability Benefit in July 2025, which will offer financial support for working age adults with low income, this benefit is just too little, and still excludes those outside of working ages.
This rebate is a stark reminder that our government still values working adults above all else, which sends a callous message to those who cannot work.
DABC calls on the federal government to broaden this benefit, to provide an equitable Canadian cost-of-living benefit that not only supports working Canadians, but also those who are unable to work, unable to save, and who often have higher costs associated with their health. These people need “more money in their pockets” the most.
[1] https://maytree.com/changing-systems/data-measuring/social-assistance-summaries/british-columbia/
