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British Columbia

Removing Financial Barriers for Persons Receiving Disability Assistance

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The British Columbia government recently announced significant changes coming to disability assistance in the province.

Beginning Dec. 1, 2015, people in BC receiving disability assistance will be able to hold substantially more assets without impacting their eligibility for assistance. Individuals designated Persons with Disabilities (PWD) will soon be able to hold $100,000 in assets, and a couple where both partners have PWD designation will be able to hold $200,000 in assets. This is a significant increase from the current limits of $5,000 and $10,000, respectively. The higher asset limit means that money received through inheritance would not have to be put aside in a trust.

As well, people with disabilities will be able to receive cash gifts without affecting their eligibility for assistance. Under the current regime, individuals receiving assistance can only receive one-time gifts without their eligibility being affected. There will also no longer be an annual limit on payments people receiving assistance can receive from trusts. Currently, there is an $8,000 annual cap on trust payments for activities that promote independence.

Almost 96,000 people in BC are designated as PWD and receive assistance from the provincial government. These changes will give them greater independence and choice in enhancing their financial security, and also give their families, friends, and community groups an opportunity to provide additional support without impacting eligibility. The new policies are part of Accessibility 2024 – BC’s 10-year action plan to increase accessibility and remove barriers, with the goal of making BC the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities.

September is Disability Employment Month in BC

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Most people know that people with disabilities have to overcome challenges – challenges in finding accessible housing, using public transportation, and finding employment, to name just a few. At Pacific Medical Law, we are reminded of this every day as we work to help our clients with cerebral palsy or spinal cord injuries for example, people who, through no fault of their own, are unable to find employment in a traditional workplace.

September 1st marks the beginning of BC’s second annual Disability Employment Month. It’s a chance to recognize and celebrate the contribution people with disabilities bring to the workplace and recognize the many inclusive employers around the province.

Most progressive province for people with Disabilities

BC has set a goal to have the highest labour-market participation rates for people with disabilities of any province in Canada. This is one of the objectives of Accessibility 2024 – BC’s 10 year action plan to make BC the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities. The plan also includes strategies for improving the inclusiveness of government, and communities, as well as increasing accessible housing, transportation and employment, among other things.

A recent letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun focused on inclusive hiring and highlights a number of reasons why inclusive hiring makes sense. For example:

  • A survey of supervisors with experience managing people with disabilities revealed employees with disabilities performed better than their co-workers in terms of punctuality, attendance, work quality, task consistency, and overall proficiency.
  • A Job Accommodation Network study found more than half of 1,100 employers of people with disabilities benefited from increased overall company morale and productivity. Employees with disabilities also bring a new perspective that can help make a business more welcoming to all.
  • Almost 90 per cent of consumers prefer companies that employ people with disabilities, according to a study cited in a Conference Board report.

Approximately 334,000 British Columbians aged 15 to 64 years self-identify as having a disability – that’s 15% of the population. According to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, only 55% of persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 years participate in the labour market, compared to 78% of persons without disabilities. The cost of workplace accommodations for a person with disability is $500 or less on average. People with disabilities represent an important employee talent pool that can add value to a workplace. Hiring people with disabilities just makes sense for so many reasons. Here are additional stats on disabilities.

To see the full letter to the editor go to: (It’s just smart business – Vancouver Sun Sept 1, 2015)

More details on the business case for hiring people with disabilities can be found at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2015SDSI0042-001401

For more information about Accessibility 2024, go to: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility

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