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Bill C-22 passes~~
2 years ago
General
https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-22
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/can.....ment-1.6448999
The federal government's bill to implement a new Canada Disability Benefit passed Parliament on Tuesday.
Bill C-22, from Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough, proposes to create a federal income supplement for low-income, working-age people with disabilities, modelled after the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
There has been pressure on the federal Liberals to make good on this commitment for years, after a previous version of the bill died in the House with the call of the last federal election.
Qualtrough has billed this proposal as "an important part of Canada’s social safety net" and a "game changer" that would benefit hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities. However, it remains unspecified how much money would be offered.
(...)
However, senators Marilou McPhedran and Kim Pate voiced concern that the federal government rejected a "key" proposed change to the legislation that they said would have protected the disability benefit from potential private insurance claw backs, due to "concerns over provincial jurisdiction over the regulation of the insurance industry."
"Time will tell how this private insurance loophole may be exploited. If—and when—it is, Parliament will have a second chance to correct it. But, it will come at the expense of the disabled community, who will be made to suffer because the government failed to act courageously at the outset," said the senators in a joint statement.
(...)
Sen. Brent Cotter said before the vote that much as he would like to include protections against future claw backs, doing so would likely be unconstitutional.
“Whether we like it or not, and I don’t, the no claw backs clause has within it the seeds of an almighty constitutional fight, which Ottawa would assuredly lose,” he said.
“I'm not happy with that outcome,” he also said. “I am as concerned about the stories that you have heard, that I have heard, as anybody, but there are limits to what we can do. Indeed, we have an obligation to respect those limits, whether we like it or not.”
The passage of Bill C-22 is being celebrated by the disability advocacy community, as a “historic milestone,” while noting work remains to develop the regulations that will determine the benefit’s parameters.
Once again, a good thing / bad thing and only time will tell if it works...
Or if our constitution fucks up this national social program like everything else....
Disability pensions are being nationalized once and for all (though regulations are yet to be) and a FEDERAL standard of living is going to be guaranteed instead of letting the provinces be the decision makers.
Though it could leave people with "high functioning" "non-severe" disabilities (just take a look at CPP-D or the DTC) with only welfare ($780 instead of $1400 or so) because the qualifications are too high (with ODSP being cancelled because of federal uploading).
https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/content/EForms/en/CallForm.html?Lang=en&PDF=ISP-2519.pdf - CPP-D medical qualification
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/c...../t2201-22e.pdf - disability tax credit qualification
(ODSP is considered a "limited" function rather than a "total" function loss unlike federal programs (aka nursing home or feeding tube level stuff vs going in front of a judge and cross-examining a few medical experts with enough paperwork)
It could also be a lesser amount because the provinces may consider it "dollar for dollar" income off of provincial programs (or cancel provincial disability programs all together) which will wind up with less again. Much constitutional wrangling must be had and created before people like me see any federal money.
The "anti-clawback" clause was declared unconstitutional in debate, so it can still be taken off of other income support programs (like private insurance or rent subsidies) as well. But for people who are born with qualifying disabilities private insurance is a pipe dream.
Losing my rental subsidy would be just as bad as a 300 cut to my stipend(s)...
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/can.....ment-1.6448999
The federal government's bill to implement a new Canada Disability Benefit passed Parliament on Tuesday.
Bill C-22, from Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough, proposes to create a federal income supplement for low-income, working-age people with disabilities, modelled after the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
There has been pressure on the federal Liberals to make good on this commitment for years, after a previous version of the bill died in the House with the call of the last federal election.
Qualtrough has billed this proposal as "an important part of Canada’s social safety net" and a "game changer" that would benefit hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities. However, it remains unspecified how much money would be offered.
(...)
However, senators Marilou McPhedran and Kim Pate voiced concern that the federal government rejected a "key" proposed change to the legislation that they said would have protected the disability benefit from potential private insurance claw backs, due to "concerns over provincial jurisdiction over the regulation of the insurance industry."
"Time will tell how this private insurance loophole may be exploited. If—and when—it is, Parliament will have a second chance to correct it. But, it will come at the expense of the disabled community, who will be made to suffer because the government failed to act courageously at the outset," said the senators in a joint statement.
(...)
Sen. Brent Cotter said before the vote that much as he would like to include protections against future claw backs, doing so would likely be unconstitutional.
“Whether we like it or not, and I don’t, the no claw backs clause has within it the seeds of an almighty constitutional fight, which Ottawa would assuredly lose,” he said.
“I'm not happy with that outcome,” he also said. “I am as concerned about the stories that you have heard, that I have heard, as anybody, but there are limits to what we can do. Indeed, we have an obligation to respect those limits, whether we like it or not.”
The passage of Bill C-22 is being celebrated by the disability advocacy community, as a “historic milestone,” while noting work remains to develop the regulations that will determine the benefit’s parameters.
Once again, a good thing / bad thing and only time will tell if it works...
Or if our constitution fucks up this national social program like everything else....
Disability pensions are being nationalized once and for all (though regulations are yet to be) and a FEDERAL standard of living is going to be guaranteed instead of letting the provinces be the decision makers.
Though it could leave people with "high functioning" "non-severe" disabilities (just take a look at CPP-D or the DTC) with only welfare ($780 instead of $1400 or so) because the qualifications are too high (with ODSP being cancelled because of federal uploading).
https://catalogue.servicecanada.gc.ca/content/EForms/en/CallForm.html?Lang=en&PDF=ISP-2519.pdf - CPP-D medical qualification
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/c...../t2201-22e.pdf - disability tax credit qualification
(ODSP is considered a "limited" function rather than a "total" function loss unlike federal programs (aka nursing home or feeding tube level stuff vs going in front of a judge and cross-examining a few medical experts with enough paperwork)
It could also be a lesser amount because the provinces may consider it "dollar for dollar" income off of provincial programs (or cancel provincial disability programs all together) which will wind up with less again. Much constitutional wrangling must be had and created before people like me see any federal money.
The "anti-clawback" clause was declared unconstitutional in debate, so it can still be taken off of other income support programs (like private insurance or rent subsidies) as well. But for people who are born with qualifying disabilities private insurance is a pipe dream.
Losing my rental subsidy would be just as bad as a 300 cut to my stipend(s)...
But tbh Canada is a better place than most for disability care in the world.
We are by far not the best but things could be worse...