In March 2021, the federal government made it legal for Canadians living with a disability to apply for medical assistance in dying — regardless of whether natural death was inevitable. One year later, many people living with a disability in Canada are considering this route. Not because they want to die, but because their income is too low to live on.
The message is clear: your government will help you die, but not live with dignity.
In Ontario, a single person on disability support receives a maximum of $1,169 per month. This is supposed to cover all basic needs. Pause and take a moment to add up your monthly expenses. Exactly. It’s not even close.
There’s a similar story in British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and other provinces and territories. No matter where you live, monthly disability income supports are woefully inadequate.
Through the eDemocracy platform, Ethelo, Canadians with disabilities have been sharing their experiences. One person writes: “My rent is the amount that I receive. To have food, I must borrow. It is so stressful. It makes my MS worse.”
We also heard from someone who spends 30 per cent of their monthly ODSP income on medication alone. “How am I supposed to live on that and feed my child and myself?” they ask.
Yet, there is a solution — and it’s already in front of us.
In the 2020 Throne Speech, the federal government promised to introduce a new Canada Disability Benefit. The benefit would be a direct monthly payment for low-income Canadians ages 18-64 with disabilities. And these payments would be above and beyond existing provincial and territorial income supports.
The government also vowed to make the benefit permanent through a bill called the Canada Disability Benefit Act. But due to the 2021 federal election, momentum slowed, though the Liberals still showed their commitment while campaigning. Since that time, however, the government has fallen silent.
Another year has ticked by, and every person living with a disability in this country is still waiting. The toxic combination of inadequate income supports and skyrocketing inflation means that people who rely on disability benefits can no longer afford to live. And some are choosing not to.
We can do better. We must do better. And we need to act now.
And the country agrees. A recent Angus Reid survey showed that 89 per cent of Canadians are in favour of creating a federal disability benefit. Recently in the House of Commons, there was all-party support to establish a Canada Disability Benefit without delay.
We’re not surprised that Canadians care about this issue. But we are surprised by the length of time it’s taking to make this lifeline for 1.5 million people a reality.
Parliament will break for the summer on June 23. Now is the time to take action. We urge the federal government to introduce the Act before parliament adjourns. That way the benefit itself will be closer to reaching those who desperately need it.
Let’s ensure that Canadians with disabilities who are living in poverty are not forced to choose between paying the bills or applying for the right to die.
Photo courtesy of DepositPhoto
