CanAssist is recruiting for a Youth Advisory Committee!

CanAssist at the University of Victoria is recruiting for a Youth Advisory Committee! They are looking for youth between 15 and 30 who live in BC and self-identify as having a disability, mental health, or substance use challenge.

Committee members will advise on the BC Employment Strategy for Youth with Disabilities. Watch a short video introducing the project: https://vimeo.com/794277448.

Members will receive a $100 honorarium for each committee meeting they participate in!

To fill out an application, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/RPF7RQ3

Webinar: Advancing Benefits for People with Disabilities

Prosper Canada recently hosted a 1-hour webinar for organizations working directly with people with disabilities about the barriers facing people with disabilities in accessing benefit programs and the ways to improve access.

DABC ED Helaine Boyd gave a presentation during the webinar.

The webinar recording and presentation slide deck are available here.

Credit/rebate updates

The Provincial government recently made several announcements about new rebates/credits and changes to some types of assistance:

Assistance Extended for Ukrainians coming to British Columbia

• Financial assistance through the B.C. Hardship Assistance program for individuals arriving in British Columbia under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) process has been extended from six months to 12 months.
• For more information: https://gov.bc.ca/welcomingukraine.

BC Hydro Rebate

• Eligible customers will receive a one-time BC Hydro credit between December and early 2023. This includes eligible customers who receive their electricity service from FortisBC or a municipal utility.
• The credit does not need to be declared on provincial assistance recipients’ monthly reports. 

BC Affordability Tax Credit

• Eligible individuals and families will automatically receive the new BC Affordability Credit through the Canada Revenue Agency.  
• An eligible person with an income of up to $36,901 will receive the maximum amount of $410.
• This Credit will need to be recorded on provincial assistance recipients’ monthly report under “all other income/money received”.
• It is not considered income and is treated as exempt.  

Self Employment Program

• The Self Employment Program (SEP) policy under “Deductions and Exemptions” now allows personal contributions for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) to be deducted from gross income.

The government of Canada also recently announced two benefits administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Both benefits are not considered income and are treated as exempt:

Canada Dental Benefit

• The interim Canada Dental Benefit is intended to help lower dental costs for eligible families earning less than $90,000 per year for children under 12 years old receiving dental care who do not have access to a private dental insurance plan.
• Depending on family net income, a tax-free payment of $260, $390, or $650 is available for each eligible child.

One-Time Canada Housing Benefit

• The one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit aims to help low-income renters with the cost of renting by providing a maximum one-time payment of $500 for qualified applicants