Sask. food banks, non-profits push for Canada's new disability benefit to be 'fully funded'

Multiple Saskatchewan food banks, along with dozens of non-profits across Canada, are pushing for a “fully funded” Canada Disability Benefit in the upcoming budget.

The long-awaited benefit passed through Parliament last summer. It commits the federal government to income support for low-income, working-age Canadians living with disabilities.

Both the Saskatoon and Regina food banks have joined the ‘Fund the Benefit’ campaign to advocate for an adequately funded benefit that is safe from “claw backs."

“I think it’s an easy solution to a certain segment of the population who struggle,” said Laurie O’Connor, executive director of the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre.

About one in seven people using the food bank rely on provincial disability income support of about $1, 500 each month, which puts them below the poverty line, a news release from the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre said.

• Download the CTV News app for Sask. related breaking news alerts on your smartphone

Meanwhile, federal statistics estimate more than 900,000 working-age Canadians with a disability live in poverty.

President of Inclusion Saskatchewan, Bluesette Campbell, said while the increasing cost of living continues to impact many Canadians, those with a disability face additional costs and barriers.

“The level of issues compound when you live with a disability because you’re not necessarily starting on an equal playing field for access to housing, employment, and other supports,” she said.

Campbell believes if the benefit is properly funded, it could lift many people out of poverty.

“It does have the capacity and potential to help several people,” Campbell said.

When Bill C-22 passed, the minister responsible estimated that it could take more than a year to set up the benefit before any money would flow.

In a statement to CTV News, the federal government said it’s consulting with members of the disability community to further develop the benefit.

“We are focused on getting the benefit to Canadians with Disabilities as quickly as we can while also making sure that we get it right,” the statement read.

Campbell said Inclusion Canada is pushing to expedite that process.

“Those individuals…are still, year after year, living in poverty and having to make decisions that impact their lives, so time is of the essence,” she said.

Campbell said those supporting the campaign are waiting for the federal budget to reveal more details on benefits.

The budget is set to be delivered on April 16.