A new benefit for persons with disabilities is not being met with much fanfare from advocates.
The benefit will be for up to $200 per month, but only people who qualify for the disability tax credit are eligible. The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities Newfoundland and Labrador worries about that particular criterion, as it will leave some being denied the money.
Inclusion Canada believed that the payment would amount to much more than $200 per month, as it was championed as a means to lift persons with disabilities out of poverty. The organization says the $6-per-day will lift nobody out of poverty.
Nancy Reid of the NL Coalition says the benefit is designed to be over and above other payments, including income support, which means no clawback. She is in the process of getting more information on that aspect from Social Services Minister Paul Pike.
She says NL doesn’t have a disability benefit outside income support whereas other provinces do. Reid says many recipients are concerned about the $200 being clawed back.